Podcasts about Utah State Capitol

Thousands of Utahns joined the nationwide "Hands Off" Protest bringing thousands outside the Utah State Capitol. Senator Nate Blouin was in attendance, he joins the show to discuss the turnout and the purpose.

Retirement panic or a good time to buy? The emotional rollercoaster of the stock market No more buying soda with SNAP benefits Does higher pay bring employee loyalty? The silver lining that could come with tariffs Thousands gather outside Utah State Capitol in nationwide  "Hands Off" protest

Hosts: Erin Rider and Adam Gardiner  We’re down to single digits – after today, only 9 days left in the 2025 Legislative General Session. Inside Sources kicks off our special show at the Utah State Capitol with a look at the whole process. State Representative Clint Okerlund is a new legislator; he joins us to talk about how he’s doing with the firehose of information. 

Hosts: Erin Rider and Adam Gardiner On the Hill 2025: Takes on the session from a new legislator  We’re down to single digits – after today, only 9 days left in the 2025 Legislative General Session. Inside Sources kicks off our special show at the Utah State Capitol with a look at the whole process. State Representative Clint Okerlund is a new legislator; he joins us to talk about how he’s doing with the firehose of information.    On the Hill 2025: Adjustments to criminal justice system  Addressing jail overcrowding, banning state funds from being used for syringe exchange programs, and reclassifying habitual offenders – these are just a few of the things State Representative Karianne Lisonbee hopes to tackle in her bill on the criminal justice system. She joins us to go in-depth on House Bill 312: Criminal Justice Amendments.    On the Hill 2025: Potential path to creating a new county  It’s been more than 100 years since Utah got a new county – the last time was in 1918 with the establishment of Daggett County. But as Utah’s population grows – especially along the Wasatch Front – it's brought up questions about county creation. Currently, Utah has 29 counties. Could it get to an even 30? State Rep. Jordan Teuscher joins us to discuss a bill he’s running about this topic.    On the Hill 2025: Changes to property taxes  Property taxes -- they’re super important but can also be kind of boring and complicated. But property taxes affect just about anyone, including those who don’t own their property. State Senator Dan McCay joins Inside Sources to talk about a bill he’s working on that would make some changes to property taxes, including the addition of a few tax programs residents could opt into.    Pushback on recent DOGE decisions, including Musk’s email to federal workers and layoffs  The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) made waves this weekend when an email went out to federal workers asking for them to give five bullet points of what they did last week. Elon Musk – writing on X – said those who don’t respond will be fired. Does he have authority to do this? At the same time, members of Congress are speaking out against the way the layoffs are going. The Inside Sources hosts discuss what DOGE is doing and whether or not they agree with the decisions.    On the Hill 2025: What’s left to accomplish in the last 9 days of the session?  One thing we like to do when we’re on Capitol Hill is discuss various issues and bills with a Democrat and a Republican. Unfortunately, our regular Republican for this segment couldn’t join us today, so we chat with our regular Democrat instead! State Representative Andrew Stoddard gives a take on the final few days of the session and what he still wants to do before the session ends.    Ukrainian president says he’d resign if it meant peace  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he would be willing to resign his office if it meant a lasting peace for Ukraine. As part of this – however – he says NATO membership for the country would need to be on the table. At the same time, the United States has joined Russia in voting against a UN resolution about the war. Adam and Erin finish the show with updates on Ukraine.   

UPR broadcast live from the Utah State Capitol complex on this opening day of the session. Host Tom Williams spoke with legislative leaders on top priorities for this year.

On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court tossed out Utah's public lands lawsuit that would have challenged the federal government's control of over 18 million acres across the state. The lawsuit was just one effort Utah officials have made in recent months as part of a larger campaign to wrest control of public lands from the Bureau of Land Management. Public land advocates have called the state's attempted land grab misleading, saying that those federal lands wouldn't necessarily go to the state, but rather, to the highest bidder. - Show Notes - • Salt Lake Tribune: Here's how much Utah is spending on a public relations campaign for its lawsuit seeking control of public lands https://www.sltrib.com/news/environment/2024/11/04/utah-sued-supreme-court-control/ • Photo: Public land advocates gathered at the Utah State Capitol this weekend to protest Utah's land grab lawsuit. Photo courtesy of the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance.

Throughout history, pioneers who dared to challenge the status quo and fight for equality have helped create a more just society. Among these trailblazers stands Martha Hughes Cannon, Utah's first female state senator and a relentless champion for women's suffrage. Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson discusses the iconic statue’s preparation to make its journey from the Utah State Capitol to Washington D.C.. We are reminded of the enduring power of courageous leadership and the profound impact one woman can have in shaping the course of a nation. This momentous occasion not only celebrates Cannon's remarkable legacy but also serves as an inspiration for future generations to fearlessly pursue progress and uphold the democratic ideals she so valiantly embodied. 

Episode Summary: In this thought-provoking episode of "90 Miles from Needles," the Desert Protection podcast, we journey with the host to the shores of the rapidly shrinking Great Salt Lake and the steps of the Utah State Capitol. We delve into the urgent efforts led by advocates and scientists to save the critical ecosystem of the lake and protect species like the Wilson's Phalarope through the Endangered Species Act. The discussion highlights the worrying state of the Great Salt Lake, its declining water levels, and the dire consequences for the unique saline ecosystem that supports millions of migratory birds. The plight of the Wilson's Phalarope, a bird species whose existence is threatened by the lake's dehydration, and its petition for federal protection, stands as a stark reminder of the interconnectedness of biodiversity and our responsibility in its stewardship. About the Guest(s): Terry Tempest Williams is a renowned author, conservationist, and advocate for environmental justice and human rights. Her work as an essayist and naturalist has been influential in the environmental literature scene. She has a rich publication history on topics related to the American West, wilderness preservation, and social justice. Her notable works include "Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place," a memoir intertwining her family's experience with cancer and the rising Great Salt Lake. Williams' affinity for the natural world and her impact as a voice for conservation have established her as a beloved and respected figure in environmental advocacy. Patrick Donnelly is the Great Basin Program Director for the Center for Biological Diversity, a leading role in the organization's efforts to protect the wildlife and wild places of Nevada and the Great Basin region. His involvement in conservation spans various projects, including species petitioning and habitat preservation. Ryan Carl, a biologist with the group Oikonos Ecosystem Knowledge, specializes in the study of phalaropes and other wildlife dependent on saline lake ecosystems. His work is crucial in understanding and mitigating the threats these species face due to environmental changes. Adelaide Scott represents Utah Youth Environmental Solutions, voicing the concerns and active role of younger generations in environmental conservation and advocacy. Key Takeaways: The Great Salt Lake is experiencing record low water levels, threatening its unique saline ecosystem and the species it supports. The Wilson's Phalarope is under threat, and advocates have petitioned for its protection under the Endangered Species Act. Scientists warn of an ecological collapse of the lake's ecosystem by 2029 without significant conservation efforts. Community leaders, including Terry Tempest Williams, emphasize the moral and societal imperatives of conserving the lake. The episode underscores the importance of a unified approach that includes the voices of marginalized communities and acknowledges social dimensions alongside scientific research. Notable Quotes: Terry Tempest Williams remarks on the social and spiritual significance of the Great Salt Lake: "Great Salt Lake is my mother…it's a body of water in retreat. Grief and love are siblings." Patrick Donnelly discusses the essential role of the Endangered Species Act: "The Endangered Species act has a 99% success rate at preventing the extinction of the species protected under the act." Ryan Carl shares the global importance of the Great Salt Lake for species like the Wilson's Phalarope: "Great Salt Lake is one of the most important places on the planet for this species." Adelaide Scott reflects on the broader implications of the lake's drying: "It's undeniable that there is a sizable portion of people affected by the loss of the lake who are not being listened to." Resources: Center for Biological Diversity website: Center for Biological Diversity Utah Youth for Environmental Solutions website: Utah Youth for Environmental Solutions Terry Tempest Williams' publications and advocacy: Terry Tempest Williams Listen to the full episode to immerse yourself in the intense and passionate fight to save the Great Salt Lake and prevent an ecological tragedy. Stay tuned for more enlightening conversations and explorations that bring critical environmental issues to the forefront.Become a desert defender!: https://90milesfromneedles.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join Boyd as he reports from the Utah State Capitol in Salt Lake City to get the inside scoop on the last day of our General Session. Take a look back on the last 45 days with Holly Richardson from Deseret News. Hear from Congresswoman Celeste Maloy about the state of the U.S. Congress. Representative Brian King joins Boyd to talk about his 16 terms in the Utah House of Representatives and his Water Revisions bill. Randy Shumway on homelessness, a presidential politics update and more!

