About Utah Politics - March 21, 2014

Local News Highlights: Daily Briefing

How to Sound Smart About Utah Politics - March 21, 2014

Utah's candidates file for office. Republicans hold their caucus meetings. The Utah PTA wants Gov. Herbert to veto a curriculum oversight bill.

Countdown:

• 35 days until the Utah State Republican and Democratic conventions
• 95 days until Utah's 2014 primary elections
• 228 days to the 2014 midterm elections
• 311 days to the start of the 2015 Utah Legislature
• 591 days to the 2015 elections
• 656 days until the 2016 Iowa Caucuses
• 962 days to the 2016 presidential election

Today's Utah political news highlights:

• The 2014 election is officially underway as candidates scramble to file for political races before the deadline [Tribune].
• Four candidates file to replace outgoing Salt Lake County Councilman Randy Horiuchi [Tribune].
• Bob Bernicklooks at some of the more interesting matchups ahead in 2014 [Utah Policy].
• Weber County District Attorney Dee Smith, who was the Democratic nominee for Attorney General in 2012, says he won't seek another term in 2014 [Standard-Examiner].
• A number of Utah County seats are set for intriguing contests this election system [Daily Herald].
• Utah's Republicans hold their final caucus meetings under the current electoral system [Tribune, Deseret News].
• Gov. Gary Herbert signs a bill protecting children when one of their parents is suspected of killing the other [Deseret News].
• The Utah PTA wants Gov. Herbert to veto a bill that allows a statewide committee to oversee complaints about curriculum used in classrooms, saying the measure bypasses local control of schools [Deseret News].
• Some Layton residents are asking the City Council to adopt a non-discrimination ordinance that includes sexual orientation [Tribune].
• A report from a left-leaning group says Rep. Rob Bishop plays a key role in bottling up wilderness legislation in Congress [Tribune].
• Utah's colleges and universities do a poor job graduating full-time students within a six-year time frame [Tribune].

On this day in history:

• 1685 - Composer Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Germany.
• 1790 - Thomas Jefferson took office as America's first Secretary of State.
• 1963 - Alcatraz prison was closed.
• 1965 - More than 3,000 civil rights protesters, led by the Rev. Martin Luther King, marched from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama.
• 1987 - U2's album "The Joshua Tree" was released.
• 2000 - The Supreme Court ruled the government lacked the authority to regulate tobacco as an addictive drug.
• 2006 - The social networking site Twitter was launched.
• 2010 - The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Affordable Care Act, also known as "Obamacare."

Today At Utah Policy

Bob Bernick's Notebook: Missed Opportunities
Ahh, the vagaries of legislative races in Utah....

2014 Candidate Tracker
Who's in and who's challenging? Keep up to date with the latest candidate filings....

Bryan Schott's Political BS: Another Defeat for Transparency
If you ever needed proof that lobbyists reign supreme on Utah's Capitol Hill, consider what happened on the final day of the 2014 session....

Featured Items

Casual Friday: Weekend Events & Outdoors Report
Outdoor Notes--Tribune:Ski Lift of the Week Milly Express at Brighton Resort--Tribune: Utah hunters using less lead; condors may have benefited--Tribune:Bear-proof gear will be required at Needles District of Canyonlands-- For the?latest wildlife news and information?and th...

Bernick and Schott on Politics - Episode #181
Lots of retirements on the Hill, plus the legislature passes the third most bills in history.Bob Bernick and Bryan Schott break down the week in Utah politics....

Weekly Survey: Herbert's 'Healthy Utah' Plan
Gov. Gary Herbert is negotiating with the federal government on his "Healthy Utah" proposal to expand healthcare coverage instead of expanding Medicaid. How do you think the proposal will fare? Vote now in our weekly survey....

Impact Hub Making Waves in SLC: New Entrepreneurial Powerhouse Opens Downtown
OnMarch 24th, Salt Lake City will officially be the home of the first Impact Hub in Utah....

Grading the Legislature's Education Effort
With the 2014 Utah Legislative session complete, a report card is due.(After all, if they insist on grading schools, the Legislature itself ought to be graded.)...

Local Headlines

Salt Lake Tribune

Editorial: Dark Money probes should not be sidetracked by politics

Editorial: Grand ski dream needs to fit in larger Wasatch plan

Four candidates file for retiring Horiuchi's council seat

And they're off - candidates file for Utah elections

Buildings keep tumbling at Utah's chemical weapons depot

GOP caucuses: Mia Love, activists, newcomers mix it up

Paul Rolly: For Utah teachers, all that testing is cramping learning

Report: Wilderness bills blocked; Utah's Bishop singled out

Utah lags for college degrees earned within six years

Deseret News

Op-ed: Protecting freedom of speech

Editorial: In new study, Utah continues to experience fewer alcohol deaths than peers

Report highlights need for decisive action on Colorado River supplies

Utah Foundation hopes to grow economy through graduates

Utah PTA calls for veto of curriculum review bill

Utah A.G. policy could get worker fired for talking to media

Governor signs law to protect children when 1 parent is suspected of killing the other

Utah Republican caucusgoers give a thumbs up to traditional process

Other

County primed for hot election season after filing deadline (Daily Herald)

County Republicans gather for caucus night (Daily Herald)

Editorial: Parties protected, transparency lessened (Standard-Examiner)

Weber County Attorney Dee Smith won't seek re-election (Standard-Examiner)

National Headlines

Obama expands sanctions against Russia (Politico)

Pelosi: We 'couldn't be prouder' of O-Care (The Hill)

Business groups exhale on sanctions (The Hill)

Chris Christie Clarifies: He Fired the 'Traffic Problems' Staffer Mostly For Being a Liar (The Wire)

U.S. Senate leader orders probe of alleged CIA computer hacking (Reuters)

General Is Reprimanded, but Spared Jail, in Misconduct Case (New York Times)

Ethics panel examining Illinois lawmaker's actions (Associated Press)

Does Jay Carney get questions in advance? Anatomy of an uproar (FOX News)

Obama: 'I've got a personal stake in seeing women get ahead' (CBS News)

U.S. targets Putin's banker, threatens trade (CNNMoney)

Only 11% of the long-term unemployed find work again a year later (Los Angeles Times)

Wise Words

Americans
"Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public."
H. L. Mencken Quotations Page

Lighter Side

Out of Business
"A barber shop in Colorado is refusing to serve anybody who smells like marijuana. Today they went out of business." Conan O'Brien Political Humor

2014
Bizarre, Crazy, Silly, Unknown Holidays & Observances

*Brain Injury Awareness Day

*International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

*Memory Day

*National Common Courtesy Day

*National Day of Action On Syringe Exchange

National Puppy Day

*Spring Fairy Fun Day

*World Down Syndrome Day

WE Day

*Afghanistan Day (declared by Regan in 1982)

*Poetry Day

*International Day of Nowruz

*International Day of Forests and Trees

*National Single Parent Day (declared by Regan in 1984)