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Local News Highlights: Daily Briefing
Morning must reads for Monday, February 13, 2017
Good Monday morning from Salt Lake City. Today is the 44th day of the year. There are 321 days remaining in 2017.
House GOP leaders are not considering a tax hike to boost funding for public schools. Rep. Rob Bishop says there's a "coordinated effort" to disrupt public meetings held by Republicans.
The clock:
- 15 days until President Trump is scheduled to addresses a joint session of Congress (2/28/2017)
- 24 days until the final day of the 2017 Utah Legislature (3/9/2017)
- 267 days until the 2017 municipal elections (11/7/2017)
- 632 days until the 2018 midterm elections (11/6/2018)
- 1359 days until the 2020 presidential election (11/3/2020)
Ten talking points for Monday:
- Republican leaders in the House say they have "no appetite" to raise taxes this year in order to better fund schools [Utah Policy].
- Rep. Rob Bishop says he sees a "coordinated effort" from outside groups to disrupt Republican town hall meetings [Utah Policy]. Here's a podcast of our conversation with Bishop [Utah Policy].
- Sen. Stuart Adams wants to undo a state law that prohibits discussing homosexuality in a positive manner during sex ed classes [Utah Policy].
- Rep. Marc Roberts proposes allowing juries to consider whether the penalty for a crime is fair and, if it's not, be able to set that aside [Utah Policy].
- Our "Political Insiders" offer their opinions on whether the Outdoor Retailers Show will abandon Utah because of the public lands flap [Utah Policy].
- Rep. Jason Chaffetz says the raucous crowd at his town hall meeting tried "bullying and intimidation" to disrupt the proceedings [Deseret News]. Utah Democrats ding Chaffetz for saying the crowd was full of paid protesters [Deseret News]. Cottonwood Heights police say protesters who were armed and had their faces covered with bandanas urged the crowd to rush police officers as they closed the doors [Fox 13]. Chaffetz returns to more controversy in Washington, D.C. as residents there are railing against his meddling with their laws [Washington Post].
- National Security Advisor Lt. Gen. Mike Flynn is on tenuous ground after it was revealed he had contacts with Russian officials before President Donald Trump took office, then lied about those talks [Wall Street Journal]. Trump is also voicing his displeasure about the job performance of other top White House staffers, including Press Secretary Sean Spicer and Chief of Staff Reince Priebus [Politico]. Here's how you can tell Priebus is in trouble: a "friend" of Trump's is telling anyone who will listen that he's not up to the job [New York Times].
- More companies have pulled out of the Outdoor Retailers Show to protest the positions on public lands issues taken by Utah leaders [Tribune].
- Utah lawmakers advance a bill requiring doctors to tell women that abortions induced using drugs can be stopped halfway through the procedure, even though there's very little evidence to support that claim [Tribune, Deseret News].
- Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman is reportedly under consideration for a top job at the State Department or an ambassadorship in the Donald Trump administration [Tribune].
On this day in history:
- 1935 - A jury in Flemington, N.J., found Bruno Richard Hauptmann guilty of first-degree murder in the kidnap-death of the infant son of avaitor Charles Lindberg and his wife, Anne. (Hauptmann was later executed.)
- 2000 - Charles Schulz's final "Peanuts" comic strip ran in Sunday newspapers, the day after the cartoonist died at age 77.
Today At Utah Policy
 | House GOP has 'no appetite' for a tax hike to hike taxes to fund schools While some on Capitol Hill may be talking about a compromise with Our Schools Now – the petition drive aimed at raising $750 million more for public education – don’t count House GOP leadership in that group.... |
 | Bishop sees 'coordinated effort' to disrupt Republican town hall meetings Rep. Rob Bishop says he thinks a lot of the anger at public meetings held by Republican lawmakers is being organized by outside elements.... |
 | Podcast: Interview with Rep. Rob Bishop Rep. Rob Bishop discusses public lands issues, what President Trump might do with the Bears Ears monument and where the protesters at town hall meetings held by Republican members of Congress are coming from.... |
 | 'Political Insiders' weigh in on Outdoor Retailer threats to leave Utah Here we go again. The Outdoor Retailers Show is threatening to abandon Utah because of a dispute over public lands policy. Our "Political Insiders" are divided over whether to take the threat seriously.... |
 | Proposal would allow juries to set aside guilty verdict if they think the punishment does not fit the crime Juries should be able to consider whether the penalty for a crime is just and if not, should be able to set aside an otherwise guilty verdict.... |
 | Bill to nix 'no promo homo' law indroduced A Utah lawmaker is taking steps to undo a law that forbids discussion of homosexuality that could be seen as "advocacy" in sex education classes.... |
Policy News
| 25% more Utahns with disabilities receive employment services in FY16 The release of the Utah Division of Services for People with Disabilities’ Fiscal Year 2016 Annual Report highlights the state’s focus on employment for individuals with disabilities.... |
