Situational awareness - March 9, 2018

Situational awareness - March 9, 2018

Good Friday morning from Salt Lake City. Welcome to Utah's must-read daily political news roundup. It's over! The 2018 Legislature has ended, but the 2018 election season is open for business!

Lawmakers adjourn for 2018. Gov. Gary Herbert hails increased funding for public education. President Donald Trump accepts an invitation to meet with North Korea's Kim Jong Un.

Tick Tock:

• Today the filing period for candidates in the 2018 election opens (3/9/2018)
• 6 days until the filing deadline for the 2018 elections (3/15/2018)
• 11 days until the statewide caucus meetings for Utah Republicans and Democrats (3/20/2018)
• 43 days until the Utah GOP State Convention (4/21/2018)
• 50 days until the Utah Democratic State Convention (4/28/2018)
• 109 days until the 2018 Primary Election (6/26/2018)
• 241 days until the 2018 midterm elections (11/6/2018)
• 325 days until the first day of the 2019 Utah Legislature (1/28/2019)
• 971 days until the 2020 presidential election (11/3/2020)

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Here's what's driving the day:

Sine Die!

Here's our rundown of the winners and losers of the last 45 days on Utah's Capitol Hill [Utah Policy].

"One of the best" legislative sessions

Gov. Gary Herbert can barely contain his glee about big funding boosts for public education and the grand bargain between the legislature and Our Schools Now [Utah Policy]. Here's the video of our last day of the 2018 session interview with Gov. Herbert [Utah Policy]. If you prefer a podcast of the conversation, we have you covered [Utah Policy].

It's up to the voters

Lawmakers passed the deal with Our Schools Now that will put a gas tax hike on November's ballot, and boost school funding through a property tax increase [Utah Policy].

UTA reform passes

Lawmakers take a victory lap on their bill to overhaul the UTA and provide some much-needed money for transit projects [Utah Policy].

More retirements on the Hill

Here's our updated list of lawmakers who are calling it quits this year [Utah Policy].

The GOP civil war heats up

GOP lawmakers have taken to calling the group of central committee dissidents who passed an illegal bylaw change "Area 51," because they're a weird bunch. But, as Bob Bernick writes, that small group may learn it's not wise to upset the elected officials in their own party [Utah Policy].

What a week!

Funding deals, tax cuts, tax hikes, big budget numbers, GOP civil war, Donald Trump and Stormy Daniels. You'll find all of that, and more, as Bob Bernick and Bryan Schott dig through a crazy week in Utah politics [Utah Policy]. If you want to catch up with the political news on the go, here's a podcast version [Utah Policy]. 

More Romney and the Russians

An analysis found Russian "troll farms" pushed hard to torpedo Mitt Romney's bid to become Secretary of State under President Trump [Utah Policy].

Other Utah headlines

• Gov. Gary Herbert says he will sign the controversial inland port bill. The final version of that legislation was passed swiftly without any input from Salt Lake City leaders [Deseret News].
   
• Rep. Robert Spendlove's bill to expand Medicaid with work requirements and caps on what Utah will spend on the program. It's still up to the Trump administration to grant Utah waivers for the limits on expansion [Deseret News].
   
• Well funded ballot initiatives became a new tool to push lawmakers in directions they've previously been reluctant to go during the 2018 session [Tribune].
   
• A bill asking the feds to use Medicaid funds to pay for mobile crisis teams of mental health experts zooms through the Senate and heads to the Governor [Deseret News].
   
• Gov. Gary Herbert says he wants to "push pause" on the plan to rename the Utah Transit Authority, but he does support other reforms contained in the bill to overhaul the agency [Deseret News].
   
• Lawmakers pass a resolution calling on A.G. Sean Reyes to sue the manufacturers of opioids [Deseret News].
   
• Rep. Brad Daw's bill to delay the implementation of any ballot initiatives passed by Utah voters dies in the final hours of the 2018 session. Backers of the medical cannabis initiative say the bill was targeting them [Deseret News].

