Morning must reads for Wednesday, June 14, 2017

Local News Highlights: Daily Briefing

Morning must reads for Wednesday, June 14, 2017

Good Wednesday morning from Salt Lake City. Today is the 165th day of the year. There are 199 days remaining in 2017. Today is the 146th day of Donald Trump's presidency.

Utah Republicans eyeing a small property tax hike to increase school funding. Democrats reeling from dirty tricks in the race for party chair. Jim Dabakis' bid to join the Utah Transit Authority Board is rejected.

The clock:

• 3 days until the Utah Republican 3rd District nominating convention at Timpview High School (6/17/2017).

• 3 days until the Utah Democratic State Convention at Weber State University (6/17/2017)

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

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

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

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

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

• 1,239 days until the 2020 presidential election (11/3/2020)

Today's political TL; DR -

• SCOOP: Some Utah Republican lawmakers are looking at a modest increase in property taxes to help boost school funding [Utah Policy].
   
• The Utah GOP sets the speaking order and balloting rules for Saturday's special nominating convention [Utah Policy].
   
• Dirty tricks and anonymous negative campaigning are upsetting Utah Democrats in the race for their new party chair [Utah Policy].
   
• LaVarr Webb argues that Democrats are turning to federalism to push back against Donald Trump [Utah Policy].
   
• The Salt Lake City Council rejects Sen. Jim Dabakis' nomination to the Utah Transit Authority board [Deseret News, Tribune].
   
• Sens. Orrin Hatch and Mike Lee met with President Donald Trump to discuss healthcare reform, but aren't saying much about what they discussed behind closed doors [Deseret News, Tribune].
   
• The Salt Lake County Council discussed a "personnel matter" behind closed doors on Tuesday, which is believed to be related to the ongoing Gary Ott situation [Deseret News]. Police reportedly discussed whether Ott was suffering from dementia when they responded to a situation involving Ott in September [Tribune].
   
• Rep. Jason Chaffetz is out as Chairman of the Oversight Committee since he's leaving office at the end of the month. He's been replaced by South Carolina Republican Trey Gowdy [Tribune].
   
• Salt Lake City's $273 million budget for next year includes a 21% property tax increase,  a sewer rate hike and a small raise for police officers [Deseret News, Tribune].
   
• Park City is close to finalizing a deal to purchase Bonanza Flat thanks to $1.5 million from Salt Lake County [Deseret News, Tribune].
   
• Outgoing Salt Lake County Sherrif Jim Winder says the county needs a big tax hike next year to alleviate jail overcrowding [Tribune].
   
• Former Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff is continuing his fight to get the state to pony up $1.5 million in legal fees related to the unsuccessful criminal case against him [Deseret News].

National headlines:

• Rep. Steve Scalise, the House Majority Whip, was injured when a gunman opened fire at a baseball field where Republican members of Congress were practicing on Wednesday morning [New York Times].
   
• Nearly 200 members of Congress plan to file a lawsuit against President Donald Trump claiming foreign payments to his businesses violate the Constitution's "foreign emoluments clause" which requires the president to get Congress' approval before accepting gifts from foreign entities [Washington Post].
   
• Attorney General Jeff Sessions called any suggestion he aided Russian efforts to meddle in the 2016 election a "detestable lie." He also refused to answer questions about his private conversations with President Donald Trump [Los Angeles Times].
   
• President Donald Trump has been considering firing special counsel Robert Muller for some time, but his staff has been able to dissuade him from taking that action...so far. Trump associates say the president is "so volatile" that they're not sure he'll change his mind about Mueller [New York Times]. 
   
• President Donald Trump now says the House health care bill is "mean" and he hopes the Senate will fix some of the problems. This is a complete 180 for Trump who helped the House push the bill through just six weeks ago [Associated Press].
   
• Senate Republicans wanted to shut down media access in the Capitol but quickly backed off the plan [The Hill].
   
• President Donald Trump has reportedly given Defense Secretary Jim Mattis the unilateral authority to set U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan [Reuters].
   
• The acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement says the Trump administration will continue to arrest undocumented immigrants, even if they haven't been convicted of a crime [Huffington Post].
   
• The Federal Reserve is expected to raise interest rates by a quarter percentage point next week as the economy continues to grow [Wall Street Journal].

On this day in history:

• 1775 - The United States Army was founded.
   
• 1777 - The Continental Congress in Philadelphia adopted the Stars and Stripes as the national flag.
   
• 1940 - German troops entered Paris during World War II.
   
• 1943 - The Supreme Court ruled schoolchildren could not be compelled to salute the flag of the United States if doing so would conflict with their religious beliefs.
   
• 1954 - President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed an order adding the words "under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance.

