Local News Highlights: Daily Briefing How to Sound Smart About Utah Politics for Wednesday, August 31, 2016

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Wednesday, August 31, 2016 - 9:00am

Utah Policy

Local News Highlights: Daily Briefing

How to Sound Smart About Utah Politics for Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Good Wednesday morning from Salt Lake City. Today is the 244th day of the year. There are 122 days left in 2016.

Pro-education groups plan to push for a tax hike to fund schools. Derek Miller is considering a run for Senate in 2018. Donald Trump heads to Mexico to meet with that country's president.

The clock:

69 days until the 2016 presidential election - (11/8/2016)
145 days until the first day of the 2017 Utah Legislature - (1/23/2017)
190 days until the final day of the 2017 Utah Legislature - (3/9/2017)

Ten talking points for Wednesday:

Pro-education groups are planning a push for a tax hike to boost education funding [Utah Policy].

Derek Miller, head of the World Trade Center Utah, says he's eyeing a bid for Senate in 2018 [Utah Policy].

Utahns overwhelmingly support restrictions on drones flying near wildfires [Utah Policy].

Donald Trump will travel to Mexico on Wednesday to meet with President Enrique Pena Nieto just hours before he's set to deliver a "major" address on illegal immigration in Arizona [CBS News]. Here's what Trump might say in that highly-anticipated speech on immigration [Associated Press].

Sens. John McCain and Marco Rubio and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz easily defeat their primary challengers on Tuesday [NBC News].

Donald Trump pounced on the news that the FBI recovered 30 emails from Hillary Clinton's personal email server that may be related to the 2012 attacks in Benghazi [Politico].

Ahead of a visit to Utah by Donald Trump's running mate, Gov. Mike Pence, some Utah Republicans reiterate their support for the GOP presidential ticket, but other's aren't so sure [Utah Policy, Associated Press, Tribune].

During the 2012 presidential campaign, Donald Trump's campaign chief, Steve Bannon, slammed Mitt Romney and his sons for skipping military service, opting instead to serve Mormon missions [Tribune].

Rep. Chris Stewart says he's not surprised that Russian hackers have been targeting election systems in the United States [Deseret News].

Evan McMullin's campaign missed the deadline to get on the presidential ballot in Oregon [Politico].

On this day in history:

1897 - Thomas Edison was awarded a patent for his movie camera, the Kinetograph.
1980 - Poland's Solidarity labor movement was born with an agreement that ended a 17-day strike at the Lenin shipyard in Gdansk.
1997 - Britain's Princess Diana died of injuries following a car accident in Paris that also killed her companion, Dodi Fayed, and their driver.
2010 - President Barack Obama announced the end of the American combat mission in Iraq.

Today At Utah Policy

Exclusive: Pro-Education Groups Eyeing Tax Hike to Boost School Funding
By Bob Bernick, Contributing Editor
Watch for an announcement soon by a group of powerful – and politically savvy – Utahns who want a 7/8 of 1 percent increase in the state personal and corporate income tax rates for public education....

Utahns Overwhelmingly Support Restrictions on Drones Near Wildfires
By Bob Bernick, Contributing Editor
No sympathy from Utahns if you are caught flying your unmanned drone near a wildfire operation – nearly 90 percent of citizens agree with a new law allowing authorities to down the drone, a new UtahPolicy poll shows....

Miller Eyeing 2018 Senate Bid
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
Even though the 2018 election for U.S. Senate is still more than two years away, one Republican is already taking a serious look at running....

Utah Dominates Forbes List of America's Best Cities for Raising a Family
By Golden Webb
Utah claims three of the top 15 spots in Forbes' 2016 ranking of the best cities inthe U.S.to raise a family, with the Provo-Orem metro area earning the #1 spot....

Weekly Survey: Should More Candidates be Included in Debates?
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
Should the Utah Debate Commission make it easier for more candidates to participate in the debates this fall? Vote now in our weekly survey....

Policy News

Utahns More Confident About Present Economy
The Zions Bank Utah Consumer Attitude Index increased 1.1 points to 111.4 in August....

Press Release: Joint Statement of Republican Elected Officials In Support of the Trump/Pence Campaign
2016 may prove to be the most important election in a generation. ...

Nominees Announced for 2nd District Juvenile Court Vacancy
The 2nd District Judicial Nominating Commission has selected nominees for a vacancy on the 2nd District Juvenile Court. ...

ABU Education Fund Announces 2016 Debate Series
The ABU Education Fund, an affiliate of Alliance for a Better Utah, announced it is again joining with the University of Utah’s John R. Park Debate Society to host Utah’s only legislative debates of the 2016 election cycle....