Law Repeal Paradox Unveiled

In a tableau of stage‑managed repeal, Rep. Jordan Teuscher, R‑South Jordan, presided over House Bill 2001 with the same solemnity used for sink‑hole repairs on SR‑224, only this time the sand‑laden freeway was political. The Utah Legislature’s stage manager, the special session, unfolded in a room that smelled of faded municipal beige and the faint whiff of UDOT crayon‑ed signs, while the UDOT cones—safety‑orange barrels—loomed like cast‑iron sentries. The cancellation of HB267, bolder in its vacuous wording than its predecessor, freed the ballot from a toxic clause that would have barred public employees from collective bargaining, and thus avoided the construction detour that might have unfolded along US‑89’s shoulder. Yet the same machinery that can tape a malfunctioning asphalt‑black slurry spill also signs a road not covered by the new law. For a pragmatic escape, trade the sterility of the Capitol for the Richardson Flat bus; bypass the high‑viz yellow vest checkpoints on US‑89, and observe the smooth flow of unblocked traffic.