June 19th

This Just In

Utah Breaking News | Brought to you by Utah Policy

Saturday, June 17, 2017

Gov. Herbert blocked A.G.'s office from giving legislative leaders an opinion on legality of Congressional special election process

By Bob Bernick, Contributing Editor

We may soon see a serious political battle between the Utah Gov. Gary Herbert and the Legislature over Herbert’s election process in the 3rd Congressional race.

UtahPolicy is told that GOP and Democratic leaders of the Utah House and Senate asked GOP Attorney General Sean Reyes for a legal opinion on whether Herbert’s process – with 3rd District Republican and Democratic delegates voting on their candidates in conventions Saturday and two GOP candidates certified to the Aug. 15 primary ballot via voter signatures – is valid or not.

Multiple sources tell UtahPolicy.com that Herbert moved to block that opinion – saying the AG represents his office, not the Legislature (which has its own legal staff).

Read more...

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Local News Highlights: Daily Briefing

Morning must reads for Monday, June 19, 2017

Good Monday morning from Salt Lake City. Today is the 170th day of the year. There are 195 days remaining in 2017. Today is the 150th day of Donald Trump's presidency.

Herbert blocks the A.G. office from giving the Legislature an opinion on the legality of November's special election process. Chris Herrod pulls off a stunning upset. A terror attack in London leaves one dead and 10 injured.

The clock:

• 57 days until the 2017 Utah primary election (8/15/2017)

• 141 days until the 2017 election (11/7/2017)

• 217 days until the opening day of the 2018 Utah Legislature (1/22/2018)

• 262 days until the final day of the 2018 Utah Legislature (3/8/2018)

• 505 days until the 2018 midterm elections (11/6/2018)

• 1,234 days until the 2020 presidential election (11/3/2020)

Today's political TL; DR -

• SCOOP: Gov. Gary Herbert blocked the Attorney General's office from giving an opinion on the legality of the special election process in Utah's 3rd Congressional District. [Utah Policy].  
   
• Our "Political Insiders" mostly say the Salt Lake City Council did the right thing by blocking Sen. Jim Dabakis' nomination to join the Utah Transit Authority board [Utah Policy].
   
• Former Rep. Chris Herrod wins the GOP delegate nomination in Utah's 3rd Congressional District special election, setting up a three-way primary in August. Few people gave Herrod a chance to win the vote on Saturday [Utah Policy].
   
• Dr. Kathie Allen easily wins the Democratic nomination for this summer's special election in the 3rd Congressional District [Utah Policy].
   
• Utah Democrats tap Daisy Thomas to lead the party for the next two years following a contentious and sometimes dirty campaign [Utah Policy].
   
• On this week's "Beg to Differ" podcast, Bryan Schott and Mike Winder dissect what a three-way primary for Utah Republicans means for the state's political order, plus a conversation with outgoing Utah Democratic Party chair Peter Corroon [Utah Policy].
   
• Two Salt Lake County Mayors are raising questions about how the money from a sales tax fund has been doled out to cover transportation projects over the past 14 years. They also worry that former House Speaker Greg Curtis, now a lobbyist, may have too much influence over how the funds are distributed [Deseret News].
   
• A legal battle involving the American Preparatory Academy in Draper is raising questions about whether charter schools should be allowed to seize land from their neighbors [Tribune].
   
• Backers of a proposed ballot initiative to legalize medical marijuana say they should be ready to launch their effort to put the measure on the 2018 ballot within the next few weeks [Daily Herald].
   
• The new United Utah Party says they're ready to sue to get their candidate, Jim Bennett, on the ballot for November's special election [Utah Policy, Deseret News].
   
• A Utah Muslim leader finally returned home from Kenya after being blocked by U.S. officials who refused to let him board an airplane [Deseret News, Tribune].
   
• A new report concludes a worker in Utah earning minimum wage would need to work 94 hours per week in order to afford a two-bedroom apartment [Deseret News].
   
• If the Bears Ears National Monument is reduced in size, a number of energy extraction companies are ready to swoop in and start drilling and mining operations on the land surrounding the area [Tribune].

National headlines:

• A terror attack in London killed one person and injured 10 others after a man driving a van plowed into a group of worshipers leaving a mosque. The driver of the van allegedly screamed "I'm going to kill all Muslims" as he ran down the pedestrians [The Sun].
   
• In case you've forgotten, we're still at war. The U.S. is sending several thousand more troops to Afghanistan [New York Times].
   
• A U.S. aircraft shot down a Syrian fighter jet shortly after Syrian forces attacked U.S.-backed fighters in northern Syria [Washington Post].
   
• Iran launched a missile strike against Islamic State fighters in Syria in retaliation for terrorist attacks inside Iran earlier this month [CNN].
   
• President Donald Trump's lawyer says he is not under investigation despite the president confirming he was being investigated via an official statement on Twitter [CNN].
   
• Two of President Trump's top aides, including Jared Kushner, will travel to Israel this week to help jump start Israeli-Palestinian peace talks [Reuters].

On this day in history:

• 1586 - English colonists sailed from Roanoke Island, N.C., after failing to establish England's first permanent settlement in America.
   
• 1862 - Slavery was outlawed in U.S. territories.
   
• 1953 - Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were executed at Sing Sing Prison in Ossining, N.Y. They had been convicted of conspiring to pass U.S. atomic secrets to the Soviet Union.
   
