The Utah GOP, medical marijuana and Trumpcare. Your Tuesday morning political briefing from UtahPolicy.com

Local News Highlights: Daily Briefing

Morning must reads for Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Good Tuesday morning from Salt Lake City. Today is the 178th day of the year. There are 187 days remaining in 2017. Today is the 158th day of Donald Trump's presidency.

The Utah GOP's debt problem is getting deeper. A Medical marijuana initiative launches targeting the 2018 ballot. Trumpcare is on life support following a disastrous CBO score.

The clock:

• 49 days until the 2017 Utah primary election (8/15/2017)
• 133 days until the 2017 election (11/7/2017)
• 209 days until the opening day of the 2018 Utah Legislature (1/22/2018)
• 254 days until the final day of the 2018 Utah Legislature (3/8/2018)
• 497 days until the 2018 midterm elections (11/6/2018)
• 1,226 days until the 2020 presidential election (11/3/2020)

Today's political TL; DR -

• Utah GOP Chairman Rob Anderson had promised to conduct an audit of the party's finances and make those results public within 30 days of taking office. That will have to wait until Anderson can raise $10,000 to pay for the last audit from two years ago [Utah Policy].
   
• A patient advocacy group launches a 2018 ballot initiative to legalize medical marijuana in Utah [Utah Policy, Deseret News, Tribune].
   
• U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Tom Price visits Utah to whip up support for the Obamacare replacement bill currently in the Senate [Deseret News, Tribune].
   
• Danny Ainge host a fundraiser for his son, Tanner Ainge, who is running for Congress in the August GOP primary election [Deseret News].
   
• The family of troubled Salt Lake County Recorder Gary Ott has asked a court to give them guardianship over him, which could lead to his retirement from office [Deseret News, Tribune].
   
• The U.S. Supreme Court decision reinstating a softer version of President Donald Trump's travel ban until they can review the full ban next term will leave a number of Utah refugee programs in limbo [Deseret News, Tribune].
   
• The new United Utah Party moves one step closer to becoming an official political party in Utah. They are continuing their court battle to place Jim Bennett on the November ballot as their nominee in the special election for Congress [Utah Policy, Deseret News].
   
• Why are conservative thought leaders meeting in Utah to discuss solutions for the affordable housing crisis? [Utah Policy]
   
• Democratic congressional candidate Darlene McDonald argues that Democrats can win in Utah if they start talking about issues that matter to residents of the state [Utah Policy].

National headlines:

• The Senate version of Trumpcare is on life support after the CBO score showed the plan would leave 22 million more Americans uninsured by 2026. A number of Republicans plan to vote against even bringing the bill up for a vote in its current form [New York Times].
   
• The White House claims Syria is preparing to launch another chemical attack against its own citizens and is warning the Assad regime there will be a "heavy price" of they move forward [Politico].
   
• This is very weird. White House aide Jared Kushner has hired criminal defense lawyer Abbe Lowell, who represented John Edwards and Jack Abramoff, to represent him in the special prosecutor's probe of Russian's involvement in the 2016 election [Politico].
   
• The FBI has questioned Trump campaign adviser Carter Paige about his meetings and contacts with Russian officials [Washington Post].
   
• The Supreme Court ruled a Missouri church was wrongly denied a state grant for its preschool playground. Many legal observers say the ruling will reignite the debate over using public funds for religious schools [Associated Press].
   
• The Supreme Court will hear a case next year involving a Colorado baker who refused to make a wedding cake for a same-sex union [New York Times].
   
• A new survey shows the image of the United States has plunged globally under the leadership of President Donald Trump [Reuters].

On this day in history:

• 1844 - Mormon leader Joseph Smith and his brother, Hyrum, were killed by a mob in Carthage, Ill.
   
• 1893 - The New York stock market crashed.
   
• 1950 - The U.N. Security Council passed a resolution calling on member nations to help South Korea repel an invasion from the North.
   
• 1969 - Patrons at the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York City's Greenwich Village, clashed with police in an incident considered to be the birth of the gay rights movement.

Today At Utah Policy

Utah GOP boss says promised audit of party finances will have to wait a little longer
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
The debt issues for the Utah Republican Party just get deeper and deeper....

Conservative thought leaders discuss affordable housing
By LaVarr Webb, Publisher
Affordable housing is an issue usually associated with liberal cities and liberal politicians. So, in conservative Utah, is there a conservative approach to meeting the needs of citizens who can't afford high rent or high home prices?...