Matt Sharp and Chris Brousseau join me to chat about writing their new book "LLMs in Production" (Manning). What's it like to write a book in a field that's changing at light speed? How do two people write a book together? We dive into this and much more. Note - we recorded this outside at the Utah State Capitol. There's a bit of background noise, but it hopefully doesn't distract from the conversation. It was too nice of a day to be stuck inside :)

Hosts: Derek Brown and Taylor Morgan In a show of support for Israel, Utahns have organized a rally at the Capitol building. Joining us is Aimee Cobabe, KSL Newsradio Reporter, who attended the rally to talk about attendance and the general mood of the event.

Hosts: Derek Brown and Taylor Morgan Utah Senate District 22 Election Night Open We are live in a special edition of KSL at Night covering the Utah Senate District 22 Election. We spoke with Utah Republican Party Chair Robert Axson who is at the election to discuss the process and what to expect for the night. Pro-Israel Rally at the Utah State Capitol In a show of support for Israel, Utahns have organized a rally at the Capitol building. Joining us is Aimee Cobabe, KSL NewsRadio Reporter, who attended the rally to talk about attendance and the general mood of the event. Utah Senate District 22 Election Night Close We are covering the Utah Senate District 22 Election, we spoke with Representative Brady Brammer who is at the event and represents the same district on the House side. Erin Rider with the Utah Women Lead PAC has ran for Congress in the past and knows the process of speaking with delegates to get elected. She joined the show to discuss her experience on what candidates need to do to win.  

August 8th, 2023

Utah is fortunate to have one of the most beautiful Capitol buildings in the country. Though it serves many purposes, ultimately this building belongs to the people of our state — and there is a whole team of dedicated civil servants working behind the scenes to make sure our citizens can continue to enjoy this building for generations to come. Recently, our Capitol plaza has undergone some changes, including the ongoing construction of the newly reimagined North Building. Joining us in this episode to discuss the future of our Capitol Complex is the Director of the Capitol Preservation Board, Dana Jones and the Assistant Director over Special Projects, Michael Ambre.

Amy is joined by Annabelle Qian to conclude their discussion of patriarchy's history in Imperial China from the Qin Dynasty (221 BCE) to the Qing Dynasty (1912 CE).Annabelle Qian is an 18 year old scholar who just graduated from Waterford High School, and will be studying international affairs and economics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill this fall. Annabelle is biracial and trilingual. She lived in Guangzhou, China for 10 years where she cultivated her study of the intersection between global politics and personal identity. Annabelle is an award winning historical writer; she has presented papers in Washington D.C. for international competitions, as well as at the Utah State Capitol.

IT'S ONTIME YA'LL. We've had some LIFE happen recently but we worked our butts off to get you this episode ON TIME and on APRIL'S 30TH BIRTHDAY! She may have a cottage cheese butt, but she's surviving and thriving so far. In this episode, April introduces her new puppy Tucker and tells us about the tragedy at the LDS Family History Library. Untreated mental illness is no joke. Katie tells us all about the spooky happenings at the beautiful, slippery granite Utah State Capital building and it's backyard Memory Grove Park. Thanks for listening! Tell your friends. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/hauntandcold/support

Guest hosts: Maura Carabello and Taylor Morgan  It's been a busy few days at the Utah State Capitol. But amid all the pomp and circumstance that surrounds the Legislative Session... there are a lot of important policies and bills being drafted that you... as a voter... should be aware of. Taylor Morgan and Maura Carabello break down what they have their eyes on this year.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

State Street could easily be considered the grand boulevard of our city. The multi-lane highway cuts through the heart of Salt Lake County, climbing up to the Utah State Capitol and running up and down the whole state as U.S. 89. Recently, State Street has undergone some drastic changes — notably, the former Sears has come crumbling down to make way for new development. The demolition has us feeling nostalgic for the glory days on State. Host Ali Vallarta celebrates its storied history with Jaime Ria, a local teacher who used to joyride and scope out cuties on State Street in the ‘70s. Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter here. You can find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC and Twitter @CityCastSLC. Looking to advertise on City Cast Salt Lake? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join John as he interviews Utah Representative Angela Romero, Lindsey Lundholm, and Dr. Julie Hanks about the upcoming Protect Kids rally, in favor of requiring clergy to report abuse. ALL adults across the state, without exception, should be mandated to report child abuse. Representative Angela Romero has championed this legislation over the past two years. She is sponsoring the rally and will be the keynote speaker. Lindsey Lundholm is the grassroots organizer for the Protect Kids rally, and passionate about giving children one more safe line of defense against abuse. As a therapist and member of the LDS faith, Dr. Julie Hanks, stands in support of eliminating the clergy loophole. Please join us at the south steps of the Utah State Capitol this Friday @ 6:30pm. WEAR TEAL in support of SA survivors. More details here: https://fb.me/e/2G8FC1foR For those unable to attend in person, the event will be streamed live. In case of inclement weather, the event will be held fully online via Facebook live at 6:30pm on Friday, August 19th. Currently in Utah law, clergy are exempt from mandatory reporting of child abuse. Recent news stories have highlighted how this exception can lead to serious harm for children, and a grey area for clergy. Let's make the law clear: protecting children from abuse is the first priority. We are rallying to educate and encourage the state to pass laws that close the clergy loophole. We believe this is the year we can get it passed, to provide a safer Utah for children. How you can help in the meantime:

In this May 19, 2022 episode, Let Me Speak to the Governor guest host Lindsay Aerts is joined by Governor Spencer Cox remotely as he recovers from a coronavirus diagnosis. As Spring starts to turn into Summer listeners are worried about the impact of the continuing drought, they ask what is being done and what will be done to ease our water crisis. Utahns are worried about affording to live here, with Utah being one of the hottest spots for homebuyers in the nation we are experiencing a housing shortage and a steep rise in rent. And on lighter news, a listener asks for details on the new time capsule placed at the Utah State Capitol.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former Senator Orrin Hatch, who served Utah for 42 years in the United States Senate, is lying in state today at the Utah State Capitol. One of the reporters who got to interview Senator Hatch as he was retiring was former KSL TV anchor Dave McCann. He talks with Boyd about what he learned about Senator Hatch by observing him up close. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week's episode of “In the Hive…” A new exhibit on the third floor of the Utah State Capitol features stories of the survivors of the Topaz War Relocation Center, the concentration camp in central Utah that housed more than 11,000 Japanese Americans during World War II. The exhibit, sponsored by the San Franciso-based […]

On this week’s episode of “In the Hive…” A new exhibit on the third floor of the Utah State Capitol features stories of the survivors of the Topaz War Relocation Center, the concentration camp in central Utah that housed more than 11,000 Japanese Americans during World War II. The exhibit, sponsored by the San Franciso-based […]

Utah lawmakers have banned transgender athletes from girls' sports. This move overrides Governor Spencer Cox's recent veto of the legislation. LGBTQ rights organizations are calling the ban ‘cruel and discriminatory' and are preparing to fight in court. Expecting this legal challenge, state lawmakers set aside $500,000 for the ban's defense. Plus, the Manti-La Sal National Forest Service is conducting prescribed burns to reduce the risk of wildfire spread. // Show Notes // Photo: Demonstrators gathered at the Utah State Capitol on Friday to show support for trans youth/Utah Pride Center // HB 11 Student Eligibility In Interscholastic Activities https://le.utah.gov/~2022/bills/static/HB0011.html // 3/25/22 Legislature Overrides Veto On HB 11 https://senate.utah.gov/legislature-overrides-veto-on-h-b-11/ // 3/22/22 Gov Cox Veto Letter https://drive.google.com/file/d/1emUTfFEbmNmSdW9UhhsRAseVNr4cPIv9/view // Equality Utah https://www.equalityutah.org // PBS 4/16/21: New poll shows Americans overwhelmingly oppose anti-transgender laws https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/new-poll-shows-americans-overwhelmingly-oppose-anti-transgender-laws

We took Over the Utah State Capitol.

