Morning must reads for Friday, June 23, 2017

Local News Highlights: Daily Briefing

Morning must reads for Friday, June 23, 2017

Good Friday morning from Salt Lake City. Today is the 174th day of the year. There are 191 days remaining in 2017. Today is the 154th day of Donald Trump's presidency.

Herbert defends the process he set up for November's special election. Tanner Ainge was not registered to vote in Utah when he filed to run for Congress. Republicans unveil their plan to gut Obamacare.

The clock:

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

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

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

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

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

• 1,230 days until the 2020 presidential election (11/3/2020)

Today's political TL; DR -

• Gov. Gary Herbert defends the process he set up for electing a replacement for Rep. Jason Chaffetz, saying he gave voters more choice by allowing signature-gathering candidates to get on the ballot [Utah Policy, Tribune].
   
• Sen. Mike Lee says he's not ready to get behind the Senate Republican health care bill unveiled on Thursday. Sen. Orrin Hatch says he's supportive of the measure [Deseret News, Tribune].
   
• Whoops! 3rd District Republican candidate Tanner Ainge was not registered to vote in Utah when he filed to run for office. His campaign says it was simply a misunderstanding from when Ainge moved back to Utah in November [Utah Policy].
   
• Bob Bernick argues that Gov. Gary Herbert's rationale for blocking Attorney General Sean Reyes from making his opinion on the legality of November's special election doesn't stand up to scrutiny [Utah Policy].
   
• Rep. Jason Chaffetz releases a terrifying voicemail left by a man who threatened to lynch him [Utah Policy].
   
• Get smart fast! Watch our Utah political week-in-review to understand what happened and why [Utah Policy]. Here's a podcast version of the program [Utah Policy].
   
• The Utah GOP's lawsuit against SB54 is slated to be heard by the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in September [Deseret News].
   
• Republican Tanner Ainge kicks off his campaign for November's special election, highlighting his business background and conservative credentials [Daily Herald].
   
• Gov. Gary Herbert says he is not yet leaning toward banning fireworks over the 4th of July holiday due to the dry conditions in Utah. However, he may still take that action if the situation does not improve [Deseret News, Tribune, Fox 13].
   
• Some big corporations are requesting $2.5 billion in property value decreases this year, which could shift that financial burden to taxpayers [Deseret News].

National headlines:

• Senate Republicans unveil their plan to replace Obamacare. The bill is a boon for young people who don't need much health care, but it takes a meat cleaver to Medicaid, which disproportionally affects the poor and elderly [Axios]. The bill also is a massive transfer of wealth from the poor to those with higher incomes [New York Times].
   
• In a new Friday interview, President Donald Trump casts doubts on special counsel Robert Mueller's objectivity, saying he's "very, very good friends" with fired FBI Director James Comey [The Hill].
   
• President Trump finally admits he was lying when he suggested there were tapes of his conversation with fired FBI Director James Comey [Politico].
• Democrats are turning on House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, but she remains defiant [Politico].
   
• The Yellowstone grizzly bear is being removed from the endangered species list after 42 years [Washington Post].

On this day in history:

• 1931 - Aviators Wiley Post and Harold Gatty took off from New York on the first round-the-world flight in a single-engine plane.
   
• 1947 - The Senate joined the House in overriding President Harry S. Truman's veto of the Taft-Hartley Act, which allows the president to intervene in labor disputes.
   
• 1972 - President Richard Nixon and White House chief of staff H.R. Haldeman discussed a plan to use the CIA to obstruct the FBI's Watergate investigation.

Today At Utah Policy

Tanner Ainge wasn't registered to vote in Utah when he filed to run for Congress
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
3rd District Republican candidate Tanner Ainge wasn't registered to vote in Utah when he filed to run for office, but his campaign says that's simply an oversight....

Bob Bernick's notebook: Just one guy's opinion
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
Never before has a legal opinion by Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes carried more weight on one day, and almost none the next....

Chaffetz receives frightening voicemail: 'Prepare for the battle, motherf***er!'
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
Rep. Jason Chaffetz released a very disturbing voicemail left at his office from a man who threatened to kill him....

Anyone who predicted this is lying - Bernick and Schott on politics #334
By Bryan Schott and Bob Bernick
Gov. Gary Herbert and Utah lawmakers are squaring off over whether the process to elect a replacement for Rep. Jason Chaffetz is legal. Herbert has gone so far as to block the Attorney General from giving lawmakers a legal opinion on the matter....

