Situational awareness - March 15, 2018

Situational awareness - March 15, 2018

Good Thursday morning from Salt Lake City. Welcome to Utah's must-read daily political news roundup. 

Utahns still support Count My Vote in big numbers. Mitt Romney's campaign gets down to the grassroots. Republicans are getting nervous about November's midterm elections.

Beware the Ides of March! It's likely a total coincidence that the end of Utah's candidate filing period coincides with such an infamous day in history.

Tick Tock:

• Today is the filing deadline for the 2018 elections (3/15/2018)
• 5 days until the statewide caucus meetings for Utah Republicans and Democrats (3/20/2018)
• 37 days until the Utah GOP State Convention (4/21/2018)
• 44 days until the Utah Democratic State Convention (4/28/2018)
• 103 days until the 2018 Primary Election (6/26/2018)
• 236 days until the 2018 midterm elections (11/6/2018)
• 319 days until the first day of the 2019 Utah Legislature (1/28/2019)
• 965 days until the 2020 presidential election (11/3/2020)

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Here's what's driving the day

Support for Count My Vote ballot initiative remains strong

Our latest poll finds nearly 2/3 of Utahns support the dual path route to the ballot provided for in the initiative [Utah Policy].

Romney goes big on grassroots campaign

Everyone thought Mitt Romney would hire signature gatherers to secure a place on the ballot and not worry too much about the GOP convention. Instead, he's using volunteers to gather signatures and making a major push to get his supporters elected as delegates in next week's caucus meetings [Utah Policy].

Niederhauser heads for the exit

Senate President Wayne Niederhauser shocked his colleagues on Wednesday announcing he would retire at the end of the year instead of seeking another term [Utah Policy].

"Political Power" bracket challenge day #3

We've got 8 more matchups on tap for you today. Hit the link and get your votes in! [Utah Policy]

The Day #2 results saw our biggest upset to date as homeless advocate Pamela Atkinson knocked off Rep. Chris Stewart. Check out the rest of the results and an updated bracket at the link [Utah Policy].

Other Utah headlines

• Salt Lake Mayor Jackie Biskupski urged Gov. Gary Herbert to veto an inland port bill passed last week by the legislature. Other groups are joining in asking Herbert to veto the measure [Deseret News].
   
• Utah students join a nationwide walkout over gun violence [Deseret News].
   
• Utah's four House members vote in favor of a bill to boost school security and train students and teachers to better identify potential gun violence threats [Tribune].
   
• Rep. Mike Kennedy, who announced he would not run for another term in the Utah House, instead will run for U.S. Senate against Mitt Romney [Daily Herald].
   
• Utah lawmakers loosened regulations on billboards this past session. Reagan Outdoor Advertising was a big donor to Utah legislators, giving nearly $80,000 in campaign donations [Tribune].
   
• Salt Lake City gets the go-ahead to participate in bidding to host the 2026 Winter Olympics [Deseret News].

National headlines

• Democrat Connor Lamb's stunning win in a solidly Republican district in Pennsylvania has Republicans sounding the alarm ahead of November's midterm election [New York Times].
   
• Lamb famously broke with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi during his winning campaign. That will likely embolden other Democratic candidates to disavow Pelosi and raises doubts that she'll regain the speaker's gavel if Democrats win control of the House in November [Axios].
   
• President Trump's lawyers are preparing him for a potential interview with special counsel Robert Mueller, which they say could happen sooner rather than later [Politico].
   
• President Donald Trump says Congressional Republicans are working on a second round of tax cuts this year [Politico].
   
• President Donald Trump claims he made up information about the U.S. running a trade deficit with Canada during a meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Trump says he doesn't know if that assertion is correct or not [Washington Post].
   
• The Senate passes a bipartisan bill to roll back some of the reforms enacted following the financial crisis in 2008 [The Hill].
   
• New documents tie Donald Trump's company directly to a $130,000 to a porn actress in an effort to keep her from talking about her affair with Trump ahead of the 2016 election [Wall Street Journal].
   
• Former FBI Director James Comey's forthcoming book is being subjected to the kind of extreme secrecy you'd normally see with a new Harry Potter book [Politico].
   
• Toys R Us will close all 800 of its stores in the U.S. following poor sales figures over the Christmas shopping season [Washington Post].

On this day in history

• 44 BC - Julius Ceasar is stabbed to death by Marcus Junius Brutus, Gaius Cassius Longinus, Decimus Junius Brutus, and several other Roman senators on the Ides of March.
   
• 1493 - Christopher Columbus returns to Spain after his first trip to the Americas.
   
• 1820 - Maine becomes the 23rd state.
   
• 1916 - President Woodrow Wilson sends 4,800 U.S. troops over the Mexico border to pursue Pancho Villa.
   
• 1985 - The first Internet domain name is registered (symbolics.com).
   
• 1991 - A grand jury indicted four Los Angeles police officers on felony assault charges for the beating of Rodney King. The officers' acquittals in 1992 sparked violent riots in the city.

