About Utah Politics - March 4, 2014

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Tuesday, March 4, 2014 - 10:15am

Local News Highlights: Daily Briefing

How to Sound Smart About Utah Politics - March 4, 2014

Count My Vote compromise advances. Lawmakers introduce a record number of bills. House advances their alternative to Medicaid expansion.

Countdown:

9 days until the final day of the 2014 Legislature
10 days until the Utah candidate filing period opens
14 days until the Utah Democratic Party caucus meetings
14 days until the Utah candidate filing period closes
16 days until the Utah GOP caucus meetings
53 days until the Utah State Republican and Democratic conventions
112 days until Utah's 2014 primary elections
245 days to the 2014 midterm elections
608 days to the 2015 elections
673 days until the 2016 Iowa Caucuses
979 days to the 2016 presidential election

Today's Utah political news highlights:

A House committee sends the compromise between lawmakers and Count My Vote to the full House [Utah Policy, Deseret News, Tribune, Daily Herald].
Lawmakers have introduced the most bills ever during the 2014 session, but are on pace to tie the record for fewest passed [Tribune].
The House advances their plan for dealing with Medicaid expansion [Deseret News, Tribune].
Lawmakers propose creating a fund to help hotels that may lose business from the planned convention center hotel in Salt Lake City [Tribune].
A House committee gives new life to a measure creating partisan elections for the State School Board [Deseret News,
House lawmakers pass a resolution allowing Stericycle to move their medical waste incinerator from North Salt Lake to Tooele [Tribune, Standard-Examiner].
The Utah Senate kills a measure to raise the smoking age from 19 to 21 [Tribune, Deseret News].
The House passes a bill allowing the use of a cannabis extract for medical purposes [Tribune,
A tight budget may mean a move to add more beds to the prison in Gunnison is not feasible [Tribune].
The House approves a measure providing for a jury trial when a court moves to terminate parental rights [Tribune, Deseret News].
A new report says the move by Utah to re-open the state's national parks during the government shutdown paid big dividends [Deseret News, Tribune].
Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker says the new electronic parking meters are not to blame for falling parking revenue [Tribune].

On this day in history:

The Constitution went into effect as the first Congress met in New York in 1789.
Vermont became the 14th state in 1791.
Abraham Lincoln took the oath of office as the 16th president in 1861.
Woodrow Wilson was sworn in as the 28th president of the United States in 1913.
Republican Jeanette Rankin of Montana took her seat as the first woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1917.
Franklin D. Roosevelt was inaugurated as the 32nd president, delivering the famous line "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself" in 1933.
Actors Ronald Reagan and Nancy Davis were married in 1952.
President Ronald Reagan addressed the nation about the Iran-Contra affair, acknowledging the situation had "deteriorated" into an arms-for-hostages deal in 1987.
President Bill Clinton banned spending federal money on human cloning in 1997.

Today At Utah Policy

Senate Passes Bill Exempting Homeschoolers from State Regulation
The Utah Senate approveda measure on Monday to exempt homeschool parents from state regulations....

Jenkins Taking 'Wait and See' Approach to Constitutional Amendment to Save Caucus System (Video)
Sen. Scott Jenkins (R-Plain City) says he is going to sit on his proposed Constitutional Amendment that would allow political parties to nominate candidates in whatever way they choose until he sees what happens with the compromise between lawmakers and "Count My Vote."...

Hey Candidates, You Really Should be Using Online Video
A new poll suggests television ads may not be as effective in reaching voters as it once was....

House Committee Advances Caucus Compromise Bill
Begrudgingly. Hesitantly. Squeamishly. That's the way forward for many Utah lawmakers as they consider the new version of SB 54, which crafts a compromise to keep Utah's caucus system while also allowing a direct primary path to the ballot....

Sen. Deidre Henderson vs. the Utah Policy "Lightning Round"
With just 60 seconds to answer a bunch of stupid questions, Sen. Deidre Henderson faces the Utah Policy "Lightning Round."...

Featured Items

Business Community Supports Utah's 'Voter Participation Agreement'
The Salt Lake Chamber commends and supports the compromise reached by the Utah Legislature and the Count My Vote initiative, which maximizes voter participation by modernizing Utah's election process through a dual primary voting system....

Chaffetz, Holder Unite to Soften Sentencing Laws
Erstwhile political foesJason Chaffetz and Eric Holder meetat the Justice Department to discuss (over breakfast) their bipartisan effort to eliminatemandatory-minimum prison sentences for nonviolent drug offenders....

State Business Website Shows Why Utah Ranks High
The Governor's Office of Economic Development has launched its new, fully mobile interactive website to address the needs of businesses, facilitate growth and expansion in the state and keep the average citizen informed....