Herbert defends special election process
By Bob Bernick, Contributing Editor
Speaking at his monthly news conference, Gov. Gary Herbert said it “would not be a problem” for him to call a special legislative session on election law, as long as it was clear lawmakers would only codify Herbert’s 3rd Congressional District special elect...

Podcast: Bernick and Schott on politics #334
By Bryan Schott and Bob Bernick
Bob Bernick and Bryan Schott dissect a busy week in Utah politics....

Weekly survey: Who will win the GOP special election primary in August?
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
Who will win the unprecedented three-way Republican primary election in Utah's 3rd Congressional District in August? Chris Herrod, John Curtis or Tanner Ainge? Vote now....

\

Policy News

Casual Friday: Weekend Events & Outdoors Report
Outdoor Notes--Tribune: Utah Hike of the Week: Fantasy Canyon - Uintah County--Tribune: At Utah's Fantasy Canyon, legends in the wind, natural wonders and natural gas development on the horizon--Tribune: New study ranks Utah as one of the best states for a fun and frugal roa...

Governor appoints Hagen, Harris to the Utah Court of Appeals
Gov. Gary R. Herbert has appointed Diana Hagen and Ryan Harris to fill current vacancies on the Utah Court of Appeals....

Utah Treasurer Damschen announces saving over $5 million taxpayer dollars
Utah State Treasurer David Damschen announced that the Office of the Utah State Treasurer saved Utah taxpayers over $5 million through a competitive procurement process for the State of Utah’s soon-to-expire merchant services contract....

Local Headlines

Salt Lake Tribune

Editorial: Lots of blame to go around for Utah's special election fuss

Herbert defends special elections, urges lawmakers to 'count to 10' to cool heated rhetoric

Fences mended, nonprofit signs off on architect for new homeless shelters, adds new members

Utah's Lee, three other GOP senators could doom the Senate Republican health care bill

Guv says more fireworks bans likely with Utah's tinder-dry conditions

Salt Lake County mayor asks DABC to move downtown liquor store to help reduce crime near the Rio Grande homeless shelter

Herbert nominates two to fill vacancies on Utah Court of Appeals

As nation debates health care, few show up to hear about Utah's request to limit Medicaid

Torrey businesses reopening after nearly a week without water

Rolly: Henderson-Dayton rivalry plays out in Utah Senate, GOP convention

Deseret News

Jay Evensen: Can we handle the truth about Russian election hacking?

Don Ruzicka: Health care's journey from free market to socialism

Editorial: Beware of those who prey on contention

Hatch supportive, Lee 'not ready' as Senate unveils revised health care bill

Herbert calls for diligence, common sense in Utah's escalating fire season

Counties: $2.5B in corporate tax appeals could burden homeowners

Utah GOP appeal of SB54 loss to be heard by 10th Circuit as frustrations mount

Mitt Romney's 'Mormon moment' 5 years later

Other

Editorial: And then there were three for the GOP race for Chaffetz's seat (Daily Herald)

Ainge touts fiscal responsibility and economic success at campaign kickoff (Daily Herald)

Op-ed: What is the United Utah Party and what does it stand for? (Standard-Examiner)

U.S. Rep. Bishop leads group examining federal-local power balance (Standard-Examiner)

National Headlines

House intel panel plans to interview Podesta next week, sources say (CNN)

Texas, three more states on California's banned travel list (Sacramento Bee)

Four Senate Republicans Say They Can't Support Health Care Bill Yet (NBC News)

30 GOP Congressmen Have Been Attacked or Threatened Since May (Washington Free Beacon)

Elise Jordan Says Defending Trump 'Like Hugging a Suicide Bomber' (Mediaite)

Johnny Depp asks: 'When was the last time an actor assassinated a president?' (Telegraph)

At congressional picnic, Trump calls for post-shooting bipartisan spirit to 'deepen' (Washington Post)

Yellowstone Grizzly Bear to Lose Endangered Species Protection (New York Times)

Does driving while high create more crashes? Report hints that it's possible (Los Angeles Times)

Gowdy decries leaks out of Coats meeting with House intelligence (CNN)

Health care stocks soar on Senate reform bill (USA Today)

Wise Words

Reality
"How many legs does a dog have if you call the tail a leg? Four. Calling a tail a leg doesn't make it a leg." Abraham Lincoln

Lighter Side

United
"A United Airlines employee is under fire for pushing over a 71-year-old passenger. Or as the CEO of United put it, "We're back, baby!" Conan O'Brien