Utah State Law Library

Interested in how stimulus funds are being spent in Utah? Check out Recovery.Utah.Gov.

You can track how state agencies are spending recovery money, link to information on how to apply for grants and search for a job--some of which were created because of the stimulus package. You'll also find a link to the Office of the State Auditor, where you can report fraud and waste.

Check out the map to see a statewide overview of how stimulus funds are being spent, or put in a specific address to see if any projects are happening near that place.

Posted by Mari Cheney at 09:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The first Tuesday in November is Election Day. You can learn a lot about the state's election process online!

If you've ever wondered about Utah's election laws, you can find them in Utah Code Title 20A.

The state's Elections Office has voter, candidate, and lobbyist registration information. You can find local polling stations, read candidate financial disclosures, or learn what it takes to be a candidate.

Odd numbered years are generally reserved for municipal and local officer elections. The Elections Office has a directory of county clerks, who you can contact for information on candidates running in local elections.

For historical voting results, check out the Elections Office's Election Results page, where you can find county voting results for elections back to 1960.

Posted by Joanne Gialelis at 08:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Interested in Utah agency publications that might not be available in print? Many government publications are "born digital"; that is, published online without a print version. The Utah State Library has developed a searchable online digital library of state and local agency publications, as well as federal publications about Utah.

Browse the digital library by topic or by agency. There are also specialized collections to search, including the Utah Public Health Library and government publications in Spanish. You can even view archived agency websites.

If you want to stay updated on the latest government publications, the State Library also has a blog that describes the lists the newest publications added to the digital library. You can subscribe to updates via email or RSS feed.

Posted by Joanne Gialelis at 11:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

You may have wondered it if pays to get involved in state government: how much does the governor make? Does he get a free car and housekeeping?

According to the Utah Code, the Utah Legislature determines the salaries for "constitutional offices," which include the governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, state auditor and state treasurer. As of 2008, the last time the Code section was updated, the governor earned $109,900 and received a number of other benefits. The other "constitutional offices" all earned 95% of the governor's salary. In addition, each "constitutional office" gets a car for official and personal use.

Other state officers' compensation is also discussed in the Utah Code.

Posted by Mari Cheney at 08:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Utah has a new governor: Gary R. Herbert was sworn in yesterday (8/11), replacing Gov. Jon Huntsman, who resigned office to become U.S. Ambassador to China.

If you are looking for information about the new governor or other new offices, check out these new websites:
* The Governor's website at http://www.utah.gov/governor/index.html
* The Lt. Governor's website at http://www.utah.gov/ltgovernor/
* The First Lady's website at at http://firstlady.utah.gov/.

If you're interested in Ambassador Huntsman's work in China, check out the U.S. Department of State's website on China.

Posted by Mari Cheney at 08:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A report this week from Government Computer News has declared the official State of Utah website one of ten exemplary online government websites for its aesthetic design, use of Web 2.0 tools like Twitter and blogging, and easy-to-navigate content.

If you haven't had a chance to see the redesigned State of Utah website, be sure to check out some of the unique features such as the online services directory, the business information center, and postings aggregated from Utah government and city blogs, including our own State Law Library blog. The 2008 U.S. States E-Governance Report consistently ranks Utah in the top ten state websites for usability, content, and privacy.

Read the entire Government Computer News report to learn more about Utah.gov's achievements and other great government websites.

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