QUICKLY SHARE THIS EPISODE FAR AND WIDE! Announcing two big events occurring this next week: Rally at the Utah State Capitol on Wednesday, 10/20, to promote the need for an election audit and election reform legislation. The rally will be followed by a hearing before the Judiciary Committee on the same topic (YOUR VOICE IS NEEDED!) WeCanAct Liberty Event Massive line-up of nationally acclaimed, conservative speakers on a variety of topics including: The State of Our Nation, medical freedom, election reform, Critical Race Theory, several Profiles in Courage, and much more!   (October 22-23 at the Salt Palace) I share a recording of my "Strengthening Confidence in Our Elections" presentation I'm giving this presentation to senior government officials and constituents demonstrating the need for an independent audit of our November 2020 election results, ongoing independent election audits into the future, and election reform legislation to remove the massive reliance in our elections on mail-in ballots and tabulation, election management system, and other machines (probably best to WATCH this episode on Rumble.com)

In a hearing on Utah's Capitol Hill recently, state Rep. Paul Ray highlighted the need to better train police officers so victims of assault are taken seriously, their attackers prosecuted, and the officers themselves don't face burnout. Rep. Ray joins Boyd to explain what should be done instead.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

June 2, 2021 (Season 3, Episode 2,  48 minutes).  Click here to read the Utah Dept. of Culture & Community Engagement show notes for this Speak Your Piece episode. This episode of Speak Your Piece is based on a digital exhibit Topaz Stories: Remembering the Japanese American Incarceration, and includes selected readings of some deeply personal and painful stories written and gathered by both detainees and the children of those incarcerated at the Topaz Internment Camp (Delta, Utah; 1942-1945).The imprisonment of Americans of Japanese ancestry during World War II is one of our nation's worst violations of civil rights against American citizens. Holding to a racially biased and misconceived notion of "military necessity," over 120,000 men, women and children of Japanese descent--two-thirds of them American citizens--where removed from their West Coast homes and imprisoned. In contrast only a very small number of first generation German and Italian immigrants, whose country of origins were also at war with the United States, where subjected to incarceration. The community of Delta, Utah was selected by War Relocation Administration as one of ten internment camp locations. Initially known as the Central Utah Relocation Center, the Topaz camp was built in the Sevier desert some 16 miles northwest of Delta. A total of 11,212 individuals, most from the San Francisco Bay area, were detained at Topaz from September 11, 1942 to October 31, 1945.This digital exhibit Topaz Stories began as a physical exhibit, installed in various places in northern Califorina, including in Emeryville, between Berkeley and Oakland. To read about this exhibition click here.  It is anticpated that Topaz Stories will be installed at the Utah State Capitol in early summer 2022 and remain there until the year's end. The editor for Topaz Stories was Ruth Sasaki, and the exhibit and graphic designer, Jonathan Hirabayashi, today's SYP guests. Both also contributed personal family stories, and both served as readers for the selected stories shared in this episode.Bios of Guests: Ruth Sasaki is a Sansei, born and raised in San Francisco after the World War II. Her short story “The Loom” won the American Japanese National Literary Award, and her collection, The Loom and Other Stories, was published in 1991 by Graywolf Press. Two of her stories were aired on NPR's "Selected Shorts," and a short film was made from her story, "American Fish." Ruth is the editor of the Topaz Stories Project; her mother's family--including her grandparents, mother, aunt, and uncle--were incarcerated at Utah's Topaz War Relocation Center. Born in 1946, Jonathan Hirabayashi grew up in the small farming communities of American Fork and Pleasant Grove, Utah. In 1956, his parents returned to the Santa Clara Valley (California). After college graduation and service in the U.S. Army, he returned to school to receive a B.A. in art. After a 5 years as a graphic designer at the Oakland Museum, Jonathan started his own firm designing and fabricating exhibits.OTHER SOURCES TO CONSULT: Topaz Museum -- Japanese American WWII Interment Camp (Delta, Utah). Utah State University's Topaz Digital CollectionUS National Archives --Japanese American Internment

(KCPW News) The bells of the Utah State Capitol rang out on Tuesday afternoon to honor victims of the coronavirus pandemic. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox ordered the bells in the Capitol cupola to ring 15 times to honor the more than 1,500 Utahns who have died of COVID-19 since March 2020. “We will never forget […]

On the Pod this week, Jessica talks about her time in Tremonton and how it impacted her life trajectory. She talks about her marriage and divorce at a young age and how growing up in a small town she had to overcome the small town gossip and shame that came with those decisions and how ultimately they became gave her a bit of fearlessness. Jessica speaks about her journey from waiting tables to making her way to the Utah State Capitol and finding herself to be one of the FEW People of Color and Women around. Please listen and share her story. If you are interested in getting involved contact your local city council, public office, school boards and find out ways to be more engaged.

Acclaimed Sculptor and Painter presently residing in Saratoga Springs, Utah. Born in California, Bradshaw moved to Utah at age nineteen to attend BYU, where she completed a BFA and MFA in Art. Bradshaw teaches art at Utah Valley University. She is a mother of four children. From her domestic experience as mother and nurturer she finds artistic inspiration. She is a classical figurative artist. Themes of celebration and belief in humanity run through her work. Among her notable works are Martha Hughes Cannon, an eight-foot bronze displayed at the Utah State Capitol, Acanthus Child, a six-foot figure displayed at the University of Utah Medical Center, as well as several sculptures on display at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City. https://lauraleebradshaw.com/ IG: @lauralee_artist

About 100 protesters marched to the Utah State Capitol last night. Amanda Dickson is the host of A Woman’s View on Sundays on KSL Newsradio, which you can also find on Apple Podcasts. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

Does our obedience equate with being a good citizen? Paul Rosenberg spells it out in the plainest possible language: Nothing changes as long as you obey. What does principled disobedience look like? Consider the example of a 77 year old barber in Michigan who is willing to brave the threat of arrest and jail rather than give up his livelihood. Eric Moutsos from Utah Business Revival joins us to invite everyone to attend the event this Saturday from Noon-3pm MT at the Utah State Capitol. Who will speak up and tell the stories of injustice that are taking place all around us? Barry Brownstein has a timely call for each of us to bear witness to the destruction of America's small businesses. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/loving-liberty/support

Brace yourself. Today we boldly go where none of us really wants to go: Is COVID-19 simply a mask for an economic collapse that was destined to happen with or without it? Bill Sardi has a fascinating and sobering take. There's no doubt that this is a time of need for millions of Americans. Where are we likely to find the best charitable solutions? Anthony Gill says start at the local level. Another gathering is slated for this coming Saturday at the Utah State Capitol in SLC. This will be an interfaith gathering sponsored by the Utah Business Revival. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/loving-liberty/support

The second part of the interview with Katherine Kitterman about Better Days 2020, which is two significant anniversaries for women's suffrage. This part focuses on an exhibition at the State Capitol.

Sam Robinson from the Utah Gun Exchange joins us to discuss the upcoming Second Amendment rally taking place this Saturday at 11am at the Utah State Capitol. There are several anti-freedom bills proposed for the current legislative session that need to be opposed. Join us Saturday if you can. How committed are you to standing up for your rights? There's a surprising amount of science that can show whether a person will stand up to oppression or conform. Why does the state promote Darwinism? Hint: it doesn't like the competing moral authority religion provides. Is caffeine your go-to drug? Just know that it's been a boon to civilization but it also brings a cost. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/loving-liberty/support

he Utah Mothers Association has announced the 2020 finalists for “Utah Mother of the Year”, “Mother of Achievement” and other prestigious awards that will be given to notable Utah mothers during the organization's annual awards ceremony on Thursday, January 9, 2020 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Utah State Capitol. The event is open to the public, but registration is required. Interested individuals can register here.   Host Lindsay Aerts talks with their president, Diane Weese about the event.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is it an amusement park ride or a trivia game? This week’s podcast, featuring Cameron Diehl and Rachel Otto, features legislative twists and turns straight from the Utah State Capitol. We’ll share a lot of facts- those you’ll find useful and those you never knew you needed! It’s week 7 of the session and our Cities Work podcast!