National headlines

• President Donald Trump accepts an invitation to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. If the meeting happens, Trump would be the first American president to meet with the leader of North Korea [Washington Post].
   
• President Donald Trump moved ahead with his controversial plan to slap steep tariffs on steel and aluminum, despite pushback from Republicans and rattled the markets [CNN].
   
• Former Vice President Joe Biden sure looks like he's gearing up to run for president in 2020. His team is already looking for ways to shake up the race [Politico].
   
• The Trump administration blocks Idaho's attempt to circumvent the Affordable Care Act by allowing the sale of stripped-down health insurance plans [New York Times].
   
• The Interior Department is spending $139K to upgrade three sets of doors on Secretary Ryan Zinke's office [Associated Press].
   
• Former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, who is under indictment from special counsel Robert Mueller is wearing two GPS monitoring bracelets because he is facing charges in both Washington, D.C., and Virginia [Buzzfeed].
   
• A new study finds that fake news stories spread farther and faster online than truthful reporting [Washington Post].
   
• Former President Obama is in talks with Netflix to provide shows for the online streaming service [New York Times].
   
• Mississippi is set to pass one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country [CNN].

On this day in history

• 1009 - First known mention of Lithuania, in the annals of the monastery of Quedlinburg.
   
• 1841 - The Supreme Court rules in the United States v. The Amistad cast that captive Africans who had seized control of the ship carrying them had been carrying them had been taken into slavery illegally.
   
• 1864 - Gen. Ulysses S. Grant was appointed the commander in chief of Union forces in the Civil War.
   
• 1933 - President Franklin D. Roosevelt submits the Emergency Banking Act to Congress, the first of his New Deal policies.
   
• 1959 - The Barbie doll makes its debut at the American International Toy Fair in New York.

Today At Utah Policy

Winners and losers from the 2018 Legislature
By Bob Bernick and Bryan Schott
Now that the 2018 Utah Legislature is in the rearview mirror, here's who UtahPolicy.com sees as winners, and losers from the just finished 45-day session....

Herbert says 2018 session was great for education, transit
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
Gov. Gary Herbert says the 2018 session, which ended at midnight on Thursday, has been one of the best he's ever been around....

Video: Gov. Gary Herbert wraps up the 2018 session (with video)
By Bryan Schott and Bob Bernick
Gov. Gary Herbert sits down with Managing Editor Bryan Schott and Contributing Editor Bob Bernick to give his thoughts on the 2018 Utah legislature that ended Thursday night. ...

Podcast: 2018 Legislature wrap up with Gov. Gary Herbert
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
Gov. Gary Herbert sits down with Managing Editor Bryan Schott and Contributing Editor Bob Bernick to give his thoughts on the 2018 Utah legislature that ended Thursday night. ...

Wave of lawmaker retirements to hit Utah's Capitol Hill (Updated)
By Bob Bernick, Contributing Editor
The candidate filing to run for the Utah Legislature starts Friday, just one day after the 2018 session ends....

Legislature passes education funding bargain with Our Schools Now
By Bob Bernick, Contributing Editor
In the end, it wasn't even close....

Bob Bernick's notebook: Republican lawmakers face off against 'Area 51'
By Bob Bernick, Contributing Editor
Not known for their wise decision-making, the dissident group inside the Utah Republican Party's Central Committee crossed a bridge too far two weeks ago....

Lawmakers hail passage of transit bill, but say there's much more work ahead
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
Legislators took a victory lap of sorts on Thursday morning as they touted the passage of SB136, which significantly changed transit in Utah....

Let's keep fighting about SB54! - Bernick and Schott on politics Ep. 364
By Bryan Schott and Bob Bernick
The final day of the 2018 Utah Legislature is here....

Podcast: Bernick and Schott on politics Ep. 364
By Bryan Schott and Bob Bernick
The final day of the 2018 Utah Legislature is here. Bob Bernick and Bryan Schott make sense of the final day chaos on Utah's Capitol Hill....