Today At Utah Policy

Legislators mulling property tax increase to boost school funding
By Bob Bernick, Contributing Editor
Some GOP legislators say they will support a small increase in local school district property taxes next year, while actively opposing an income tax increase for public schools....

Dirty tricks roil Democratic chair race
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
If Utah Democrats cared as much about winning real elections as they do about who will be the next party chair, maybe they wouldn't be in such a sorry state....

Liberal federalism: A new twist on federal-state relationships
By LaVarr Webb, Publisher
Traditionally, it has been Republicans and conservatives who have complained about an overbearing and all-powerful federal government....

The faith of the furious
By Jared Whitley
When Fast 7 raced (sorry) past the $1 billion mark, one of the attributed reasons for its success was its multi-cultural cast, one that “looks like America.” But one ingredient in the Fast & Furious franchise’s enduring popularity could be its positive ...

Utah GOP sets speaking order, rules for Saturday's nominating convention
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
Three of the leading contenders to win the delegate nomination at Saturday's GOP nominating convention grabbed the first three speaking slots....

3rd Congressional District special election candidate tracker [Updated]
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
Three candidates have already qualified for the ballot in the race to replace Rep. Jason Chaffetz. Find out who's in and who dropped out with our Special Election Campaign Tracker....

Policy News

Press release: United Utah Party still not certified after nearly three weeks
Richard Davis, chair of the newly formed centrist United Utah Party, provided an update on the status of the party’s certification by the Utah Elections Office. ...

Hatch statement on the re-nomination of John Huber to serve as Utah U.S. Attorney
Senator Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, the senior Republican in the United States Senate, issued the following statement on President Trump’s decision to re-nominate John Huber to serve as United States Attorney for the District of Utah: ...

Refugee Justice League introduces refugee rights card
The Refugee Justice League today announced an important new tool to help inform, represent, and defend refugees in our communities – the “Refugee Rights Card.”...

Local Headlines

Salt Lake Tribune

Editorial: Zinke leaves Bears Ears dispute unsettled

Moab hires away Salt Lake County sheriff, who recommends tax hike on his way out

SLC Council is worried about the plumbing on a burning UTA board, spurned Dabakis says

Many Utahns lie about medical conditions that should keep them from driving

Chaffetz out as Oversight chairman as Trey Gowdy, a former federal prosecutor, steps in

Salt Lake City Police agree to 1 percent pay raise in deal with City Hall

Stewart heralds Sessions' testimony, says probes should continue

Utah senators meet with Trump to discuss still-secret health-care reform, Obamacare repeal

Done deal - Park City says $1.5 million pledge from Salt Lake County will preserve Bonanza Flat

Police discussed potential of dementia with Ott's aide last year

SLC is raising taxes, but residents will pay less

Deseret News

Ralph Hancock: Aren't we all feminists?

Editorial: Zinke's Bears Ears recommendations deserve vetting and consideration

Hatch, Lee tight-lipped after meeting with Trump on health care bill

S.L. City Council approves sewer rate, property tax hikes in 2017 budget

Deciphering protections inside Bears Ears monument designation

Ex-A.G. Mark Shurtleff fights state's effort to dismiss $1.1M claim in attorney fees

County Council discusses 'personnel' matter amid Ott resignation talks

Salt Lake City Council shuts down Dabakis' appointment to UTA board

The latest rankings on how well every state takes care of the elderly, supports family struggles

Other

Op-ed: An enduring legacy of civil politics at Weber State University (Standard-Examiner)

Utah County moves forward on ordinance to beef up dust control requirements for gravel pits (Daily Herald)

National Headlines

Tom Cotton slams probe of Sessions, Russia as 'spy fiction' (New York Post)

Sessions calls suggestion he colluded with Russia a 'detestable lie' (Politico)

Mattis: 'We are not winning in Afghanistan' (Politico)

Northam defeats Sanders-backed candidate in Va. gov primary (The Hill)

Will the 'Roseanne' Revival Be Pro-Trump? (LifeZette)

Advertisers are in the hot seat as activists both for and against Trump call for boycotts (Los Angeles Times)

Club for Hollywood Republicans locked in dispute caused in part by Trump (Guardian)

Dem leaders: Cool it on impeachment (The Hill)

Rolling Stone Magazine Settles Rape Story Lawsuit for $1.65 Million (NBC News)

Tech recovery sends Wall St. to records with Fed next (Reuters)

Trump Administration Gives Industry More Time to Adopt New Nutrition Fact Label (NPR)

Wise Words

Well Adjusted
"A well adjusted person is one who makes the same mistake twice without getting nervous." Alexander Hamilton

Lighter Side

New At This
"House Speaker Paul Ryan defended Donald Trump's behavior, saying, "The president's new at this." Ryan said, "And by 'this' I mean 'following the law.'" Conan O'Brien