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The UtahPolicy.com daily newsletter gets you up to speed on the top local and national news about politics and public policy. Send news tips or feedback to [email protected], or message us on Twitter. Situational awareness - February 20, 2020Good Thursday morning from Salt Lake CityTICK TOCKThere are 16 working days remaining in the 2020 Utah Legislature2 days to the Nevada Democratic caucuses (2/22/2022)9 days to the South Carolina Democratic primary (2/29/2020)12 days to the Utah presidential primaries (3/3/2020)21 days to the final day of the 2020 Utah Legislature (3/12/2020)131 days to the 2020 Utah primary elections (6/30/2020)257 Days to the 2020 election (11/3/2020)340 days to the start of the 2021 Utah Legislature (1/25/2021)Here are the stories you need to pay attention to this morning:Lawmakers recommend boosting education funding by nearly $200 million. Thomas Wright turns in signatures while Aimee Winder Newton abandons the signature path to the ballot. Bloomberg takes a thrashing in Las Vegas.500 Episodes!The "Bernick and Schott on politics" podcast will record our 500th episode on Friday. Thanks for helping us reach this milestone! Thanks for subscribing to Utah's must-read daily political news rundown.If you know of friends or colleagues who would benefit from our daily news roundup, please encourage them to sign up for our emails.Today At Utah PolicyAhead of new revenue projections, lawmakers recommend boosting school funding by close to $200 millionBy Bryan Schott, Managing Editor Lawmakers anticipate they'll have somewhere in the neighborhood of $50 million more to spend on education and another $30-50 million in the cash strapped General Fund when new revenue numbers are released on Thursday morning.Thomas Wright turns in signatures to get on the ballot while Winder Newton says she'll focus on the convention instead By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor Two Republican candidates for Utah governor took their campaigns for the GOP nomination in opposite directions on Wednesday.Proposal would give school districts more flexibility in how to spend property tax revenue By Bob Bernick, Contributing Editor While tax reform is dead in the 2020 Legislature, some of its distant cousins are surfacing as bills.House resolution to censure Romney over impeachment vote made public By Bob Bernick, Contributing Editor State Rep. Phil Lyman's long-awaited resolution to censure U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney for voting to convict GOP President Donald Trump on one count of impeachment was made public Wednesday.Proposed legislation would prohibit cops from investigating themselves By Bob Bernick, Contributing Editor Utah cops, whether they work for a city, county, college or school district, and prosecutors should not be able to investigate themselves or those who oversee them, so says a broad-ranging bill introduced Wednesday morning.Garbett set to run for Utah governor as a Republican By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor The crowded Republican field for governor is about to expand by one more candidate. Businesswoman Jan Garbett tells UtahPolicy.com she is set to jump into the race as soon as this weekend. OTHER UTAH HEADLINESDeseret News Editorial: SB54 is still a good compromise for Utah's elections Senate passes bill to establish grants to mentor Utah school principals Public education budget recommendations: 4% boost to per-student funding, $100 million for teacher retention Senate passes bill to establish grants to mentor Utah school principals Utah Senate approves bill to tighten restrictions on personalized license plates Utah bill to criminalize 'willful' failure to call 911 fizzles again Winder Newton ends signature gathering; Wright submits names in governor's race Utah Senate gives preliminary OK to increase penalty for illegally passing school buses Presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard to hold campaign events in Utah Utah bill to end prosecution of young children clears first hurdle Utah falsely obtained $50M in federal criminal justice grants, lawsuit saysSalt Lake Tribune Salt Lake City teachers planning Feb. 28 walkout to march to Utah State Capitol Utah bill would prevent deadbeat parents from hunting and fishing Plan to deregulate yurts tripped up in Utah legislative committee Why people who have lived in polygamy support - or don't - a Utah bigamy bill Citing costs, Aimee Winder Newton stops collecting signatures in Utah governor's race Uber and Lyft now command 70% of SLC airport commercial rides. The new airport will reflect their dominance. Utah senators OK tighter ban on disparaging vanity plates Mike Lee defends impeachment vote in town hall meeting; also calls ERA part of 'a radical pro-abortion