Situational awareness - February 1, 2018

Situational awareness - February 1, 2018

Good Thursday morning from Salt Lake City. 

Bill to gut SB54 is going nowhere on Capitol Hill. McAdams raised slightly more money than Love. The Trump administration is prepared to release a classified memo about the Russia investigation on Thursday.

Tick Tock:

• 35 days until the final day of the 2018 Utah Legislature (3/8/2018)
• 36 days until the filing period for candidates in the 2018 election opens (3/9/2018)
• 42 days until the filing deadline for the 2018 elections (3/15/2018)
• 47 days until the statewide caucus meetings for Utah Republicans and Democrats (3/20/2018)
• 79 days until the Utah GOP State Convention (4/21/2018)
• 86 days until the Utah Democratic State Convention (4/28/2018)
• 145 days until the 2018 Primary Election (6/26/2018)
• 278 days until the 2018 midterm elections (11/6/2018)
• 361 days until the first day of the 2019 Utah Legislature (1/28/2019)
• 1,006 days until the 2020 presidential election (11/3/2020)

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Here's what's driving the day:

Bill to gut SB54 is DOA

Even though a House committee voted to advance a bill that would undermine the current dual path to the primary ballot, a powerful Senator says its days are numbered [Utah Policy].

Ladies and gentlemen, we got us a race!

Democrat Ben McAdams slightly raised more money than Republican Mia Love in the last quarter of 2017, but Love has more campaign cash available. Polls show the race is shaping up to be a tight one [Utah Policy].

Finally, a Romney political event

Mitt Romney will be the keynote speaker at the Utah County Republican Party's Lincoln Day Dinner. It's the first political event that Romney has agreed to speak at since the speculation began about his probable run for U.S. Senate [Utah Policy].

Wither the Tribune?

Sen. Jim Dabakis is profoundly worried that the decision to no longer offer online content for free will harm the Salt Lake Tribune's reach and impact on the community [Utah Policy]. Here's a podcast of our conversation with Dabakis [Utah Policy].

Other Utah headlines:

• Sen. Mike Lee was on an Amtrak train carrying Republican lawmakers that collided with a garbage truck. None of the members of Congress were hurt, but the driver of the truck was killed [KSL].
   
• Salt Lake Mayor Jackie Biskupski proposed a slight sales tax hike during her state of the city address. The tax increase would fund homeless programs, transportation, public safety, and road repair [Deseret News, Tribune].
   
• Rep. Brad Daw wants to allow terminally ill patients the "right to try" medical marijuana, and have the state grow medical cannabis for those patients [Fox 13, Deseret News, Tribune].
   
• The Utah Transit Authority's board approved a resolution in support of proposed reforms being considered by lawmakers [Deseret News, Tribune].
   
• The Utah Senate passed a bill to do away with the state's 90-day waiting period for a divorce [Utah Policy].
   
• A proposed bill would offer Utah college students loans, then forgive them if they stay in Utah to work following graduation [Tribune].
   
• Rep. Norm Thurston is proposing a bill that would give Utahns who are using the state's health insurance program a rebate if they can find lower-cost coverage elsewhere [Deseret News].
   
• A federal judge consolidated the lawsuits over President Trump's actions to reduce Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments [Tribune].
   
• Visitors to the state Capitol can't stop rubbing the nose of the bust of Abraham Lincoln [KUTV].

National headlines:

• Special counsel Robert Mueller is zeroing in on a false explanation crafted by the White House about a mysterious meeting at Trump Tower between Donald Trump Jr. and a Russian lawyer offering dirt on Hillary Clinton. Former Trump legal team spokesperson is reportedly prepared to Mueller's team about a previously undisclosed conference call between himself, President Trump and Hope Hicks where Ms. Hicks appeared ready to obstruct justice to keep emails about the meeting from getting out [New York Times].
   
• The FBI took the rare step of issuing a public statement saying they have "grave concerns" over the public release of a classified memo on the Russia investigation [Associated Press].
   
• Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff is accusing Republican Devin Nunes of making "material changes" to the secret memo about the Russia investigation before delivering that document to the White House. Schiff says the changes were not approved by the House Intelligence Committee [Politico].
   
• The Trump administration is expected to release the classified memo authored by Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee on Thursday [Reuters].
   
• During a December meeting at the White House, President Donald Trump reportedly asked FBI Deputy Director where the investigation from special counsel Robert Mueller was heading and whether Rosenstein was "on my team" [CNN].
   
• Top FBI officials were aware for at least a month before alerting Congress about emails possibly linked to an investigation of Hillary Clinton were found on Anthony Weiner's laptop during the 2016 presidential campaign [Wall Street Journal].
   
• Peter Strzok, the controversial agent at the center of a political storm over possible anti-Trump bias in the FBI, helped draft a letter then director James Comey sent to Congress informing them that the agency was reopening the investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server. Clinton blames the release of that letter during the final days of the 2016 election for throwing the election to Donald Trump [CNN].
   
• House Republicans are warming to a possible fix to ObamaCare that would bring down premiums and stabilize the healthcare law [The Hill]. 
   
• Another top Republican calls it quits before the 2018 midterms. Rep. Trey Gowdy, who lead the Benghazi investigation and now chairs the influential Oversight Committee, is not running for another term [Politico].
   
• Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin is asking Republicans in Congress to raise the debt ceiling "as soon as possible" to avoid a default [Reuters].
   
• CDC director Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald resigns after a report she bought shares of in a tobacco company after taking control of the agency [NBC News].
   
• The Trump administration is asking for a 72% budget cut to programs that research renewable energy [Washington Post].
   
• The unemployment rate in the U.S. could drop to 3.5% next year, which means employers are being forced to pay higher wages in order to keep employees [Axios].

On this day in history:

• 1790 - The U.S. Supreme Court convened in New York City for its first session.
   
• 1861 - Texas secedes from the Union.
   
• 1865 - President Abraham Lincoln signs the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which abolished slavery.
   
• 1964 - The Beatles have their first #1 hit in the U.S. with "I Want to Hold Your Hand."
   
• 1979 - Iranian Ayatollah Ruholla Khomeini returns to Tehran after nearly 15 years of exile.
   
• 2003 - The space shuttle Columbia broke apart during its descent over the southwestern United States. All seven astronauts on board were killed.

Today At Utah Policy

The latest attempt to kill SB54 will likely hit a dead end in the Senate
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
A bill that seeks to kill the SB54 compromise passed out of a House committee on Tuesday. If the full House sends it to the Senate, that's where it will likely meet its demise....

Dabakis says he's worried about the future of Utah news now that the Tribune is no longer free online
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
Sen. Jim Dabakis, D-Salt Lake City, once tried to buy the Salt Lake Tribune. Now he's very concerned that the venerable paper's voice will diminish now that they're taking their online content behind a paywall....

Podcast: Sen. Jim Dabakis on the Salt Lake Tribune's paywall
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
Sen. Jim Dabakis, D-Salt Lake City, has long been a champion of the Salt Lake Tribune. He once tried to purchase the paper....

WTC Utah podcast: Tax reform and volunteerism
By World Trade Center Utah
WTC Utah President and CEO Derek Miller and guests discuss how the new tax legislation could impact Utah companies operating in the international sphere and how volunteerism contributes to Utah's economic prosperity....

Guest opinion: Eminent inventor or obscure politician?
By Dr. Robert D. Petersen
Back in 1988, I was a history teacher at Clearfield High School.  I took a group of students to Washington D.C. Among other activities, we toured the Nation's Capital Building where we were introduced to the Hall of Statues. ...

How to train your Donald: Can he unlearn the luxury marketing tactics that helped him win?
By Jared Whitley
There's this scene in one of the Game of Thrones books where the Khaleesi learns that riding dragons is not the same as riding horses. With horses, you spur them on the side opposite where you want them to go, since horses flee from danger. But with dragons you have to do th...

