Smith: Noel Criticizes Area Newspapers

At Political Notebook, Josh Smith reports that Rep. Mike Noel feels like "area newspapers are out to get him. On Wednesday the climate change skeptic got in a lively but largely civil debate with wilderness proponents after a rally in the Capitol rotunda. In the middle of the fray, Noel criticized one of the activists, BYU humanities professor George Handley, for reading the Deseret News and The Salt Tribune. Noel said the papers have it in for him and try to paint him in a false light every chance they get. ... For the Tribune, Noel reserved additional criticism. 'When have you seen them ever write something good about Mormons?' he asked Handley, who had just spoken at the rally as an LDS Church member who considers wilderness appreciation key to his faith." (For more Legislature-related posts, see Neil Abercrombie on retirement reform, Out of Context on gun laws, Holly Richardson on states' rights, Glen Warchol on junkfood in schools, Utah House Democrats, Utah Association of Counties, The Senate Site, Joe Pyrah, Utah Legislature Watch, and Salt Blog.)