Morning must reads for Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Local News Highlights: Daily Briefing

Morning must reads for Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Good Wednesday morning from Salt Lake City. Today is the 53rd day of the year. There are 312 days remaining in 2017.

Utah could change the way public lands are managed. Trump plans a crackdown on undocumented immigrants.

The clock:

• 15 days until the final day of the 2017 Utah Legislature (3/9/2017)
• 258 days until the 2017 municipal elections (11/7/2017)
• 334 days until the opening day of the 2018 Utah Legislature (1/22/2018)
• 379 days until the final day of the 2018 Utah Legislature (3/8/2018)
• 623 days until the 2018 midterm elections (11/6/2018)
• 1350 days until the 2020 presidential election (11/3/2020)

Here are the stories making news in politics this morning:

• Rep. Mike Noel wants to change the way public lands are managed in Utah, including requiring a positive vote by 2/3rds of the legislature before any lands are sold [Utah Policy].
   
• Sen. Mike Lee says he wants to probe into China granting President Donald Trump a trademark on his name shortly after he became president [Utah Policy]. Lee also says Congress is working to undo many last-minute executive orders implemented by Barack Obama before he left office [Deseret News].
   
• Former Labor Secretary Tom Perez, who is running to head the Democratic National Committee, visits Utah to boost local Democrats [Utah Policy]. Here's a podcast of our interview with Perez [Utah Policy].
   
• LaVarr Webb argues that Donald Trump's penchant for causing chaos could be the catalyst for shaking up Washington [Utah Policy]. 
   
• A new television ad campaign aims to build support for the Bears Ears national monument [Utah Policy].
   
• A Senate committee holds a bill providing a mechanism for removing elected officials who are mentally incapacitated. The measure is in response to Salt Lake County Recorder Gary Ott who seemingly is suffering from diminished capacity [Deseret News, Tribune].
   
• The Utah House approves a measure allowing Utahns as young as 18 to carry concealed weapons [Tribune].
   
• Rep. Jason Chaffetz says he believes the investigation into the Trump administration's ties to Russia is better handled by another Congressional Committee, not his Oversight panel [Deseret News]. Chaffetz says President Donald Trump is poised to take action on overturning the Bears Ears National Monument created by Barack Obama last year [Deseret News]. Chaffetz wants to launch an investigation into a message posted on Twitter from Bryce Canyon National Park welcoming the Bears Ears Monument [Tribune].
   
• President Donald Trump is pushing a stricter enforcement of immigration laws, including more aggressive detention and deportation of undocumented immigrants who commit crimes [New York Times].
   
• The Trump administration could roll back protections for transgender students established under the Obama administration, including a directive to require public schools to allow students to use bathrooms and locker rooms that match their identities [Washington Post].

On this day in history:

• 1819 - Spain ceded Florida to the United States.
• 1924 - Calvin Coolidge delivered the first presidential radio broadcast from the White House.
• 1980 - In one of the most dramatic upsets in Olympics history, the underdog U.S. hockey team made up of collegians and second-tier professional players, defeated the defending champion Soviet team, regarded as the world's finest, 4-3, at the Winter Games in Lake Placid, N.Y. 

Today At Utah Policy

Help could be on the way for Utah's Democrats
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
Utah's Democratic Party is in sad shape. They haven't won a statewide election in nearly two decades, and their numbers on Utah's Capitol Hill are near an all-time low. But, one candidate to head the national party says he aims to change that....

Podcast: A conversation with Tom Perez
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
Former Labor Secretary Tom Perez, who is running to be the next Chair of the Democratic National Committee, visited Utah this week....

Lee raises some concerns about Trump, Promises study
By Bob Bernick, Contributing Editor
U.S. Sen. Mike Lee said Tuesday he has “a number of questions” about President Donald Trump getting from the Chinese government an exclusive trademark on the Trump name....

How to disrupt a Republican town hall
By Golden Webb
The Obama-tied group Organizing for Action is distributing a training manual to thousands of liberal activists that offers instructions and tips on how to confront GOP lawmakers holding town hall meetings and other functions in their home districts d...

Virginia, South Dakota join Utah's war on pornography
By Golden Webb
Last year, Gov. Gary Herbert signed a nonbinding measuredeclaringpornography a public health hazard, much to the scorn of The New York Times, Huffington Post, and other media outlets (both national and local), which responded to Herbert's move by pooh-poohing the ideathatpor...

New theory: Washington disruption requires a Trump-like temperament
By LaVarr Webb, Publisher
OK. I have a new Trump theory. One he might even like....

Bill would make sweeping changes to how public land is managed, and sold in Utah
By Bob Bernick, Contributing Editor
Utah’s leading fighter for state control of federal lands, state Rep. Mike Noel, has introduced a bill that gives sweeping powers over state land to a new Land Department “director,” who would be elected to the post by county commissions and councils....

