Morning must reads for Thursday, March 16, 2017

Local News Highlights: Daily Briefing

Morning must reads for Thursday, March 16, 2017

Good Thursday morning from Salt Lake City. Today is the 75th day of the year. There are 290 days remaining in 2017.

Orrin Hatch is working on establishing the "Hatch Foundation" to secure his legacy after he leaves office. The expansion of Salt Lake International Airport may not be big enough to handle future traffic. President Trump unveils his budget proposal.

The clock:

• 13 days until the last day Governor Gary Herbert can sign or veto bills (3/29/2017)
• 65 days until the Utah Republican State Convention (5/20/2017)
• 93 days until the Utah Democratic State Convention at Weber State University (6/17/2017)
• 236 days until the 2017 municipal elections (11/7/2017)
• 312 days until the opening day of the 2018 Utah Legislature (1/22/2018)
• 357 days until the final day of the 2018 Utah Legislature (3/8/2018)
• 601 days until the 2018 midterm elections (11/6/2018)
• 1328 days until the 2020 presidential election (11/3/2020)

Today's political TL;DR -

• Even though he hasn't officially announced he's running for another term, Sen. Orrin Hatch is working behind the scenes to secure his political legacy by setting up the "Hatch Foundation" for when he leaves office [Utah Policy].
   
• Rep. Jason Chaffetz has history on his side to win another term in 2018. Chaffetz was the last person to oust a sitting Utah Congressman from his own party, but it only happened twice before that [Utah Policy].
   
• Only four of the men ever elected to U.S. Senate from Utah have voluntarily retired. All of the others were voted out of office, not including the current office holders [Utah Policy].
   
• Membership in the Utah ACLU has nearly tripled since Donald Trump won the presidency last year [Tribune].
   
• Salt Lake City International Airport is being rebuilt and expanded, but it could be too small to handle future traffic just five years after that project is finished [Tribune].
   
• John Huber, Utah's U.S. Attorney submitted his resignation last week at the behest of the Donald Trump transition, but he will stay on in an interim role until his replacement is hired [Tribune, Deseret News].
   
• Provo Police Chief John King was asked to resigned this week after a sexual assault accusation against him surfaced last month [Deseret News, Tribune].
   
• Salt Lake City leaders tamp down rumors that the Sorenson Unity and Multicultural Center will close down and become a homeless center [Deseret News].
   
• President Donald Trump unveils his budget proposal that features increased spending for military and law enforcement and deep cuts for federal agencies like the EPA, State Department and the arts [New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Politico].
   
• A federal judge has blocked Donald Trump's revised Muslim ban from going into effect [New York Times].
   
• Members of Congress are starting to zero in on what they want to investigate during their probe of Russian meddling in the 2016 election [Politico].
   
• President Donald Trump will not back away from his accusation that President Obama surveilled him during the 2016 election despite the complete lack of evidence [Politico].

On this day in history:

• 1512 - Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan reached the Philippines, where he was killed by natives the following month.
   
• 1802 - Congress authorized the establishment of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y.
   
• 1935 - Adolf Hitler scrapped the Treaty of Versailles.
   
• 1986 - U.S. troops gunned down hundreds of unarmed civilians in the village of My Lai during the Vietnam War.
   
• 2003 - Vice President Dick Cheney predicted on NBC's "Meet the Press" that American troops would be "greeted as liberators" by the Iraqi people.

Today At Utah Policy

Hatch looking to preserve his political legacy after he leaves office
By Bob Bernick, Contributing Editor
The man behind recent re-election wins by Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch – Dave Hansen – says he doesn’t know if Hatch will run again in 2018....

Only 4 U.S. Senators from Utah have retired from office
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
As Orrin Hatch flirts with running for an 8th term in Congress, it's worth noting that of the 16 men who have held the office of Utah Senator from Utah, only 4 left office through retirement. The others all left office involuntarily....

History is on Chaffetz's side to win again in 2018
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
Rep. Jason Chaffetz has already drawn two challengers for 2018, Republican Damien Kidd and Democrat Kathryn Allen. But, according to history, the chances that they will be able to unseat him next year are remote at best....

Guest editorial: Failure of PLI led directly to Bears Ears Monument
By Chris Seager, Executive Director of the Western Values Project
Ever since late last year, when President Obama took action to protect Bears Ears, the Utah Congressional delegation has been unrelenting in their crusade against the resulting Bears Ears National Monument.  ...