Can Democrats win in Utah?
By Darlene McDonald
Democratic candidates have lost so often in recent years, it's tough to keep track of them all. Progressives. Moderates. People with no name recognition. People with high name recognition. Mormons. Non-Mormons....

Utah Patients Coalition launches 2018 medical cannabis ballot initiative campaign
By Press Release
Utah Patients Coalition has launched its 2018 ballot initiative campaign to establish a medical cannabis program for patients in Utah....

Policy News

Hatch praises Supreme Court ruling on religious liberty
Senator Orrin Hatch, R-Utah-the senior Republican in the United States Senate and a principal author of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act-applauded the Supreme Court's 7-2 ruling in favor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Trinity Lutheran Church v. Comer....

Refugee Justice League responds to Supreme Court ruling on travel ban
The Refugee Justice League issued a statement in response to the Supreme Court's new ruling that will allow a limited version of President Trump's ban on travelers from six mostly Muslim countries to take effect....

Press release: United Utah Party celebrates certification
Utahns in search of a less partisan political home may now have one - officially....

USTAR Industry Partnership Program attracts EP Systems to northern Utah
Electric Power (EP) Systems and Utah State University (USU) recently became the newest recipients of a USTAR grant through the Industry Partnership Program (IPP)....

Chris Boyle named Chairman Of Utah District Export Council
Global Access President and Founder Chris Boyle was recently named Chairman of the Utah District Export Council. ...

Local Headlines

Salt Lake Tribune

Editorial: Time to make medical marijuana legal in Utah

73% of Draper's City Council meetings were closed to the public at some point. How does your city rate for transparency?

Rolly: Push to bump Ainge from Utah GOP ballot could backfire on Herrod supporters

Utah refugee programs left in limbo after U.S. Supreme Court's decision to hear Trump travel ban

U.S. secretary of health uses Utah flag factory as backdrop to pummel Obamacare

South Salt Lake City hires outside auditor to look into funding questions

Salt Lake County Recorder Gary Ott's family asks court for power to make his decisions

Yes to medical marijuana in Utah, no to smoking it: Here's what Utahns may vote on in 2018

Noel, other S. Utah politicians blame Brian Head Fire on 'tree-huggers,' beetles, but eco-groups say he's off-base

Deseret News

Robert Grow: Let's make sure Utah's housing shortage doesn't become like California's

Boyd Matheson: The cure for the health care crisis is a big dose of federalism

Editorial: Backroom deals for transportation fund distribution need to end

Majority of Utahns support Chaffetz's decision to leave Congress early

Supreme Court's action on travel ban cause for concern, local organizations that serve refugees say

Utah medical marijuana advocates launch ballot initiative for 2018

New United Utah Party a step closer to official state recognition

Danny Ainge main host of first congressional fundraiser for son Tanner

Health Secretary Tom Price pitches health care reform bill in Utah visit

Sister, brother file for legal guardianship of embattled county recorder

Officials fault feds, conservation groups for rapid spread of wildfire

National Headlines

Three CNN Employees Resign Over Retracted Story on Russia Ties (The Wrap)

Did the FBI retaliate against Michael Flynn by launching Russia probe? (Circa)

Heller's hesitance on Obamacare repeal opens Dem divide (Politico)

GOP Donors Grow Skittish Over Lack of Legislative Progress (PoliZette)

Mark Zuckerberg: Facebook can play a role that churches and Little League once filled (CNBC)

Illinois in danger of entering financial 'death spiral' (FOX News)

Feds looking into Bernie Sanders, wife over real estate deal (Associated Press)

Supreme Court allows limited version of Trump's travel ban to take effect and will consider case in fall (Washington Post)

High Court To Hear Case Of Cake Shop That Refused To Bake For Same-Sex Wedding (NPR)

Gay Pride Marchers With Jewish Flags Told To Leave Chicago Parade (Newsweek)

A New Study Has Some Bad News for Backers of a Minimum Wage Hike (Fortune)

Wise Words

Promises
"It is not the oath that makes us believe the man, but the man the oath." Aeschylus

Lighter Side

Tapes
"Trump tweeted that he doesn't have recordings of his conversations with former FBI Director James Comey. He doesn't have them. Then one guy said [Russian accent], "Don't worry, you can borrow ours." Jimmy Fallon