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Utah State News

Vol. 1, No. 2--October, 2004

For more information on the Utah Democratic Progressive Caucus, email clbonham@allwest.net.

Utah Progressive Sponsor September 11 Event
On Saturday, September 11 the Utah Democratic Progressive Caucus (UDPC) sponsored the first annual "Freedom Fair" at downtown Salt Lake City's Gallivan Center. During the course of the six hour event approximately 300 people joined the UDPC, Equality Utah, Catalyst Magazine and numerous other progressive organizations to observe the anniversary of the tragic events of September 11, 2001. The theme of this year's Freedom Fair was "Fear Ends and Hope Begins", a theme we borrowed from Congressman Kucinich's presidential campaign. The Freedom Fair opened with the Salt Lake Fire Honor Guard presenting the flag followed by the crowd singing Amazing Grace. We later learned the UDPC was the first group to invite local firefighters to participate in this way in any kind of 9/11 event since that terrible day three years ago. All other events that day involved the military and linked 9/11 to the ongoing bloodshed in Iraq. The event included a number of progressive speakers and featured a number of wonderful entertainers. Local progressive candidates such as US Senate candidate Paul Van Dam, Salt Lake County mayoral candidate Peter Corroon, and Utah House member Jackie Biskupski were in attendance. The keynote speaker was activist, author and actress Mimi Kennedy. She spoke passionately about the threat of renewed nuclear testing and continued nuclear development in America. This topic has been a matter of considerable debate within Utah due to our proximity to the Nevada Test Site and the fact that Salt Lake will be second only to Las Vegas in the number of shipments of high level nuclear waste passing through our communities should Yucca Mountain ever begin to receive America's nuclear waste.

Three cheers for Biskupski
Utah's only openly gay state representative just won her seat in district # 30. Ms. Biskupski is also a member of the Utah Democratic Progressive Caucus. Ms. Biskupski's opponent, Ian Scharine (R), quit the race and moved out of the district due to a home burglary where no one was hurt. Biskupski, running for her third term, is very popular in her district and would have likely beaten Scharine. Congratulations, Jackie!

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