Bacon, guns and the 'Buckshot Caucus'; Who really runs GOP politics in Utah?
By Bob Bernick, Contributing Editor
UtahPolicy is told that members of the GOP “Illuminati” Buckshot Caucus are at it again inside the Utah Legislature....

New TV campaign launched to build support for Bears Ears (with video)
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
A new statewide ad campaign aims to sell Utahns on the newly created Bears Ears National Monument....

Policy News

Luncheon with the Ambassador of Austria
World Trade Center Utah, in partnership with the Governor's Office of Economic Development and the Salt Lake Chamber, is delighted to welcome His Excellency Dr. Wolfgang Waldner, Ambassador of Austria....

GOED's Ben Hart named UACTE Champion of the Year
Benjamin Hart, managing director of Urban and Rural Business Services at the Governor’s Office of Economic of Development, has been named the Utah Association for Career and Technical Education Champion of the Year. Education leaders recognized Hart at an awards ceremo...

Local Headlines

Salt Lake Tribune

Op-ed: Utah invested in public lands access, and OR's customers will keep coming

Editorial: House bills see Utah as a violent place, and seek to make it more so

Uranium tailings were once found at proposed Salt Lake City homeless shelter site - though records show apparent cleanup

Senate committee signs off on repealing Utah's 'no promo homo' sex-ed law

Bill stalls to allow removing officials for mental incapacity

Proposed changes to school turnaround programs would be less reliant on grades

Bill advances to study, prevent homelessness among children

House approves allowing concealed gun permits for Utahns as young as 18

Chaffetz probes Bryce Canyon tweet welcoming Bears Ears

Bill stripping party diversity requirements from state boards wins final passage

In initial vote, Senate supports extending motorcycle helmet law up to age 21

Environmental groups want the governor to veto wood-burning bill

Measure pushing environmental, air issues at new prison site is a nonstarter

Utah leaders acknowledge immigrants' contribution to state's economy

Bill advances to stop 'surprise billing' for medical emergencies

Immigration resolution elicits praise from community, SLC school board considers it

Swallow jury told to follow the money and the gold coins and the burner phones and ...

Deseret News

Jay Evensen: Town hall disruptions - what do they accomplish?

Richard Davis: Remembering our model president

Editorial: Local decisions need local involvement

Editorial: Finding common ground on sex education reflects well on lawmakers

Prosecutors could rest Swallow case Wednesday without crucial witness

Legislature endorses statewide suicide crisis hotline

Sponsor says bill treats kids equally in Utah sex ed instruction

Senate supports online sales tax collection bill

Utah leaders call for immigration reform, cite contributions of immigrants

Bill to remove incapacitated elected officials on hold

Lee: Too much power given to too few people

NASA in Tooele County? Lawmakers endorse resolution encouraging new testing facility

Gun legislation for young adults advances

Lawmakers support bill to research causes, solutions of child homelessness

House backs capital punishment for sex trafficking deaths

Committee recommends bill increasing penalties for prostitution-related crimes

Chaffetz: President 'absolutely' wants to take action on Bears Ears

Chaffetz says he's already taken on Trump administration

Committee OKs bill that would make sexually motivated extortion its own crime

Report: Most Utah young adults ill-prepared for workforce, ineligible for military

Bill tweaks process to turn around low-performing schools

Other

In wake of federal crackdown on immigration, Utah leaders advocate for immigration reform (Daily Herald)

Legislation amends construction and fire codes, worries Park City officials (Park Record)

National Headlines

Trump Month Two: Talks on health care and on tax overhaul (Associated Press)

Milo backlash is the latest fault line in conservatives' civil war (McClatchy)

US official: ISIS has 'people in place' to conduct 'steady' attacks (WTOP)

Majority of Canadians distrust government: poll suggests (CBC)

Ivanka Trump's Perfume Soars to No.1 Bestseller on Amazon Despite Boycotts (Heat Street)

With NAFTA in Trump's crosshairs, Mexico's border factories brace for the unknown (Washington Post)

Trump keeps DACA but chips away at barriers to deportation (CNN)

New national security adviser pick marks big change on Russia (The Hill)

Trump administration poised to change transgender student bathroom guidelines (Washington Post)

Donald Trump bested Hillary Clinton in this category too (NJ.com)

Pruitt to EPA employees: 'We don't have to choose' between jobs and the environment (Washington Post)

Wise Words

Religious Liberty
"I do not think I could myself be brought to support a man for office whom I knew to be an open enemy of, and scoffer at, religion." Abraham Lincoln

Lighter Side

Let it Go
"He [Trump] said Hillary Clinton's name 11 times during this press conference. Why is he still talking about Hillary Clinton? The election is over! Even lovesick teenage boys are like, "Move on, man. Let her go." Conan O'Brien