Melissa Bird, PhD, MSW is a passionate feminist whose education in social work has led to a career advocating for children, women, and their families. She is a fierce believer in social justice advocacy and preparing women for leadership roles in politics. As a writer, professor and fiery public speaker, Dr. Bird creates the genesis for a new brand of leadership. Her words awaken revolutionaries, trailblazers and powerful innovators in the quest for justice. When she’s not building her public speaking Empire, she can be found reading trashy novels, drinking fine whiskey, playing mom to three delicious humans, and loving her punk rock scientist James Thomas Kelly. She’s a fierce believer in social justice advocacy and preparing women for leadership roles in politics. For women who want to be heard. Women who want their families to be respected. Women who believe they can make a difference in their communities and create lasting change, Dr. Bird is creating the genesis for a new brand of leadership she calls The Graceful Revolution. MENTIONED ON THE SHOW Eagle Forum Emerge America Netroots Nation GUEST LINKS - Dr. Melissa Bird birdgirlindustries.com 5 Can’t Miss Steps to Finding Your Voice free SAGE Guide to Social Work Careers by Melissa Bird, PhD, MSW HOST LINKS - SLADE ROBERSON Slade's Books & Courses Get an intuitive reading with Slade Automatic Intuition BECOME A PATRON https://www.patreon.com/shiftyourspirits Edit your pledge on Patreon TRANSCRIPT Melissa: Well, I used to say that I was like a political badass. I'm more of a hellraiser than a trailblazer, and I help people tap into their passion to engage in advocacy in their communities. And so, for years, I was teaching at a college level and I worked as a lobbyist for Planned Parenthood in Utah and I was really involved in politics in Utah. I've kind of taken all of those years of working on the ground and in the Capitol, both at the state level and at the national level, and I decided that it's time to build the Bird girl Army, and really bring people to the place where they are super tapped-in to their passion and their jam and what lights them on fire so that they can go out and do the thing that lights them up. That's become so apparently critical to me right now in 2018 because we are getting inundated constantly with SHIT, and it's coming down on us all the time. And so, every morning you wake up and you have 500 things on your phone talking about how the nation is exploding and people are freaking out. And they don't know what to do. So what I do is, I give them the tools to go out and do the thing so they can get past the paralysis and into intentional action. Because it's going to take intentional action at a COMMUNITY level, not at a national level, at a community level, to build this back up. So that we can feel like we're not stuck not making a difference in our communities. And so I've taken all these years of being a lobbyist, like, on the front lines and making changes in policy and politics and taking it to this really passionate, lit up, on fire... I had someone say that I was an igniter and I just light everyone on fire, which could be really dangerous. That's a huge responsibility and really taking it to the next level so that people can have the tools to engage in action in their communities and engage in dialogue with people who are holding elected office at a local level, so at city county and state level. Because, I tell this to my students all the time when I'm teaching in a classroom, but basically, the federal government is a wash at this point. You're not going to make a huge gigantic difference at a federal level, and I don't know if that's good or bad, but that's where we're at. But now we have this huge opportunity to directly impact our local leaders, no matter what their party affiliation is. We have stories to tell and we have... There are ways that these policies directly impact our lives and it is OUR time to be telling those stories to people. There's no bigger time to be doing that, so I teach people how to have the tools to scream their passionate dreams from the mountaintop and go out and do that thing. Slade: Wow. You know what? Let's get into a big topic here. I'm going to ask you a big old loaded controversial question. I believe in synchronicity and timing, and there is definitely a big beautiful Divine timing for me personally with you being here in this moment talking to me today. It's very significant because we've been talking about spirituality and politics in the Automatic Intuition community, the group of people that I mentor privately. We've been talking about it this week for the first time, very civilly, I must say, so I'm very proud, but I think one of the reasons why we haven't touched it in so long is because it's such a hot potato kind of situation. But somebody went there in a really good way, in a kind of adjacent issue, and so... there is a big dissension among spiritual practitioners, right? Some of us believe that it's really important to disconnect from the news in order to preserve your psychic hygiene and to protect your energy and your vibration, and that you just need to tune it all out. And then some of us believe that part of being conscious for us is being plugged in and observant of all that stuff, and aware of the bad and the good. So what are your thoughts about being spiritually conscious and politically conscious? Dr. Bird: So the first thing I want to say is, I have been wanting to email you for like, months and months about coming on the show to talk about this, and it was only in the last couple of weeks that I was like, You HAVE to do this right now. So I was like, What? And I was nervous! I was like, What am I going to say to Slade?? What if he thinks I'm this whackadoodle noodle, like, We're gonna talk about how to use your intuition to engage in politics! And I was like, That's exactly what you're gonna say. You're gonna type it out. It's gonna be fine. He's not going to reject you and everything's going to be magic. And so... Slade: Which it was. Dr. Bird: Which it was. So the fact that you just barely had this conversation while I was like, I really need to talk to Slade, was really... You know, Divine intervention and all the magic. So, I have to say that because I'm really excited to be having this conversation about using your intuition to engage in social justice work and politics. I call it 'social justice work' because no matter where you fall on the political spectrum, it doesn't matter where you're at because everything that is happening has to do with how our society is going to thrive or just survive, moving forward, because of all of the policies that are being enacted at a federal level that are going to trickle down to the local level. I can honestly say that, I feel that need to be completely disconnected from the toxicity of the media. And I also feel the need to be completely inundated with what's happening currently in our nation and in our world. The way that I have sort of pulled that apart and teased that apart is that, I choose, and I'm really active on social media, I LOVE Twitter, I LOVE Facebook, I love Instagram. I love being online and connecting with other people in that way. But I have figured out how to use my intuition to lead me into places where I am going to be connecting with people who aren't just like me, but who appreciate my differences of opinion. And this is, I think, where people are getting stuck and later on today, for example, I do Facebook live on Mondays and Fridays, I have Monday Mayhem and Fuck Shit Up Friday. And at noon my time, Pacific time, and I have been having conversations with my darling friend Amy Wolf, who I consider a dear friend who's completely the polar opposite of me politically. She's a conservative, Christian Methodist in a really small conservative town in Oregon. But she and I have connected on this level that is just unbelievable. And we have people from my friends and her friends and people in the community who keep sending us messages thanking us for having honest conversations about politics, about fundamentalism, about abortion, about really tough conversations about justice and social justice and what that means to each of us. And we do it in a way that is so respectful that you can't not get something out of that. You know, and I come from a conservative place - I was born and raised in Utah. And what I learned when I was walking the hills of that Capitol is, elected officials just put their pants on one leg at a time. We're all people. We all get up in the morning and think, How am I going to make a difference in my world today? What do I want to do to really make a difference in my world today? And it may be the difference is, My god, I'm going to vacuum my house, and that's an accomplishment. It may be that you're going to write a bill and pass it into law like I did. Oh god, it's been 15 years since I wrote that bill. I'll talk about that in a second. This idea that we have to be divisive about politics is a new idea. That is something that was created out of, I would say, 1980s during the Reagan administration. That was when the divisiveness of politics came along. Were there separation of parties? Totally. Were there Democrats and Republicans fighting against each other for power? Absolutely. For years and years and years. But there was a discourse and a nuance to politics that has been lost as, I would say, really starting in the 80s and it got worse during the Clinton administration and now it's just all gone to shit. And I believe that we have so much power to make a difference. And I know it because I've done it. And I'm not saying - I don't do any of my work because I'm like, up on some high horse pedestal. I'm probably on a soapbox, let's be fucking real here. I love my soapbox. My husband, he even bought me a soapbox that says 'Fairy Soap' on it from the 1920s. Slade: I love that. Dr. Bird: So that I can have an... I love my fairy soapbox. And it says 'Fairy' so clearly. That makes me even happier. And so... I can get on my soapbox all day but when I was getting my Masters degree in social work in 2003, I did the very first research in Utah about homeless LGBTQ youth so NOBODY had been, this was, you know, 2002, 2003. Nobody was talking about homeless kids. Nobody was talking about homeless queer kids, and here I am, in Utah, trying to figure out how many of our youth identifies LGBTQ and I did this research for my Masters research class and Utah was no different so at the time, 35% of youth identified as LGBTQ, and I was like, We have to do something. Our shelter law was so bad it said that you couldn't shelter a youth for longer than eight hours without parental consent or emancipation. And I knew that our kids, we didn't have an emancipation bill because I worked in child welfare, and I knew we didn't have an emancipation bill and I was like, Ohmygod, I've got to write one! I sat at my dining room table listening to Ani DiFranco and Metallica and I took the 26 lines from 26 other states and wrote them out line by line and hashed out a lot... I picked the lines that I thought would work in Utah because Utah is a more conservative state and I knew that the parents' rights' folks were going to lose their minds about it. And so, I wrote this