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About Utah Politics - March 14, 2014

Friday, March 14, 2014 - 8:30am

Local News Highlights: Daily Briefing

How to Sound Smart About Utah Politics - March 14, 2014

Lawmakers end the 2014 session. Gov. Herbert says he will decide on re-election sometime this summer. Sen. Mike Lee's name comes up in a criminal probe into former Attorney General John Swallow.

Countdown:

  • Today is the first day that candidates can file for office in Utah
  • 4 days until the Utah Democratic Party caucus meetings
  • 6 days until the Utah candidate filing period closes
  • 6 days until the Utah GOP caucus meetings
  • 42 days until the Utah State Republican and Democratic conventions
  • 102 days until Utah's 2014 primary elections
  • 235 days to the 2014 midterm elections
  • 318 days to the start of the 2015 Utah Legislature
  • 598 days to the 2015 elections
  • 663 days until the 2016 Iowa Caucuses
  • 969 days to the 2016 presidential election

Today's Utah political news highlights:

  • Gov. Gary Herbert reflects on the 2014 session which ended Thursday night [Utah Policy].
  • Herbert says he will decide whether to run for another term as Governor sometime this summer [Utah Policy].
  • Uh oh. Sen. Mike Lee and Nevada Sen. Harry Reid come up in a probe into former Attorney General John Swallow [Tribune].
  • In the fight between Herbert and Speaker Lockhart, Herbert came out the clear winner [Tribune].
  • Lawmakers leave the hill without coming to an agreement on Medicaid expansion [Tribune].
  • Retirements from the legislature are hitting Utah's Democrats hard [Tribune].
  • Voters will get to weigh in on a proposed Constitutional amendment over whether the Utah Tax Commission should have a partisan requirement [Tribune].
  • Lawmakers approve a pilot project allowing Utahns to register to vote on election day [Tribune].
  • A bill criminalizing "revenge porn" heads to the governor's desk [Deseret News,Tribune].
  • Legislators approve a bill allowing the taking of DNA samples from people booked into jail on felony charges [Deseret News, Tribune].
  • A bill restricting the use of drones for spying wins final approval [Tribune].
  • Lawmakers want to study whether the state should dump Daylight Saving Time [Daily Herald].

On this day in history:

  • 1743 - The first recorded town meeting in America was held in Faneuil Hall in Boston.
  • 1794 - Eli Whitney received a patent for the cotton gin.
  • 1883 - Karl Marx died at the age of 64.
  • 1879 - Physicist Albert Einstein was born in Ulm, Germany.
  • 1900 - Congress ratified the Gold Standard Act.
  • 1950 - The FBI's "Ten Most Wanted Fugitives" list debuted.
  • 1964 - A jury finds Jack Ruby guilty of murdering Lee Harvey Oswald, the accused assassin of President John F. Kennedy.
  • 2005 - A judge in San Francisco ruled California's ban on gay marriage was unconstitutional.

 

Today At Utah Policy

Bernick and Schott...And Herbert on Politics (Video)
Governor Gary Herbert joins Bryan Schott and Bob Bernick to discuss the 2014 legislative session, what bills he is concerned about, whether he will run for re-election and his plan as an alternative to Medicaid expansion.Watch!...

Bob Bernick's Notebook: Grading the 2014 Legislature
We all remember the little train that could challenged to get a heavy load over the mountain pass it chugged and chugged and finally made it.Well, the 2014 Legislature could be called the little train that didn't....

Herbert Says He Will Decide on a 2016 Run This Summer
Republican Gov. Gary Herbert told UtahPolicy on Thursday that he's leaning toward running for re-election in 2016 and will make known his decision run or not this summer, moving the announcement up by six months....

Pat Shea Mulling Bid Against Gene Davis for Democratic Nomination in Senate District 3
Senate Minority Leader Gene Davis' 27-year tenure on Utah's Capitol Hill may be challenged from within his own party in 2014 as lawyer Patrick Shea is mulling a bid for Davis' seat this year....

Lawmakers Approve Funding to Hire Part-Time Staff
With some discussion during the interim, but little public talk during this session, House and Senate leaders have decided to hire new staffers to help them individually with constituent services, office work and other non-political matters....

Bryan Schott's Political BS: Nothing Beside Remains
He who laughs last, laughs best....