• 1964 - The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was approved after an 83-day filibuster in the U.S. Senate.

Today At Utah Policy

Gov. Herbert blocked A.G.'s office from giving legislative leaders an opinion on legality of Congressional special election process
By Bob Bernick and Bryan Schott
We may soon see a serious political battle between the Utah Gov. Gary Herbert and the Legislature over Herbert’s election process in the 3rd Congressional race....

'Political Insiders' say Salt Lake City Council made the right decision not putting Dabakis on UTA Board
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
Our "Political Insiders" mostly think the Salt Lake City Council made the right choice when they rejected Sen. Jim Dabakis' nomination to the Utah Transit Authority board....

Democrats elect Thomas to lead fractured party
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
It was Daisy Thomas' last line to the convention that likely sealed her victory in Ogden on Saturday....

Allen wins Democratic nomination for 3rd Congressional District special election
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
Utah Democrats overwhelmingly picked Dr. Kathie Allen to be their standard bearer in the special 3rd Congressional District election in November....

Upset! Herrod wins GOP delegate nomination in 3rd District
By Bob Bernick, Contributing Editor
Around 750 3rd House District Republican delegates decided Saturday that former state House Rep. Chris Herrod will be their nominee to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz....

'Beg to Differ' podcast: Everything changes...until it doesn't
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
Bryan Schott and Mike Winder make you the smartest person in the room when you discuss politics. ...

Policy News

Press release: Count My Vote congratulates Republican primary election candidates
Count My Vote initiative leaders today congratulated the three candidates who have qualified for the Republican Party primary election ballot in the replacement of resigning Congressman Jason Chaffetz in Utah’s 3rd Congressional District....

SLCC, Utah Gov. honor outgoing trustees, Chair Gail Miller
Outgoing Salt Lake Community College Board of Trustees Chair Gail Miller was honored Wednesday by Utah Gov. Gary Herbert during her final meeting with the board....

Press release: United Utah Party readies lawsuit Against Lieutenant Governor's Office
The United Utah Party will file a lawsuit to compel the Utah Elections Office to certify its candidate, Jim Bennett, for the Third Congressional District.  ...

Derek B. Miller statement on Trump's changes to Cuba policy
World Trade Center Utah (WTC Utah) President and CEO Derek B. Miller released the following statement about President Trump’s revised Cuba policy:...

Local Headlines

Salt Lake Tribune

Op-ed: Founder of MADD says Utah's new drunk driving law is an unhelpful distraction

Op-ed: Working in a Mormon-owned marijuana shop made my anti-weed views more ... complicated

Utah sheriffs defend jail practices after rash of inmate deaths, more than half suicides

Democrats congressional nominee Kathie Allen predicts victory amid Trump frustrations

Former state rep wins GOP nod for 3rd District special election to replace Chaffetz

After wild race, Democrats elect Daisy Thomas as new state chairwoman

Gehrke: The showdown between the governor and Legislature over the attorney general's opinion on special election legality

Should Utah charter schools be allowed to seize land?

Muslim leader returns to Utah, says had worried that he might never be able to return to the U.S.

Deseret News

LaVarr Webb and Frank Pignanelli: 3rd District race will add heat to summer politics

Hal Boyd: Progressivism's troubling religious test

Op-ed: Utahns should demand no taxation without innovation

Tanner Ainge: The big heart, small government approach of Utah is the best for America

Backers of new Utah political party say they'll sue to get candidate in congressional race

Former lawmaker Herrod nominated for GOP primary to replace Chaffetz, will face Curtis, Ainge

Utah Democrats tap Cottonwood Heights MD to vie for Chaffetz' seat

Mayor calls transportation fund a 'political piggy bank'

Utah Muslim leader arrives home Sunday after being barred from entering U.S.

Report: 94-hour workweek required at minimum wage to afford 2-bedroom apartment in Utah

Other

Former Provo Rep. Chris Herrod heads to Republican primary for Chaffetz seat (Daily Herald)

Medical marijuana advocates within weeks of filing ballot initiative (Daily Herald)

South Weber leaders mull new $15-a-month fee to generate road funding (Standard-Examiner)

Ogden officials show support for immigrants through community meeting (Standard-Examiner)

Park City readies for balloting by mail (Park Record)

National Headlines

Senate GOP shifts focus to Lynch (The Hill)

Facebook feels the heat (The Hill)

White House meetings add to tech's awkward dance with Trump (Politico)

Ossoff, Handel battle for Georgia special election win (Politico)

Illinois finances in 'massive crisis mode' (Associated Press)

Pentagon: US shoots down Syrian aircraft for first time (Associated Press)

Milwaukee County sheriff not joining DHS, after all (ABC News)

Lawmakers set to return to scrapping over health care, Russia probes (Politico)

UT/TT Poll: Immigration, border security still top concerns for Texas voters (Star Telegram)

The right criticized Janet L. Yellen for years. Now the left says she's too far right. (Washington Post)

Judge won't allow Trump to be added to pipeline lawsuit (Washington Post)

Wise Words

Pace of Nature
"Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience." Ralph Waldo Emerson

Lighter Side

Tired
"Trump responded to an article on Twitter and called it a "phony story." I guess at this point even Trump's tired of saying "fake news." Jimmy Fallon