law, and I threw everything in it and I called the woman who was an elected official and I said, Hey Roz, I think I just wrote a bill and I'm wondering if you'd sponsor it. And she said, What's it about? I said, Homeless youth. And she was like, Great! And I emailed it to her and she called me back like five minutes later. She goes, Missy Bird, you just wrote a law! People don't do that! And I was like, Oh, they don't? She's like, No, they come to you with an idea. We take it to leg. research, and then they figure it all out. Oh! I wrote a law! It's the only thing, Slade, I've given birth to for real. That bill is my baby. I learned how to lobby. I taught myself how to lobby. I taught myself how to advocate, and I got it passed into law two years later, and that bill has helped hundreds of homeless youth get emancipated. I learned how to stay away from talking about LGBTQ kids with certain people but I knew that that was part of the story for other people who were in power. I learned how to talk about polygamist kids that were being kicked out of their homes, as a way to sort of leverage this conversation up to a different space. And I just listened to my gut the whole entire time. So every single thing I do when I'm talking, whether it's a person in the community or an elected official is, I use my gut instinct to have conversations about what's happening in our communities. I have followed my intuition throughout my entire career as an advocate. And so, I think as you're having this broader political conversation in your group, it's not just about politics the way we see it on Fox news and MSNBC. It's about, How do the things that are happening in our neighbourhoods and in our cities and in our counties and in our states directly impact what's happening, our ability to access safe and clean water, our ability to access safe and clean food, our ability to stay in the homes that we're building for ourselves and for the people around us and our families and our friends. That's what policy is. That's what politics is. Politics isn't this bullshit Mitch McConnell flipping Paul Ryan ridiculousness, Dianne Feinstein and all this national distraction. The national distraction keeps us from looking in our own backyards and seeing what we can do to help the little old lady who lives next door who might be having a hard time getting her newspaper every damn day. That's politics! Slade: Yeah, what do you say to that person, because you must meet these people, right? Who say, I'm really spiritual and I just don't want to engage in politics, it's just all too negative. What do you say to that person because, we have to believe, first of all, let's be compassionate. We understand why they're wanting to tune out and protect themselves. I mean, it's a given. I get it. But there has to be something deep within them that responds to what you just said, that has some feeling of, like, Ohmygod I've got to do something. But then they also feel overwhelmed and helpless. So when you are confronted with that, I can't do politics because I'm too spiritual, what do you say to light that person up? Dr. Bird: I ask them what matters to them. I say, You know what? I get it. You don't want to... I don't like politics as usual either. I get it. I know that your conviction says that you just want to stay the hell out of this because it's just too much. But what is one thing you can do, that you feel like you can do from your spiritual centre, to make an impact potentially? Are you willing to tell your story to one of your local elected officials? Are you willing to help support a candidate at a local level who resonates with you either by donating money or your time? Is there something you can do to raise the vibration of the people we actually have serving in office that you would be comfortable with? I understand you think your vote doesn't matter. But I'm going to tell you right now, at a local level, your vote matters SO... I mean, I get that federal politics has completely shut down a lot of people from wanting to be able to engage in this process of voting. But we are the only democratic nation in the world where a majority of the people who live here don't vote. Slade: Yeah, that's insane. Dr. Bird: I mean, in every other democracy in the world, the majority of people who are of voting age VOTE! And we don't. And it's... And I actually was in a conversation about this in a Twitter group that I'm in. They have some research that says the millennials are like, I'm not voting. So people are trying to figure out how to get the millennials to vote. And my response was, their parents don't take them to the polls because their parents don't vote. My kids have been going to the polls since they were little wee bits, right? They go with us every November. It doesn't matter if it's a city election or a state election or a federal election. Every November, we vote. And our kids go with us, so our kids just know that that Tuesday in November, that's what you do. They've never NOT voted with us. And I think that part of the problem is that millennials are like, Well I'm not going to vote because my parents don't vote. Why the hell would I vote? And I feel like, from a spiritual space, if voting is your thing that you're like, 'Screw it, I don't care', find some other way to tap into your centre and your intuition and what you want in the world, and make THAT the thing. If you don't want to vote, fine. I'm not gonna force you to vote. Although I am gonna, I might have a little judgy voice inside of me that's like, For reals? Do SOMETHING. I don't care what it is. But do something to elevate the vibration of making a change in our communities, because this is why we are where we are at in 2018. Slade: Mmm... It's so funny because, I'm going to throw a bumper sticker at you, but you are going to remember it: Think global, act local. Remember that?? Dr. Bird: I know!!! Slade: Yeah, I mean, that's really what you're saying. That's the answer. And you know something I've noticed too is, I was thinking about that the other day, I was thinking about the fact that, my daddy took me to vote for every Republican he could. And I ended up with such a completely different political opinion than him, but I do remember being taken to vote and thinking it was really cool to go behind the curtain. And it used to be all very like the Wizard of Oz... Dr. Bird: Yes! Slade: You know, it was that big machine... And so I thought it was amazing and I thought it was cool. And I can remember in elementary school - ELEMENTARY SCHOOL - we had mock elections. Dr. Bird: YES!!! Slade: I remember when it was like, you know, the Jimmy Carter Gerald Ford election in 2nd grade or whatever. Dr. Bird: Nice! Slade: We were taught to do that, and we were taught that it was this sort of holy thing that you did, you know? Dr. Bird: And you just said it, Slade. It is a HOLY thing. Slade: Yeah. Dr. Bird: The power of that vote is given to us as a GIFT. It is a gift just like our spiritual intuition. It is a gift just like our ability to breathe air and drink water. It is a GODDAMN GIFT to be able to vote in this country. It is an HONOUR and a PRIVILEGE to be able to vote for the people who represent you in office. It is NOT some bullshit strong-arm tactic that we have been led to believe it is by very conservative and very liberal groups of humans. And I will say this flat out until the day I die - this extremist bullshit that we have going on on the right and the left, there are so many of us that are in the middle, floundering, going, What the HELL do I do next? THAT'S why I do the work that I do. Because especially for women, but I think also for the LGBTQ community, and for minorities, and people of colour, there are... AND I will say, I will put Republican women in this camp as well. There are a shit-ton of us sitting right in the middle, going, What the hell do I do? Nothing. I got nothing. I don't know... The parties are completely out of control. The party platforms on both sides of the aisle are becoming ridiculous. Extremists. A line-in-the-sand views. It's not real! And we know this as spiritual practitioners, right? Like, we know that this extremist, hard-line, no nuance, black or white, there is nothing else, that's bullshit! That's not how it works! There is not a hard and fast way to do politics. And there is not a hard and fast rule to doing this. Trusting your gut to engage in social action is the way that we can be the leaders and shift this dynamic. That's the way. There's a whole ton of us in the middle. I will say, I don't... I cross party vote all the time. Especially at a local election level because I like fiscal conservancy. I've seen what happens when you've got a bunch of fiscally liberal people running child welfare. It doesn't work very well. You've got to find moderation in the middle. Slade: Well you know what's interesting too at the local level, my mom was asking me. She said, When you go and vote in local elections, you can't even really tell from the ballots, at least the way it's presented to us, locally, who is a Republican or Democrat. It's not necessary... Dr. Bird: That's because they're all non-partisan. They're all non-partisan. Slade: Right. It's not spelled out, and you know what? When I vote locally, a lot of the times I'm voting for people that I personally know. I'm voting for a doctor that I know that's running for office. I'm voting for someone that I've met in a cafe that I always talk to. You know what I mean? Dr. Bird: Yeah! Slade: They're actual real people. And I even notice when I went to vote this week, there was this man out there canvassing for someone who, honestly, I would never vote for in a million years. But he engaged me in conversation about something completely random, and we were kind of just standing there having a conversation on the sidewalk and it wasn't really about politics at all. But the whole time, I was thinking, Oh, I'm so glad he's standing here because my computer's in my car. And I knew that because I parked next to him, even though politically he was my enemy, I knew that he'd protect my shit when I went inside. Nobody's gonna mess with my car with this dude standing here. Like, he's just looking to bust somebody, you know? That whole experience and the conversation about the way that the parties are kind of not identified with at these really, really local elections, I was very much in the space of, a lot of that shit just falls away when you're dealing with people who actually live down the street from you. When you're dealing with people that you actually look in the face and have conversations with. It does matter less. And everyone hates "a group of people" except for their cousin that is one. Except for their hairdresser that is one. Dr. Bird: Umhmm. Slade: Those people they love, and that's why it's so important to kind of really authentically represent who you are in the world and just... go out and be friends with everyone. And be a nice person. And be yourself. Because, to me, that IS a form of political activism, you know what I mean? Dr. Bird: Yes, exactly! And it's not just about voting. Voting is a piece of this democracy, but it's not the entire democracy. It's also about us being really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really