Today At Utah Policy

Poll shows support for the Count My Vote ballot initiative remains strong
By Bob Bernick, Contributing Editor
Nearly two-thirds of all Utahns support the Count My Vote citizen initiative petition, with its dual pathway for candidates to get on their party's primary ballot, a new UtahPolicy.com poll shows....

Romney's campaign not using paid signature gatherers in effort to boost grassroots effort
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
Even though Republican critics are attempting to paint Mitt Romney as a "carpetbagger," it sure looks as if he's going all-in with the Utah GOP....

Vote now in day three of the Utah 'Political Power' tournament
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
Day three matchups in the UtahPolicy.com 2018 "Political Power" bracket are live. Cast your votes now!...

Down goes Stewart! Down goes Stewart! 'Political Power' poll day #2 results
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
Day two of voting in our "Political Power" challenge gave us our biggest upset to date....

Weekly survey: What grade would you give the 2018 Legislature?
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
Now that the 2018 Utah Legislature is in the books, what final grade would you give their efforts? Cast your vote now....

Utah planning cybercenter to help state, private sector combat cybercrime
By Marty Carpenter
Utah government agencies have to fend off hundreds of millions of attacks every single day - and the Dept. of Technology Services (DTS) does a great job protecting the massive amounts of public data....

Senate President Wayne Niederhauser not running for re-election
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
Senate President Wayne Niederhauser announced Wednesday morning he would not be seeking re-election in 2018....

2018 Utah candidate tracker - Congress
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
There's a U.S. Senate seat up for election in 2018 as well as all four U.S. House seats. Here's our list of rumored and declared candidates....

2018 Utah candidate tracker - Utah Senate
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
2018 means another election cycle is upon us. Half of the Utah Senate seats are up for election this year, including an unexpected one because of a retirement. Here's our running list of candidates for those seats....

2018 Utah candidate tracker - Utah House
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
All 75 Utah House seats are up for election this year. Here's our running list of who's in, who's out and who's challenging....

Policy News

Downtown Achievement Awards call for nominations
Exceptional contributions to Salt Lake City's downtown will be recognized at the annual State of Downtown, presented by the Downtown Alliance. Awards will be presented during the annual meeting, scheduled for the last week in June....

Local Headlines

Salt Lake Tribune

Editorial: Petition backers deal away citizens' intentions

Utah lawmakers embraced billboard-friendly legislation - with the 'Yes' votes more likely to come from those who took industry donations

To sidestep a criminal investigation, UTA agreed to have a federal watchdog. Nearly a year later, it still doesn't have one.

UDOT decides to convert U.S. 89 in Davis County into a freeway - but grass-roots group plans to sue to block it

Utah Senate President Wayne Niederhauser decides not to seek re-election

House passes bill backed by the White House, NRA and Utah's members of Congress

New Provo-Orem bus rapid transit now has a name: Utah Valley Express (UVX)

Mitt Romney again faces a Kennedy in a U.S. Senate race

Deseret News

Jay Evensen: Why you'll be asked to raise gas taxes by 10 cents, not 33 percent

Ralph Hancock: Vulgar elitism and empty populism

Op-ed: Could nuclear power be a solution to Utah's big problems?

Editorial: S.L. must now move past frustration and work to make a successful inland port

Candidates file for congressional, Utah legislative races

'This is wow': Salt Lake able to participate in 2026 Winter Games bidding process

Utah Senate Pres. Wayne Niederhauser stepping down from Legislature

Pressure mounts as groups join Salt Lake's cries for veto of inland port bill

Other

Alpine state rep files as Republican to take on Mitt Romney (Daily Herald)

Death penalty ban, research bills fail while expansion bill passes Legislature (Standard-Examiner)

Mitt Mania: Senate hopeful Romney woos Cache delegates, voters (Logan Herald Journal)

National Headlines

How Trump's 'Maximum Pressure' Strategy Got North Korea to the Table (Observer)

Alarmists Resurrect Theory That Global Warming Is Making Winters Colder (Daily Caller)

Nikki Haley warns: Russia could use chemical weapons in New York (Washington Examiner)

'I would vote for him every time': Stormy Daniels' mother hopes alleged affair doesn't hurt Trump (Dallas News)

Students Hold Counter-Protest To Walkout, Defend 2nd Amendment (CBS Philly)

Andrew McCabe, a Symbol of Trump's FBI Ire, Faces Possible Firing (New York Times)

'Clock boy' Ahmed Mohamed's lawsuit against Irving ISD, city dismissed (Dallas News)

Trump eyes Rick Perry to replace VA secretary (CNN)

Trump state Democrats want no part of Clinton's diss on Trump voters (CNN)

Kudlow's outsize media profile makes him favorite for White House job (Washington Post)

A Worrying Shift for Pensions: Retirees Will Soon Outnumber Kids (Bloomberg)

Wise Words

Democracy

"Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey cage." H. L. Mencken
 

Lighter Side

Edible Arrangements

"Climate change could eventually wipe out crops like strawberries and grapes. Even worse, that means edible arrangements will soon be 100 percent cantaloupe." Jimmy Fallon