Axios Salt Lake City

July 21, 2022
Hello again. It's Thursday. Can you hear it? That's the weekend approaching.
- Today's weather: Mostly sunny, with a high of 101° and a low of 76°.
Situational awareness: The Utah Arts Festival is looking for applicants to join its board of directors. Interested in joining? Apply here.
- It closes tomorrow at 5pm.
Today's newsletter is 695 words — a 3-minute read.
1 big thing: Utah's congressmen move to protect same-sex marriage
Illustration: Allie Carl/Axios
All four of Utah's congressmen crossed party lines on Tuesday to vote in favor of a bill that would codify same-sex marriage in the U.S.
- Republican Reps. John Curtis, Blake Moore, Burgess Owens, and Chris Stewart joined House Democrats and 43 other House Republicans in supporting the bill.
Details: The Respect for Marriage Act seeks to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act by writing same-sex and interracial marriages into federal law.
- It was introduced after Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas wrote that same-sex marriage should be revisited in his concurring Roe v. Wade opinion.
Between the lines: Damon Mann, a political science professor at Utah State University, previously thought the odds of Utah's House delegation voting in favor of a same-sex marriage bill were slim.
- He said Republicans could be using this issue to dampen any backlash for their support of the recent overturning of Roe. v. Wade.
Jason Perry, director of the Hinckley Institute of Politics at the University of Utah, said the votes signal the reassurance that Republicans are not looking to repeal same-sex marriage.
What they're saying: "The majority opinion of the Supreme Court clearly stated that the Court has no intention of reversing any decisions respecting the right to marriage in the Constitution," Curtis said in a statement on Tuesday.
- "I do not believe the federal government should infringe upon an individual’s decision about who they wish to marry."
What we're watching: If it reaches the Senate floor, it will be intriguing to see how Lee and Romney vote.
- Romney has called the legislation unnecessary and has not revealed how he would vote.
2. ⚽️ Real Salt Lake in prime position
Real Salt Lake players warm up before their MLS soccer match. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)
Real Salt Lake is about two-thirds of the way through the 2022 MLS season. And so far, they are right where they want to be.
State of play: RSL is currently in third place in the Western Conference. Through the first 21 games of the season, they have amassed nine wins, six losses, and six draws.
Catch up fast: Last year, Real Salt Lake won only 14 games but ended its season with a magical playoff run after sneaking into the postseason.
- They were the bottom seed in the Western Conference bracket before upsetting the Seattle Sounders in the first round and Sporting Kansas City in the second.
- They fell in the conference finals to the Portland Timbers but 2021 was still a "massive success" on the field.
What's happening: Of RSL's 13 remaining games, seven are at Rio Tinto Stadium.
- That includes a rematch against Portland. And an always fun matchup against Los Angeles FC.
What we're watching: Will RSL repeat their success from last season?
- As the 7th seed, they didn't play a single playoff game at Rio. But if they hold on to their place near the top of the Western Conference, playoff soccer will be back in Utah for the first time since 2019.
- Their next game is Saturday at home against FC Dallas.
Ross' thought bubble: Perhaps this is a sign to finally check out an RSL game. But I'm from Atlanta so I will always rep the five stripes.
3. Fry Sauce: A dollop of news
Illustration: Allie Carl/Axios
📝 Several Utah tourism groups joined a letter asking the National Park Service to change reservation systems to better accommodate international travelers. (KUER)
🪟 Windows at eight Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints meetinghouses in southern Utah were broken overnight on Wednesday. (Deseret News)
🚓 You might want to slow down driving. From now until Aug. 14, 12 law enforcement agencies will be working 200 extra speed enforcement shifts. (KSLTV)
🏀 As rumors surrounding the Utah Jazz trading Donovan Mitchell continue to linger, another player could be on the trade block: Bojan Bogdanovic. (Bleacher Report)
❗ ICYMI: Gentrification is driving low-income families out of Salt Lake City. (Axios Salt Lake City)
4. 🌭 Tweet du jour: Romney celebrates hot dogs
A screenshot via Twitter.
Sen. Mitt Romney took to Twitter yesterday to celebrate National Hot Dog Day.
Details: The tweet included a photo of him smiling with a frank in hand at a J. Dawgs in downtown Salt Lake City.
Flashback: The Utah Republican was mocked during his campaign for U.S. Senate in 2018 after reportedly calling the hot dog his "favorite meat."
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