invested in getting out of the echo-chamber of our politics. So part of what happens is we tend to surround ourselves with like-minded individuals who think exactly like we do. That's the echo-chamber. We do it on Facebook, we do it on Twitter. We do it... We get entrenched in these spaces where we are just listening to ourselves talk over and over again because it's reflected in the people that we're surrounded with. The beauty of what you're talking about, about the dialogue that you're having in that group, is that you're not in an echo-chamber. Because there's people from all over that have differences of opinion. This is why I will always maintain this relationship with Amy in a respectful, intentional, delicious, glorious, graceful manner. Because I love connecting with people who aren't just like me. I love that! And I think, to keep ourselves safe, especially now, because of all of the threats that are coming at us, we have become even more entrenched in the echo-chamber and we're afraid to expand that conversation outside the people that think and behave just like us. And I think it is to our detriment. Because if I, I as this queer, you know, at the time I was married to woman at the Capitol and I was lobbying for Planned Parenthood, so here I am, this lesbian-identified, platinum blonde punk rock girl with hair like Pink, at the Utah State Capitol wearing high heels and fishnet and miniskirts, you know, like my inner Erin Brockovich, going in to the Capitol, talking about Planned Parenthood and sex... And I got 6 laws passed! Now if I can do that at the Utah State Capitol, don't tell me y'all can't make a difference somewhere else. Because that's where the rubber meets the road right there. You can go in... And by the way, those state houses, those are our houses. City Halls, the County Council, the State Capitol, we pay for that with our tax dollars. You wouldn't not walk into the front door of your own home. Don't be afraid to walk in to the front door of a house where policy is being made. Because you paid for that. That's ours! It's just like paying rent. Those are our houses. We own them. And we have to remind elected officials that those are our places too. They're public. They're not walled off from the public. It's different at the federal level. It's not - this is where I think the beauty of being involved and looking around our neighbourhoods and the spaces that we're in every single day, where we go to the grocery store, where our kids go to school, where the neighbours kids go to school, where we connect and interact at a very local level is where we should be getting involved politically. Slade: Well, and we, just to touch on a little bit, like your relationship with your friend who's conservative, we need ALLYS. When you were talking about safety, you know, if some jumped-up group is coming after your ass, you need somebody on their side of the fence to calm their ass down. Dr. Bird: Mmhmm! Slade: You need to be able to call into and talk within their bubble. You need a connection in there. Dr. Bird: Yes! Slade: Because that's how... that's where their consciousness, like if you want them to be conscious of who you are, they have to know you. And somebody within there needs to identify with you and connect with you as an individual person. Because when you think about people as human beings, you treat them differently. Dr. Bird: That is exactly right. That is exactly right. And you know, when I left Utah to go get my Ph.D in California. When I left Utah, they roasted me at an Irish pub in Salt Lake City and Gayle Ruzicka, who was the head of the Eagle Forum, which, Phyllis Schlafly's Eagle Forum, right? Super conservative group. Gayle Ruzicka came to my roast and roasted me and pinned me with an Eagle Forum pin, because she was like, You know what? I don't agree with you on almost every single thing, but I honour you and I respect you and I am going to miss debating you on that hill. Slade: Awesome. Dr. Bird: And for awhile, she would call me and say to me, Missy, I really miss you. I miss having that debate with you because it was always intentional and respectful. And this goes back to me using my intuition to talk to people who have absolutely not one damn thing in common with me. And it was scary. This is the other thing. I think people are just so fucking afraid to say the wrong thing, especially now. Because, you know, if we identify as Liberal Progressives, if we don't say the exact politically correct thing, we get ANNIHILATED by the Liberals. And if we identify with the Conservative Republican ideas, we get lambasted because we're not conservative ENOUGH. We're not hateful enough against the gays or whatever that is. And I think that that is what really... Like, stepping through my fear and being like, Okay, well I've got to get this bill passed because I want to help the homeless kids. And that's the other thing about tapping into your passion and tapping into your jam, and figuring out what lights you on fire. Because if you can tap in to that one thing, I don't care if it's the environment, or housing, or homelessness, or food or being pro-choice or anti-choice. Whatever your thing, I don't care what your thing is. I want you so tapped in to it that you know what lights you on fire so that you can advocate for that thing, because I actually think it's going to bring us more towards the middle and it will take people out of these extreme spaces and bring them into this space where they are acting from intention and love. Because you can't NOT when you're in your sweet spot. When you're in that place where you know without a shadow of a doubt that that THING that lights you on fire is the thing you're going to talk about all the time. And that's what I do. That's what I help people do, is figure out what that thing is so that they can go out and do that thing. Because when you do it, that's when people come around you from both sides of the aisle. It doesn't matter because you're so lit up and tapped in and turned on and just moving and flowing that you're like, Hell yeah! That's the person I want to be around. That person who's so excited and not being divisive. I'm not talking that excited divisive way. I'm talking the person who's willing to be imperfect in their activism, who's willing to be vulnerable in their activism, who's willing to say, This is who I am and this is what I believe in at the very core of my soul and my heart. Because this is what I want to do in the world. And that's a very different space than 'all the gays should be banished'. That's not the space I'm talking about. That's not passion. That's not speaking from a space of love and intention and grace. THAT is mean. Slade: Yeah. Be FOR something. That's always my rule is, when I start to stray into harping on what I'm against, as opposed to trying to come from a place of what I'm for. Dr. Bird: Yes!!! There's a bumper sticker. Slade: Just be FOR something. Because it's hard to be FOR things that are terrible. You know, it's harder, in a way. I think if you can come from a place of what you're for, you're also less likely to make people defensive. Because, like you said, you're vibrating in a high energy and a positive energy. And I've met people before who were, like at authors conferences and stuff, who write about really conservative Christian concepts, I mean, I live in the Bible belt, so if I go meet other authors, there's a really good chance that there's a minister in there somewhere who's written a book. One of the coolest women that I've met at one of those spaces is completely different mindset from me spiritually, but she desperately wanted to have lunch with me because she liked my energy. I was like, 'Of course you do.' Because she was so lit up about what she loved and what she cared about, and it was like we recognized each other's light, you know what I mean? Dr. Bird: Yeeeees! Slade: It wasn't about the filter that we had on it or what the container was or anything like that. It was just the light itself that drew us and made us say like, 'We need to have lunch because we're having too much fun talking.' And when I have those experiences, I'm like, why can't this be what, you know, it always feels like. Dr. Bird: But it CAN be because, I feel like, you know, we forget that people are equally as passionate as we are about certain things. So the reason Gayle and I work so well together is not because we had one damn thing in common. It's that exact thing: The passion in me recognized the passion in her. And I was like, Listen, you and I aren't going to get along on a policy level but as human beings, we can get along just fine. Thank you. And that's what we're forgetting in this whole thing. I don't have to agree with your policy or your politics, but I am deeply driven to respect people's difference because I don't want everyone to be just like me. I don't want to be trapped in my own echo-chamber. It gets a little bit loony in there sometimes! Slade: You don't want everybody rocking your look! Dr. Bird: No, listen! I am an individual, damnit. You know what I'm saying though? This diversity of thought is what makes this so fucking awesome. Slade: Yeah. All diverse systems are more healthy. Dr. Bird: Yes! Slade: Yeah. Alright. So I want you to tell me about something. So you have this program called Candidates Secret Weapon program. That sounds pretty badass, but just tell me what exactly is that all about? Dr. Bird: I'm so excited you asked me about this. So the Candidates Secret Weapon, my friend Melanie Childers, she and I met randomly though some groups online somewhere. And Melanie lives in Georgia and she and I connected and we were like, What are women missing... So we have all these women running for office in record numbers across the country. They're all being trained by these great organizations like Emerge, and all these fantastic organizations. But what Melanie and I have known from the years and years that we've been working together, or working in politics, is that in coming together, what Melanie and I really recognize is, we're training all these women to run, but then, and they've got this campaign staff and they're super awesome but then the criticism comes in. The personal attacks come in. The things we see when women run for office, where they get criticized for who they are, and they just get annihilated in the press. They get annihilated by the voter. They get this sort of... the patriarchy comes out and the sexism comes out. And the crap comes out. And the you've got women who worry about getting up to speak to their voters. They worry about making a mistake doing an interview with the press. They start to worry. And so their mindset and their energy gets off because women are running in a system that was created for white straight men to win. So now you have all these women and women of colour who are running, who are like, running in this system that's meant to keep the power in its place. And so the Candidates Secret Weapon is all about shifting the mindset and the energy and the intuition so that women are running as women. And so they are coming from this space of badass connection to their passion and their jam, so that their platform and their story fully resonates with people, so that they can manage their fears