Weekly survey: Should Hatch run again in 2018? Is Chaffetz in trouble?
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
Sen. Orrin Hatch says he's planning on running for an 8th term in 2018. Should he? Rep. Jason Chaffetz is taking political fire for some controversial statements he's made in the press. Has he damaged his political future? Vote now in our weekly survey....

Policy News

Salt Lake Chamber 2017 Women's History Month feature: Theresa Foxley, CEO, EDCUtah
Since 1911, the United States has celebrated Women’s History Month – an annual month declared worldwide that highlights the contributions of women to events in history and contemporary society....

Treasurer Damschen, Senator Hillyard, & Representative Snow applaud passage of SB175
Utah Treasurer David Damschen, Senator Lyle Hillyard (R – Logan), and Representative Lowry Snow (R – St. George) applauded the final passage of SB 175.  ...

Press release: Sen. Lee fights to repeal costly and useless NOX rule
Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) introduced a resolution pursuant to the Congressional Review Act that will repeal a costly and ineffective Environmental Protection Agency regulation targeting the Huntington and Hunter power plants in Utah....

Biomerics to build corporate HQ in Utah
Biomerics and the Governor’s Office of Economic Development announced the medical device plastics manufacturer will build its corporate headquarters in Utah, adding up to 380 jobs to the community and an estimated $38.5 million in capital investment....

Local Headlines

Salt Lake Tribune

Op-ed: No one should drink and drive, and even a little is not OK

Editorial: Utah takes a small step toward getting the mentally ill out of county jails

Gehrke: McAdams' whiff on transparency adds to odor of shelter selection

ACLU Utah seeing record memberships, growing interest in grass-roots events

Southern Utah University sees unexpectedly large student exodus

Interior names energy and mineral chief new acting BLM director

Rebuilt SLC International Airport may be too small just 5 years after it opens

Our bad, says jail of Jeremy Johnson's release

Zinke finalizes Greens Hollow coal lease, would secure Utah's oldest mine

GOP health plan 'bad medicine' for Latino families, advocates say

Huber to stay as Utah's U.S. attorney during transition period

West Jordan pulls change of government question from ballot

Video: Dabakis drinks to see how quickly he can reach Utah's proposed blood-alcohol limit

Deseret News

Op-ed: Utah Lake's water quality and algae growth not significantly different from the past

Jay Evensen: No vehicle safety inspections? Are we all going to die?

Boyd Matheson: Congress can end the madness around health care

Natalie Gochnour: Finding common ground in health care reform

Editorial: Inland port would greatly benefit Utah

Editorial: City Creek Center visionaries and developers deserve a round of applause

Jay Evensen: Why build three homeless shelters instead of one?

Utah has the lowest smoking rate in the country

Huber to stay in post, but as interim U.S. attorney for Utah

Jail says 'human error' caused mistaken release of federal inmate Jeremy Johnson

Bishop turns up heat on marine monuments; is Bears Ears next?

Zinke: Interior Department in the 'energy business'

Salt Lake City leaders: Rumors that Sorenson Unity & Multicultural Center is closing aren't true

Big new Salt Lake airport may be too small after just 5 years

Other

Chaffetz challenger Damian Kidd holds first Utah County town hall (Daily Herald)

Weber State president talks legislative outcomes (Standard-Examiner)

National Headlines

Rachel Maddow Turned a Scoop on Trump's Taxes Into a Cynical, Self-Defeating Spectacle (Slate)

Hillary Clinton 'thinking' about NYC mayoral run (TMZ)

Can Paul Ryan pull this off, or is he headed for a brutal defeat? (Washington Post)

Federal judge blocks new travel ban; Trump calls it 'judicial overreach' (CNN)

Sessions vows crackdown on drug dealing and gun crime (Washington Post)

GM announces 900 jobs as Trump visits Detroit (USA Today)

Dow closes up triple digits after Fed raises rates (CNBC)

Home builder confidence soared to highest level in 12 years as Trump rolls back regulations (CNBC)

Trump ribs Snyder over non-endorsement (Detroit News)

Trump's review of car fuel standards could lead to fight with California, environmentalists (Washington Post)

The Lone Dissenter From the Fed's Rate Move Is Worried About Inequality (Bloomberg)

Wise Words

What About Today?
"I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend." Thomas Jefferson

Lighter Side

Great News
"In other recent appointment news, Donald Trump elected his ambassador to Russia - former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman. This is great news for Trump. He finally has someone in his administration who is actually supposed to meet with the Russians." James Corden