Morning must reads for Thursday, March 2, 2017

Bill allowing the carrying of a concealed weapon without a permit is dead for 2017, and the NRA is to blame

By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor

Once again, a bill aimed at allowing law-abiding Utahns to carry a concealed weapon without a permit will die on Utah’s Capitol Hill.

But HB273 – which also restricts domestic abusers’ possession of firearms – is dead for an odd reason: Opposition from the National Rifle Association.

Read more...

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Local News Highlights: Daily Briefing

Morning must reads for Thursday, March 2, 2017

Good Thursday morning from Salt Lake City. Today is the 61st day of the year. There are 304 days remaining in 2017.

The NRA is responsible for the death of a proposal to allow the carrying of concealed weapons without a permit. Next year's budget is coming together quickly. Attorney General Jeff Sessions is under fire for contact with Russian officials. 

The clock:

• 7 days until the final day of the 2017 Utah Legislature (3/9/2017)
• 107 days until the Utah Democratic State Convention at Weber State University (6/17/2017)
• 250 days until the 2017 municipal elections (11/7/2017)
• 326 days until the opening day of the 2018 Utah Legislature (1/22/2018)
• 371 days until the final day of the 2018 Utah Legislature (3/8/2018)
• 615 days until the 2018 midterm elections (11/6/2018)
• 1342 days until the 2020 presidential election (11/3/2020)

Today's political TL: DR -

• Lawmakers are pulling the plug on a bill to allow Utahns to carry a concealed weapon without a permit for an ironic reason: too much meddling by the NRA [Utah Policy].
   
• The budget for next year is coming together very quickly, with only a few things left to negotiate [Utah Policy].
   
• Lawmakers are killing the effort to create a mail-only run off election in some primary elections because of resistance from the Utah GOP [Utah Policy].
   
• Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman is reportedly under consideration to become the new ambassador to Russia [Utah Policy].
   
• Legislative Republicans hope the confirmation of Ryan Zinke as Secretary of the Interior will mean quick action on the effort to undo the Bears Ears Monument [Utah Policy].
   
• House Republicans are not completely sold on the plan to restore the state portion of the sales tax on food [Deseret News, Tribune].
   
• Lawmakers continue to advance a plan to lower Utah's legal limit for driving under the influence to the lowest level in the nation [Tribune, Deseret News].
   
• Attorney General Jeff Sessions met twice with Russia's ambassador to the U.S. during the election, despite saying under oath during his confirmation hearings that he had no contact with Russian officials. Sessions says the meetings were part of his role on the Senate Armed Services Committee, not as a Trump campaign official [Washington Post]. Democrats are calling for Session's resignation because they claim he lied under oath [Washington Post].
   
• Obama White House officials rushed to preserve the evidence of Russian meddling in the 2016 election before Trump took over. They wanted to leave a clear trail for investigators after they were gone [New York Times].
   
• The Supreme Court decided to take up a challenge to Virginia's redistricting laws which allegedly packed most of the state's African-American voters into a handful of state House districts [Wall Street Journal].
   
• The public corruption case against former Attorney General John Swallow goes to the jury [Deseret News, Tribune].

On this day in history:

• 1807 - Congress outlawed the importation of slaves to the United States, effective the following year.
• 1877 - Republican Rutherford B. Hayes was declared the winner of the 1876 presidential election over Democrat Samuel J. Tilden, even though Tilden had won the popular vote.
• 1962 - Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia Warriors scored 100 points in a game against the New York Knicks, an NBA record that still stands. 

Today At Utah Policy

Effort to create runoff elections is over for 2017
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
It looks like the effort to address the "plurality issue" in Utah's primary elections is dead for 2017....

Bill allowing the carrying of a concealed weapon without a permit is dead for 2017, and the NRA is to blame
By Bob Bernick and Bryan Schott
Once again, a bill aimed at allowing law-abiding Utahns to carry a concealed weapon without a special permit will die on Utah’s Capitol Hill....

Lawmakers closing in on budget deal
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
Utah lawmakers say they could have a deal on next year's budget as early as Wednesday evening....

GOP legislative leaders cheer Zinke's confirmation; Hope he will address Bears Ears soon
By Bob Bernick, Contributing Editor
Utah GOP leaders were more than pleased Wednesday with the U.S. Senate’s confirmation of Montana Representative Ryan Zinke as Secretary of the Interior....

Report: Huntsman under consideration to be US ambassador to Russia
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
It's becoming increasingly clear that former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman will likely have a role in Donald Trump's State Department. But, just what that role will ultimately turn out to be is up to some debate....

Policy News

Utah Non-compete study results now available
The Salt Lake Chamber in collaboration with a working group of legislators and members of the business community, released the findings from a study conducted in response to the passage of H.B. 251, post-employment restrictions amendments, during the 2016 Utah General L...