around fundraising and asking for money, because it's really hard for women to do that, for some weird reason. (I haven't figured that out because I love asking for money. It's like my favorite thing on Earth.) And managing their inner critic and dealing with all of the voices that come up, just in general. As women, we deal with this SHIT coming into us and we have to manage these critics that say you're not capable of doing this. You're not going to win. You're not going to be able to make this happen. We create, sort of, this confidence framework for women to be able to - THAT'S the secret weapon. The secret weapon is... There's a woman who's running for office somewhere in middle America. I can't remember off the top of my head right now, but she was being told by her campaign staff not to bring her kids with her on the campaign trail. She's like, I'm out of dissonance with this because I'm a mom! And I'm proud of my family. And I was like, Girl, take your kids out! Slade: Yeah... Dr. Bird: What are you talking about! Be in integrity with who you are! That's what this secret weapon is all about. It teaches women who are running for office how to hold, stay in their power, and communicate with confidence and do all these things that are intentional and vibrational to help them stay in that space of power, of their own spiritual power and their own intentional power and their own confidence so that they can win. Slade: So what's the response been like? So do you... Was it you that said you were like, paying your teenagers to track down their contact information to make a list for you? Dr. Bird: That was me! I was like, Listen, girls, I got a job for you. There's a lot of women running for office, right? And so, I'm like, I don't have time to do that! But I have teenagers who are doing nothing right now so I'll pay them. Slade: Ooo... very cool. Dr. Bird: Yeah. Because they're in-between work right now. It's my daughter and her best friend. So we have about 10 women right now who are going through the program. We're waiting for their feedback right now. I'm really excited to hear about it. I'm just sitting back here waiting. I kind of feel like I'm having this pregnant pause where I'm like, Ohmygod, When's it coming when's it coming? I'm just waiting. Slade: So this is a new... Dr. Bird: Brand new! Like, this is the first time I've ever actually talked about it. Slade: In the media. Dr. Bird: In the media! And so, it's kind of exciting! We set it up... When we first envisioned it, it was this sort of, 1-on-1 coaching program, because Melanie and I are both life coaches, and so it was this sort of 1-on-1 coaching thing and I was like, That's not big enough! It's gotta be bigger. And so, it is out online so all of... Melanie and I did videos and then we have workbooks. So it's me and Melanie whipping up all this stuff. And so we've got six videos that are an hour long, a little less than an hour long, apiece, and then workbooks that go with them. And I don't know what the response is, because we just barely launched it this week. Slade: I just had this flash of what it could grow into and I was picturing you with your army and that your army was actually women who would go and take that training and that message and go and be on these campaign teams. Like, you could just send all these people from the mothership to go to Georgia, to go to Iowa, to go to all these places and be that voice of what you're talking about, in that person's environment, right? That would be really cool. Dr. Bird: That would be really cool. We are, Melanie and I are gonna be, we've connected with, we're going to be at Netroots Nation, probably we will be doing that right when this airs or right after this airs. So I'm excited about that. We'll be talking to all these activists about the secret weapon, the activitst secret weapon, using the same kind of concept. So you are absolutely right in that vision, Slade. I can see it now! Slade: So someone who, this is really kind of cool actually because when we think about that person, who is this spiritually minded woman, I don't want to plug in to the toxicity of the network news broadcasts but I want to do something. Maybe their something is being part of your organization. You know, going out and representing. Dr. Bird: Yeah. I think that's absolutely, absolutely true. Is that connecting with the work that I'm doing so that you are tapped in to your passion and your jam and the thing that's lighting you up, that's exactly what I want to create in the world. Is people who are so tied in to how they want to BE. And it is the spiritual women who are like, I just don't want to sit down and be quiet anymore. I'm done being quiet. I can't sit here while this is happening but I don't know what to do. That is what I give to women and that is what I do. Slade: Well I was going to ask you about your legacy and you already told me so... That was gonna be the next question. That sounds like a good enough answer to my question that you psychically heard. So, when you go to your website, you have a free download that's called 'Five Can't-Miss Steps to Finding your Voice'. How does that feed in to your message and what you're talking about here? Is that an extension of this, or a tool people can access RIGHT NOW that will give them a piece of what you do. Dr. Bird: It is indeed a tool. I was so driven to figure out how to help people immediately figure out their passion. And so, when I came up with the 'Five Can't-Miss Steps', this is sort of based on all of my work that I learned, you know, 15 years ago, doing my work at the Utah State Capitol, so it's all about tapping in to your WHY and really being clear on why you want to do the things you're doing. Again, it goes all back to your passion and your jam. Tools to actually find your jam, which is not just the thing that makes you excited, but also your favorite song and how your favorite song makes you feel. There's that music that we hear that makes us... and I can't dance, let's just talk about white girl can't dance. I have NO rhythm at all. But man, when I hear, One Girl Revolution, that's one of my favorite songs, or even Pink or Ani, or even Carmina Burana's my most favorite symphony. When I hear that, I MOVE. My body cannot sit still. And that's your jam. And so one of the things that I'm trying to help people do is figure that out so that they can just put that song on all the time and be in their jam, so that they vibrate at a difference space, so that they can go out and do their thing. Slade: Oh! So it helps you figure out your theme song? Dr. Bird: Mmhmm. Slade: That's awesome. Dr. Bird: It helps you figure out your theme song AND so... it reminds you when you're listening to that song, I'm going to take action. Like, go do something. Send an email to an elected official. Send a thank you note. One of the things I talk about in my freebie is saying thank you and being grateful and putting your gratefuls out into the world. And saying thank you to someone who's actually making a big huge difference. So I am a big fan of the handwritten thank you note, because it's how I was raised, and I will write random thank you notes to Brené Brown, and Hilary Clinton and the people that I love. The people that inspire me. And I will write handwritten thank you notes to people like my county council people or my city council people. Or the guy running... we have a huge homeless problem here in Corvallis, and the guy who was running HOAC (Housing Opportunities Action Council). That guy needs a thank you note. He's getting lambasted right now. Like, people who I see in the community who are taking the shit but doing the good work, I'll send them thank you notes and say, thank you so much for doing what you're doing! I mean, yeah, like connecting to our community - that's what I teach. And I give people, in that 'Five Can't-Miss Steps to Finding your Voice', I also give people permission to be imperfect. Because I think that's the other neat thing we're really really wanting right now, is, how can I be imperfect when I'm terrified of being imperfect, because I've been told my whole life I have to do it perfect. I have to do it right. And I'm like, No. Fuck that. Be imperfect. I'm not perfect. But I am not going to shut up for nothing. And you can't make me. Slade: Missy, ohmygod, I want to talk to you about a million things and we probably will after we stop recording. (Sorry people, who are listening and want to hear all that.) So we make sure and let everyone know where they can go find you online, tell us where we can find you. Dr. Bird: Well, in Bird Girl fashion, I am my own industry and so you can find me at birdgirlindustries.com on the interwebs. I am also on Patreon, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, @birdgirl1001, because I'm a Libra so I have to talk about my birthday in all my things... Maybe I'll get birthday cards on 10-01! And so I'm on all of those things and I absolutely love engaging with people. It just makes me so happy. I had a woman the other night who was just... asking for how to just stop the chaos and move forward and I was like, Just breathe. And she's like, she sent me a message two days later and was like, That's revelatory! That's like revolutionary, so even if you aren't involved in one of my programs, even though I hope everyone gets involved in one of my programs... Oh! I also have a 'Marginalized No More' training online that's super easy to do that's got a couple of things that launches off of that freebie. So there's another thing online that's super fun that you can tap into. Slade: Yeah! Dr. Bird: But I just, you know, I love connecting with people and giving them little nuggets of joy to just go off into the world and take with them. So... I'm all about creating that army. Slade: Well, and I want to say to anyone who wants to follow you on Facebook. You are a really fun person to have on your Facebook friends because you ARE super enthusiastic, you like the hell out of stuff, your comments are always, you're a cheerleader for all your friends and I can see that... I like to call myself a professional Enabler. I am re-claiming the concept of 'enabling' because it's become such a dirty word but I find that so much of what I do is about hearing someone's dream and then thinking, Ohmygod YES that's an amazing idea. Let me convince you that you can do it. You know what I mean? Dr. Bird: Ooo I love that! Slade: And you're a kindred spirit in that way. And your presence is, that really comes through in your online presence. So I want to tell everyone, Don't be shy to be friends with you online. Because you're super fun and excited friend to have. Dr. Bird: Thank you! And I swear all the time so that's a bonus. Slade: Yeah, yeah. If you like the swearing then that's always available. Dr. Bird: (Inaudible) Slade: Of course you are! Why would you be on my show if you weren't. Dr. Bird: Listen, that is the goddamn truth. Slade: Missy, thank you so much for letting me capture this conversation with you. It's super timely and I'm sure that we will find many many more things to talk about in the future. But for now, I just want to say thank you. Dr. Bird: Slade, thank you so much for having me on. I'm so stupid happy about it I don't even know what to do with myself.

