When the federal government shuts down, it’s not just a headline in Washington — it’s a reality in Utah homes. Parents wait for SNAP benefits that may not come on time. Child care providers worry whether subsidies will be processed. Families who rely on WIC to feed their infants watch calendars and shelves anxiously.

For Utah’s children, this isn’t politics. It’s dinner. It’s rent. It’s stability.

The recent shutdown — compounded by the Utah Legislature’s ongoing commitment to tax cuts for the state’s wealthiest residents — shows us in stark terms who we choose to protect when times get tough and who we leave waiting.

The cost of ‘success’

Utah’s leaders love to celebrate our economic rankings: first in growth, low unemployment, business friendly. But those headlines obscure a painful

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