Utah's redesigned Emergency Medical Services website
The Utah Department of Health Division of Family Health and Preparedness announced the launch of a newly redesigned website for the Bureau of Emergency Medical Service and Preparedness....

Rep. Timothy Hawkes receives term limits award
State Representative Timothy Hawkes (R-Centerville) was given the Champion of Term Limits Award from U.S. Term Limits for his tireless work to pass legislation limiting the terms of members of Congress....

Local Headlines

Salt Lake Tribune

Op-ed: Who will enforce these laws if not federal officers?

Editorial: Utah police chiefs right to avoid immigration wars

Huntsman 'in the mix' to be U.S. ambassador to Russia

Overhaul to Utah liquor laws - including option to lower 'Zion Curtain' - moves forward

Gehrke: NRA went too far opposing domestic violence provisions of Utah gun bill - so its sponsors are killing it

Senate approves lifting ban on 'advocacy of homosexuality' in Utah schools

Bill goes to governor seeking to shorten election lines

GOP caucus says it's looking to reform taxes without raising them for low-income Utahns

Hatch pledges to back bid to recover religious texts from Russia

Committee approves bill aimed at stopping ballot alphabet games

Crime, homelessness drive Rio Grande Cafe owner to sell, but eatery's train hasn't left the SLC station for good

Domestic violence gun bill advances to full Senate

Abortion-reversal information bill heads to full Senate

Senate will take up proposal to OK concealed gun permits for 18-year-olds

Love and Stewart, reaching out from afar, get a more muted response at town halls

Racketeer or innocent man? Jury deliberates John Swallow's fate

Deseret News

Dan Liljenquist: North Korea's murderous recklessness

Jay Evensen: In Utah, liquor law bills tend to get distorted

Natalie Gochnour: Restore the sales tax on food and implement an earned income tax credit

Jay Evensen: Ever-changing homeless plan could be its own worst enemy

Hatch joins Jewish rabbis in seeking return of sacred texts held by Russia

Bill that amends Utah's laws on alcohol beverage service, sale passes House committee

Report: Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. 'in discussions' to become U.S. ambassador to Russia

House pulls plug on tax credit for energy-efficient vehicles

Senate confirmation puts Zinke in middle of Utah's monument debate

Concealed carry for 18- to 20-year-olds continues forward

Access to firearms a concern in domestic violence cases

Laws to reform Utah's juvenile justice system move forward

Proposed service animal registry would help ID growing number of companion pets in Utah

Bill to make choking a felony advances at Legislature after emotional testimony

The criminal charges against John Swallow

Sobriety program could reduce license suspensions for DUIs

Senate committee backs bill to battle online harassment

Committee OKs bill that would add 'targeting' an officer to aggravated murder statute

Committee OKs bill proposing murder charge for recklessly causing death while fleeing police

Fate of ex-A.G. John Swallow now in jurors' hands

Last call for .08? Utah drawing closer to lowest blood-alcohol limit in nation

GOP-heavy panel backs abortion-reversal bill, saying intent is 'informed consent'

GOP tax reform plan includes only partial food tax restoration

High school activities association bill passes out of House Education Committee despite objections

Other

Provo lawmaker's bill to lower legal blood alcohol content level passes out of committee (Daily Herald)

Editorial: Bountiful isn't building a new City Hall. Why not? Because democracy works (Standard-Examiner)

Fawson bill would increase sex crime penalties when HIV is involved (Standard-Examiner)

National Headlines

Viewers strongly approve of Trump's speech to Congress (CBS News)

Media left and right give Trump's speech thumbs up (The Hill)

Dow closes above 21,000 as stocks post best day of 2017 after Trump's speech (CNBC)

How Trump's 'Merit-Based' Immigration System Might Work (New York Times)

Sessions pushes tougher line on marijuana (Politico)

DREAMer arrested in Miss. after speaking about immigration issues (CBS News)

Health Care Is Front and Center in Democrats' Response to Trump Address (New York Times)

Three words - radical Islamic terrorism - expose a Trump administration divide (Washington Post)

Trump trade policy pulls away from WTO (The Hill)

McCain, Graham praise, give advice to Trump at CNN town hall (CNN)

Both Sides Tell Supreme Court to Go Ahead With Transgender Bathroom Case (NBC News)

Wise Words

Importance of Information
"The control of information is something the elite always does, particularly in a despotic form of government. Information, knowledge, is power. If you can control information, you can control people." Tom Clancy

Lighter Side

MJ Industry
"A new report projects that by 2020 the legal marijuana industry will create more than a quarter of a million jobs for people to be late to." Seth Meyers