Join us on Monday at 9:00 a.m. for our annual live broadcast from the Utah State Capitol in Salt Lake City on the opening day of the Utah Legislature. Tom Williams will be talking with Governor Gary Herbert and majority and minority leaders from the Utah Senate and House of Representatives. We'll take questions via email for the governor and legislative leaders. We want to know what's on your mind as the 2018 Utah Legislature gets down to business. You can email us during the show or right now toupraccess@gmail.com and we'll get your question or comment on during the program.

President Donald Trump made his way to Salt Lake City with Utah Senator Orrin Hatch. He signed an executive order to scale back Bears Ears National Monument and Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. He also came and toured the welfare facilities for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. First you can hear Hatch introducing him before Trump gives his speech.

Drew Steele heads up to the Utah State Capitol for the evening on the last night of the legislative session. He speaks with representatives and senators about issues and new laws regarding the state and the process of doing that. They discuss many of the laws passed in the latest session and Drew Steele gets the takes and insights of government members while also giving his own.

Join us for the Opening Day of the 2017 Utah Legislature with this special 2-hour edition Access Utah from the Utah State Capitol.

The Women's March on Washington organization estimates that more than more than 1,300,000 people will participate in the Women's March on Washington or in one of the estimated 600 sister marches happening on January 21 or in the days following. (The Women's March on Utah State Capitol is January 23).

Susie Ellison, a behind-the-scenes organizer for an anti-Trump protest at the Utah State Capitol, explains why she thinks the Electoral College does a disservice to the voting public. Then Doug Wright talks live with Lt. Governor Spencer Cox, who oversees elections in Utah, about how the electoral college works, who the electors are, and what happens when they meet. In Utah, the electors are bound to cast their votes for Donald J. Trump, making his historic election official, but nationwide, protesters are asking the Electoral College to choose someone else for President. 

Join us for a live broadcast of Access Utah from the State Capitol on Monday for the opening day of the 2016 Utah Legislature. We'll talk about the issues likely to be addressed in the legislature this year. Our guests will include Governor Gary Herbert, House Majority Leader, Rep. Jim Dunnigan, R-Taylorsville; House Minority Leader, Rep Brian King, D-Salt Lake City; Senate Majority Leader, Sen. Ralph Okerlund; R-Monroe; and Senate Minority Leader, Sen. Gene Davis, D-Salt Lake City.

Description – In 1893 the Mormon church built Saltair on the south shore of the Great Salt Lake, about sixteen miles from downtown Salt Lake City. They also built the railroad connecting the resort with the city. The church owned the resort until 1906, at which time it was sold to a group of private Mormon businessmen. The architect of Saltair was Richard K.A. Kletting, perhaps Utah's foremost architect at the turn of the century and the designer of the Utah State Capitol building. In building Saltair the Mormon Church had two major objectives: in the words of Mormon apostle Abraham H. Cannon, they wanted to provide "a wholesome place of recreation" under church control for Mormons and their families; and they also intended that Saltair be a "Coney Island of the West" to help demonstrate that Utah was not a strange place of alien people and customs. This was part of a larger movement toward accommodation with American society that had begun in the early 1890s as church leaders made a conscious decision to bring the church into the mainstream of American life. Saltair was to be both a typical American amusement park and a place that provided a safe environment for Mormon patrons. Those goals were somewhat incompatible, and in less than a decade the second had clearly triumphed at the expense of the first. Nonetheless, initially Saltair signified the Mormon Church's intention to join the world while at the same time trying to minimize its influence and avoid its excesses. Don't forget to follow us @FrySaucebossdesign on Twitter and also like us on FaceBook [ This episode has interactive content on www.frysaucebossdesign.com/blog/saltair - 360 panoramas, videos and pictures] : : Show Summary : : Evan Sorensen discusses The Great Saltair SLC – In 1893 the Mormon church built Saltair on the south shore of the Great Salt Lake, about sixteen miles from downtown Salt Lake City. They also built the railroad connecting the resort with the city. The church owned the resort until 1906, at which time it was sold to a group of private Mormon businessmen. The architect of Saltair was Richard K.A. Kletting, perhaps Utah's foremost architect at the turn of the century and the designer of the Utah State Capitol building. In building Saltair the Mormon Church had two major objectives: in the words of Mormon apostle Abraham H. Cannon, they wanted to provide "a wholesome place of recreation" under church control for Mormons and their families; and they also intended that Saltair be a "Coney Island of the West" to help demonstrate that Utah was not a strange place of alien people and customs. This was part of a larger movement toward accommodation with American society that had begun in the early 1890s as church leaders made a conscious decision to bring the church into the mainstream of American life. Saltair was to be both a typical American amusement park and a place that provided a safe environment for Mormon patrons. Those goals were somewhat incompatible, and in less than a decade the second had clearly triumphed at the expense of the first. Nonetheless, initially Saltair signified the Mormon Church's intention to join the world while at the same time trying to minimize its influence and avoid its excesses. Thanks for listening! : : Show Notations : : Hosted by Evan Sorensen from his sh*tty little apartment in SLC, Utah Visit frysaucebossdesign.com for more information Copyright: © 2015 FrySauce Boss Design | Unique Utah | All rights reserved

Broadcasting from the Utah State Capitol, it is the first day of the legislature open. Joining us on the first half of the program is Governor Gary Herbert. He discusses various topics that are on the agenda for this year's legislature including budget priorities, healthcare reform, ethics reform, the Outdoor Recreation Plan, immigration and gun control. On the second half, state senators Ralph Okerlund and Gene Davis join us to continue the discussion of what to expect for this years legislature.

I've reached the 40th episode of this podcast and, now, I'll tell you about the production of episode 208 of the Promised Land TV series. It was a very important episode about the very serious problem of teen steroid abuse.We used a few "practical" locations for this episode, like a huge mansion on the hills above the Utah State Capitol building...View Larger MapWe also used the Larry H. Miller Chevrolet dealership...View Larger MapAnd we also used a High School in Copperton which no longer exists...View Larger MapDownload my podcast here...StandinPodcast040.mp3Subscribe to the Podcast in iTunes