| New poll shows large majority in Utah moving away from the death penalty The Utah Justice Coalition is pleased to report the results of a new poll that shows the changing attitudes toward the death penalty by Utah residents.... |
| Hatch promotes stronger care for veterans with new bill Senator Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, the senior Republican in the United States Senate, issued the following statement on the introduction of the Adult Day Health Care Improvement Act of 2017:... |
 | Luncheon with the Ambassador of South Africa World Trade Center Utah, in partnership with the Governor's Office of Economic Development and the Salt Lake Chamber, is delighted to welcome His Excellency Mninwa Johannes Mahlangu, Ambassador of South Africa.... |
Local Headlines
Salt Lake Tribune
Herbert: Utah loves its public lands, and I will partner more closely with outdoor industry
Op-ed: School grading system is a failure of the state, not schools
Paul Rolly: Lawmakers just can't make things up
Op-ed: Hatch's technical ignorance is not helping Utah
Editorial: Utah takes small steps to unleash marijuana, rein in opioids
Editorial: To get along in these challenging political times, let's get something done
Gov. Herbert says Utah may have special role to calm refugee debates
Bill to extend early voting advances
Parking help for wheelchair users advances
Utah lawmakers seek power for states to veto federal rules
Bishop touts legislative process during Legislature visit
Under plan, Utah couples would choose between $20 or premarital counseling
House votes to outlaw panhandling at freeway exits, high-speed roads
Huntsman in line for top State Department job or ambassadorship, source says
Utah lawmakers advance plan for toughest DUI law in nation
Domestic violence gun bill sails through panel
Ex-aide: I warned Shurtleff, Swallow about 'unethical,' 'foolish' behavior
Bill would require auction, not destruction of seized guns
Bill would require doctors to tell women about abortion-reversal options
Gehrke: Town hall anger didn't singe Chaffetz, needs direction before it burns down the house
FAA apparently gives SLC mulligan on Wingpointe
Lawmakers again seek to make state park at Little Sahara
Utah lawmaker-lawyers have dual role: writing laws, fighting laws
More companies pull out of Outdoor Retailer show over Utah policies
Deseret News
Frank Pignanelli & LaVarr Webb: Battle for the ages: Romney vs. Huntsman?
Ralph Hancock: For a constitutional populism
Op-ed: Donald Trump and some supreme decisions
Hal Boyd: Is Donald Trump making America moral again?
Editorial: A call for a comprehensive immigration plan
Editorial: Rep. Chaffetz town hall and the need for civility
Co-worker: I warned Swallow, Shurtleff their actions would 'bring down house of cards'
Chaffetz reaches out to State School Board over bill to 'terminate' Department of Education
Supporters tout resolution calling for constitutional convention of states
State School Board adopts new teacher license fees but tells staff to hold off imposing increases
Nearly 30% of Utah school districts, charters lack bullying policies
Rep. Bishop visits Legislature, talks town hall meetings
Advocate for blind praises plans for task force on self-driving cars
Bill seeking to drop legal alcohol limit to .05 clears first hurdle
Bill would require doctors to tell women abortion can be halted
'We're not going away': Polygamous groups march to Capitol to protest bill
Chaffetz says town hall crowd tried 'bullying and intimidation'
Utah Democrats hit Chaffetz for dismissing town hall crowd as paid protesters
About Utah: One economic sanction deserves another
Lawmakers hear plans for busy summer at new Fairpark stadium
Bill advances seeking to keep guns from domestic violence perpetrators
Other
Editorial: Chaffetz town hall was no meeting of the minds (Daily Herald)
F-35 costs, combat readiness debated (Standard-Examiner)
Bountiful mayor expects tough re-election bid due to City Hall controversy (Standard-Examiner)
Rep. Potter reflects on start to first term in Legislature (Logan Herald Journal)
District 53 lawmaker is learning the ropes (Park Record)
Future of Outdoor Retailer murky as lawmakers seek to rescind Bears Ears (Park Record)
National Headlines
How can we trust global warming scientists if they keep twisting the truth? (Daily Mail)
State GOP leaders move quickly as party bickers in Congress (New York Times)
Trump and Trudeau to meet face to face for first time (Associated Press)
Mexican Migrants Signal They Prefer Detention to Deportation (Wall Street Journal)
Immigration Agents Arrest 600 People Across US in One Week (New York Times)
Trump reviews top White House staff after tumultuous start (Politico)
Trump administration signals change in policy for transgender students (Washington Post)
Trump seeks to break DC bubble (The Hill)
Obamas gear up for speaking gigs and book deals (New York Post)
Sears, Kmart join other retailers in dropping Trump-branded items (Washington Post)
Wise Words
No Accident
"Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do." Pele
Lighter Side
Plan is Working
"The East Coast was hit with a major snowstorm and it forced New York City public schools to close. When she heard that, new Education Secretary Betsy DeVos was like, "Hey, my plan's working already." Jimmy Fallon