agenda.' Presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard campaigning in Utah this weekendOther Utah County cities ponder future of transportation utility fees in light of judge's ruling (Daily Herald) Q&A: Utah gov. candidate Wright visits Cache Valley, talks issues (Logan Herald Journal)NATIONAL HEADLINESBloomberg batteredDemocratic presidential hopefuls piled on newcomer Michael Bloomberg during Wednesday night's debate in Las Vegas [Washington Post]. Whoa!A lawyer for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange says a former US congressman offered him a pardon on behalf of President Donald Trump in exchange for denying Russian involvement in the Democratic National Committee email leak. The White House and former congressman both deny the allegation [CNN]. Trump's cabinetPresident Trump will name Richard Grenell, the current ambassador to Germany, as acting head of national intelligence. Grenell would be the first openly gay cabinet member. Utah's Chris Stewart was rumored to be under consideration for the post [New York Times]. Trade warThe White House acknowledged Thursday that President Trump's trade stance depressed economic growth and business development [Bloomberg]. Another Ukraine exitThe top Pentagon policy official who warned the White House against withholding military aid to Ukraine last year resigned Wednesday at the request of President Trump [CNN]. ClimateOil and gas production may be responsible for releasing far more methane into the atmosphere than previously thought according to new research [Bloomberg]. BUSINESS HEADLINESHuckabuy scores $2.3 million to grow search optimization effort (Deseret News) Economic impact of Hill Air Force Base valued at $3.7 billion (Deseret News) Property management innovators Entrata riding development boom, hiring (Deseret News) Grants seek to revitalize Utah's coal country (Deseret News)Policy NewsUtah recognized as leader in digital governmenthe state of Utah continues to be a leader in digital government services that benefit residents and business across the state. In 2019, Utah.gov and the state's digital government program received 12 awards from a variety of national and international competitions including the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO), the Center for Digital Government and StateScoop.com.In the wake of jettisoned tax reform, key issues remain The monumental tax overhaul of 2019 saw a swift demise at the start of the 2020 legislative session, but the issues that motivated reform are left unresolved. To give Utahns a better idea of what that means, Utah Foundation today releases Now What? A Citizen's Troubleshooting Guide to Tax Reform. The report addresses three basic issues at the center of reform efforts: the adequacy of general fund revenue; the competitiveness of income tax rates; and a large constitutional earmark. More National HeadlinesTrump Uses Clemency To Help Drug War Victims, Reward GOP Donors, and Spite James Comey (Reason) I Covered Blago's Trial From Start To Finish. Trump's Commutation Isn't Crazy. (Politico) Why the Left Is Losing (Law & Liberty) The luxury city is going bust (New Geography) One thing unites establishment Democrats: Fear of Sanders (Associated Press) New freelance law AB5 illustrates what's wrong with the Democratic super-majority in Sacramento. (New York Times) Study: New York, New Jersey Face Largest Population Decrease In The U.S. (CBS New York) Bill Barr Derangement Syndrome (National Review) Coronavirus 20 times more lethal than the flu? Death toll passes 2,000 (USA Today) China's government threatens the world with its Orwellian '1984' policies (Washington Times) Of Course Bernie Sanders Has a Jeremy Corbyn Problem (National Review)ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY1792 - The U.S. Postal Service is established. 1872 - The Metropolitan Museum of Art opened in New York City. 1933 - Congress approves the Blaine Act to repeal federal prohibition, sending the 21st Amendment to the states for ratification. 1962 - John Glenn became the first American to orbit Earth. Wise WordsBe of Value"Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value."Albert Einstein Lighter SideHere We Go Again"Bloomberg has been rising in the polls, but there could be some hurdles for his campaign. In the past, he's been accused in several lawsuits of creating an uncomfortable workplace environment for women, but he won't release women who sued him from their nondisclosure agreements. Oh, good - yet another New York billionaire with a questionable history with women."- STEPHEN COLBERT Listen to us on_Apple Podcasts Subscribers may receive special messages with information about new features, special offers, or public policy messages from clients and advertisers. |
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