Investigation Says Swallow Hung a 'For Sale' Sign on AG's Office
Former Utah Attorney General John Swallow hung a "for sale" sign up on his door, and helped his friends and others who donated tens of thousands of dollars to his political campaign, the newly-released, $4 million report by a House special investigation committee concludes....

Featured Items

Weekly Survey: Grading the 2014 Legislature
What grade would you give to lawmakers as they finish the 2014 Legislative session? Vote now in our weekly survey....

Local Headlines

Salt Lake Tribune

Editorial: Legislature does the right thing about cannabis oil

Voters will decide if Utah Tax Commission should be partisan

Bill passes to fund AP tests for needy Utah students

Tax credit to employ homeless goes to governor

Cannabis oil bill aimed at helping those with epilepsy sent to governor

Utah lawmakers approve Election Day voter registration bill

Legislature: Carrying gun is not disorderly conduct

House rejects 'dark consulting' reform

'Revenge porn' bill on way to governor

Proposal: Police can collect DNA for felons

Bill advances to restrict use of drones for spying

Utah lawmakers more generous with higher education

Bill to create parents' bill of rights passes

Bill passes to let unincorporated area study service delivery

Air quality has a landmark session at the Utah Legislature

Exposing kids to porn can be considered in custody cases

Utah schools get more cash for new and current students

Utah Legislature roundup

Bill to remove ban on pit bulls passes

Bill tweaking school grading passes

Lawmakers give approval to lobbyist transparency bill

Utah lawmakers embrace autism mandate

After 8 years, Democratic Rep. Lynn Hemingway won't run again

No Medicaid expansion deal reached in Utah

Commission to assess the needs of women in the economy

Bill passes for UTA to pursue land development

Utah embraces hemp, cannabis oil for kids

Excessive drinking causes 500 deaths a year in Utah

Lawmakers to EPA: protect coal-burning plants

Reid, Lee names pop up in probe

Deseret News

Editorial: Democracy and political participation

Editorial: On matters of panhandling or dog breeds, let localities decide

Lawmakers pass bill to cover cost of AP tests for low-income students

House gives final passage to hemp bill, now on its way to governor

Utah lawmakers pass bill allowing DNA sampling upon felony bookings

Education Task Force extended for one more year

Senate approves $20M for STEM education

Power struggle at Utah Legislature over transmission line

Police may soon be subject to drone surveillance restrictions

Lawmakers pass bill adding criminal penalties for sexual contact with a student

House passes bill making child exposure to porn a custody factor

Lawmakers approve changes to school grades

Legislature passes bill banning city dog-breed ordinances

Cockfighting still not a felony in Utah

Legislature approves creation of commission to study school safety tip line

Lawmakers pass political transparency bills

House, Senate agree on bill safeguarding voter registration records

Legislation affecting vulnerable adults, children a mixed bag in 2014 legislative session

Legislature says 'go' on convention hotel, 'go slow' on future of unincorporated Salt Lake County

A bit of Utah history comes down for a new charter school

Bill to criminalize 'revenge porn' in Utah passes Legislature

Which cities have the best income equality? Here's the top 10

Other

Legislature approves revenge porn bill (Daily Herald)

Push to end annual time changes moves forward (Daily Herald)

Editorial: A mostly sensible state budget (Standard-Examiner)

Weiler's resolution to seek outside legal counsel due to conflict of interest passes (Standard-Examiner)

Senator pulls Ogden Canyon bill (Standard-Examiner)

National Headlines

Florida loss exposes Democrats' disarray on Obamacare (Politico)

So how many have paid ACA premiums? (Politico)

CIA's Brennan faces uphill fight in taking on Sen. Dianne Feinstein (The Hill)

Biz stunned by Obama overtime move (The Hill)

Boehner shoots down Senate's Ukraine bill (The Hill)

Pelosi: O-Care won't hurt Dems (The Hill)

New poll has Hillary Clinton crushing GOP 2016 rivals in Iowa. So? (Christian Science Monitor)

Chris Christie spars with hecklers in New Jersey (Politico)

Privacy advocates call Feinstein's rant on CIA spying hypocritical (CNN)

Transgender troop ban faces scrutiny (Associated Press)

Harry Reid: 'I'm not afraid of the Koch brothers' (Washington Times)

2014 Bizarre, Crazy, Silly, Unknown Holidays & Observances

International Ask A Question Day

 *MOTH-ER Day

*Potato Chip Day

*Pi Day (as in the math pie = 3.14159265 etc.)

World Sleep Day