Report: Russian trolls tried to scuttle Romney's bid to be Secretary of State
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
Russian "troll farms" flooded social media to brand Mitt Romney as a "two-headed snake" and a "globalist puppet" during the time that President Donald Trump was considering him for Secretary of State....

Utah 'Political Power' bracket nominations
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
It's time for the Utah political version of March Madness....

Weekly survey: Best/worst from 2018 Utah Legislature
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
What were the best and worst things from the 2018 Utah Legislature? Give us your thoughts in our weekly survey....

Policy News

Casual Friday: Weekend Events & Outdoors Report
Outdoor Notes--Tribune:REI joins gun-related boycott of major Utah outdoor gear company--Tribune:Vail ski resorts keep making money even with pitiful snowfall in Utah and across the WestWeekend EventsNew Films-- A Fantastic Woman: Tribune review-- A Wrinkle In Time: Tribune ...

Local Headlines

Salt Lake Tribune

Editorial: Noel's bill to honor Trump was a loser from the start

Medicaid expansion in Utah up for debate on the Legislature's final day, even as feds signal they might not approve all the state wants

Utah enacts widespread election law changes, including Election-Day registration

Utah Legislature final-day recap: So many proposed laws, not enough time

Some Salt Lake City leaders are worried it would be 'unreasonable' to close the downtown homeless shelter as planned

A new power broker emerged on Utah's Capitol Hill in 2018: voters armed with popular ballot initiatives

Rolly: Elite Utah prosecutor once again loses out on a prestigious post through no fault of his own

Deseret News

A. Scott Anderson: It's time to unlock the value of public assets

Jay Evensen: 'Conservative' Utah lawmakers love playing Big Brother

Editorial: A move to dissolve the Utah State School Board deserves more deliberation

Utah senators slam Trump's import tariffs

Utah farmers seek legal status to defend Grand Staircase monument reductions

Medicaid expansion for 70,000 Utahns passes after tense debate

Lawmakers, Our Schools Now finalize compromise deal

Lawmakers take a swipe at land, water and air quality issues

Utah Legislature passes bill to pay for police, fire needs of new homeless resource centers

Several bills targeted better mental health treatment in 2018 session

Record $ 'injected' into public education; move to eliminate elected state school board fails

Lawmakers pass resolution urging Utah AG to sue opioid manufacturers directly

Bill seeking to delay ballot initiatives dies in Senate

Utah lawmakers wrap up legislative session with tax relief, big boost for education

Gov. Herbert: 'Push the pause button' on UTA name change

Senate passes bill seeking to put Medicaid funds toward mental health crisis response teams

Governor to sign controversial Utah inland port bill despite city outcry

Other

Bill would allow cameras, other tech to catch Express Lane carpool cheaters (Standard-Examiner)

National Headlines

Trump agrees to meet Kim Jong-un: Despot agrees to suspend missile tests (Daily Mail)

Kamala Harris: 'California Represents The Future' (RealClearPolitics)

U.S. Household Net Worth Pushes Further Into Record Territory (Wall Street Journal)

Millennials are starting to hate social media, too (New York Post)

Obama goes Hollywood (New York Times)

Democrats Are Considering Dropping Superdelegates Altogether (BuzzFeed)

Trump Authorizes Tariffs, Defying Allies at Home and Abroad (New York Times)

Disney boss tells shareholders that 'The View' star Joy Behar apologized for anti-Christian remarks (FOX News)

Trump administration warns Idaho against its rebel insurance plans (Washington Post)

ICE chief: 'I would think the Oakland mayor would be thanking me for removing public safety threats' (SFGate)

Warren rankles colleagues in bank fight (The Hill)

Wise Words

Debates

"In all intellectual debates, both sides tend to be correct in what they affirm, and wrong in what they deny." John Stuart Mill
 

Lighter Side

Stepping Down

"After years of bad publicity, SeaWorld's CEO is stepping down. He wasn't sure what was worse emptying his desk, or the seals clapping as he left." Jimmy Fallon