McAdams's fundraising outpaces Love in most recent FEC reports
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
Democrat Ben McAdams raised slightly more money than Republican Mia Love in the final three months of 2017 according to the latest Federal Election Commission filings....

Romney to headline Utah County GOP fundraiser
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
Mitt Romney is scheduled to headline the Utah County GOP Lincoln Day dinner next month....

Weekly survey: Which path should Romney take to the ballot?
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
If, as expected, Mitt Romney decides to run for Utah's open U.S. Senate seat in 2018, which path to the ballot should he take? Do you think he should gather signatures, or use the caucus/convention route? Vote now....

Policy News

New pioneers: American Dream Award Program
Join the Salt Lake Chamber, Utah's largest and longest-standing business association, as we recognize the incredible contributions immigrants make every day in Utah at the American Dream Award Program. ...

Utah State Treasurer David Damschen named NCPERS Policymaker of the Year
The National Conference on Public Employee Retirement Systems honored Utah State Treasurer David Damschen this week with the 2017 Policymaker of the Year award at the association's annual Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C....

University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law launches new Master of Legal Studies degree program
Professionals who will benefit from an improved understanding of the law - while they continue to pursue their careers - will soon have a new degree program to achieve that goal....

Local Headlines

Salt Lake Tribune

Editorial: Jails should use minimum, public standards to protect inmates

Utahns don't know what to think of Rep. John Curtis - or even who he is, according to poll

Utah wants to hold on to its college graduates; new bill offers loan forgiveness to grads who choose to stay in Utah

Utah Senate votes to end state's 90-day waiting period for divorce

Judge consolidates lawsuits over Bears Ears, Grand Staircase monument changes

Democrat Ben McAdams outraises Utah Rep. Mia Love by $42,000 in donations

Terminally ill patients in Utah could use medical marijuana grown and sold under a state-run system proposed by new bills

UTA board climbs aboard the reform train rolling in the Legislature

Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski proposes half-penny hike in sales tax to fund housing, transit and road plans

Utah 'stand your ground' bill advances despite fears of violence against minorities

Deseret News

Rob Bishop: Changing the dialogue on public lands from 'the problem' to 'our problem'

Editorial: State of the Union - after all is said and done

Utah Sen. Mike Lee uninjured in Virginia train wreck

Bill would give Utahns 'right to shop' for health insurance

Independent analysis gives mixed review on Utah's water data accuracy

House committee approves two-word amendment to charter school enrollment statute

State of the City: Salt Lake mayor proposes exploring prison sales tax increase, $87 million bond

Medicinal cannabis measures move forward at Utah Legislature

Proposed law would penalize doctors for not providing info to woman seeking abortion

U. nurse Alex Wubbels testifies for bill requiring police to get warrant for blood draw

UTA trustees reluctantly back restructuring plan from lawmakers seen as 'nonnegotiable'

Utah's Mighty 6? Lawmakers urge support for new Escalante National Park

National Headlines

Viewers approve of Trump's first State of the Union address (CBS News)

Americans are turning against Trump-hating celebrities and buying into the President's American dream (Daily Mail)

Is television heading for 'dump on Trump' overload? (The Hill)

ICE chief rips DC politicians: 'Sick and tired' of them trashing border cops (Washington Examiner)

John Kelly to California teacher who bashed military: 'Go to hell' (USA Today)

In New York, Gun Owners Balk At New Handgun Database (NPR)

Dow ends January with a rally, extends winning streak (FOX News)

Trump's First Year Saw Americans' Compensation Rise At Fastest Pace Since 2008 (ZeroHedge)

Private payrolls grow by 234,000 in January, vs 185,000 expected (CNBC)

California looks deeper into a taxpayer-backed bank for cannabis industry (Cannabist)

Federal Reserve Leaves Rates Unchanged (New York Times)

Wise Words

Bad Law

"The best way to get a bad law repealed is to enforce it strictly." Abraham Lincoln
 

Lighter Side

Slogan

"I read that John Kerry is considering running for president in 2020. Kerry has a great campaign slogan. "John Kerry: Sorry I'm Not Oprah." Jimmy Fallon