Ten Things You Need to Know Today - Wednesday, December 9, 2015

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Wednesday, December 9, 2015 - 8:00am

Utah Policy

Good Wednesday morning from Salt Lake City. There are 22 days left in 2015.

The LDS Church pushes back against Donald Trump's call to stop Muslims from entering the U.S. Congress is staring down another shutdown deadline. No public money for Jackie Biskupski's transition.

The clock:

47 days to the opening day of the 2016 Utah Legislature - (1/25/2016)
54 days to the 2016 Iowa Caucus - (2/1/2016)
62 days to the 2016 New Hampshire Primary (tentative) - (2/9/2016)
93 days to the final day of the 2016 Utah Legislature - (3/10/2016)
104 days to the Utah Republican and Democratic caucus meetings (3/22/2016)
136 days to the Utah Republican and Democratic State Conventions (4/23/2016)
203 days to the 2016 Utah primary election - (6/28/2016)
335 days until the 2016 presidential election - (11/8/2016)

Wednesday's top-10 headlines:

The LDS Church issues a statement defending the rights of other religions following Donald Trump's call to stop Muslims from entering the United States [Deseret News, 2 News, Tribune, Daily Herald, ABC 4].
The White House says Trump's comments on Muslims disqualifies him from holding the presidency [Newsweek].
Republicans are terrified Trump's increasingly extreme rhetoric could jeopardize their control of Congress in next year's elections [Politico].
Trump continues to bring the crazy by suggesting Bill Gates could help "close up" the Internet [New York Times].
Talks over an omnibus spending bill in Congress break down as a deadline to avoid a government shutdown is looming [Washington Post, Politico].
The Salt Lake City Council reverses themselves again, deciding not to pony up some cash for Jackie Biskupski's transition team [KUER].
The Salt Lake County Council delays a final vote on next year's $1.1 billion budget until next week [Deseret News].
A new poll shows Utahns think there's too much regulation of businesses in the state, but they're divided on the question of too much government oversight of industry [Utah Policy].
Attorneys for embattled San Juan County Commissioner Phil Lyman argue he should not face jail time for leading an ATV protest into Recapture Canyon [Tribune, 2 News].
'Black Friday' set a single-day record for gun sales in Utah [2 News].

On this day in history:

1958 - Retired Boston candy manufacturer H. W. Welch, Jr., established the John Birch Society, a right-wing organization dedicated to fighting what it perceived to be the extensive infiltration of communism into U.S. society.
1974 - White House aide John Ehrlichman testified at the Watergate trial that President Richard Nixon was responsible for a cover up.
1975 - President Gerald R. Ford signed a $2.3 billion temporary loan authorization to prevent New York City from having to default.
1990 - Solidarity founder Lech Walesa was elected president of Poland.

Today At Utah Policy

Poll: Is There Too Much Government Regulation of Business and Industry in Utah?
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'The Spin Room' - Surpluses and Savings
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Utah lawmakers have an extra $560 million in their bank account next year, but don't expect them to go on a spending spree....

Policy News

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Hatch: Non-Partisan Scorekeeper Agrees, Obamacare Hurts Jobs
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) issued the following statement after the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released a report that found under President Obama’s health law, the labor force is projected to be without about tw...

Salt Lake City Celebrates Anniversary of Universal Declaration of Human Rights
On Thursday, December 10 the Salt Lake City Human Rights Commission and the Mayor’s Office of Diversity & Human Rights will host the 2015 Human Rights Day Celebration to commemorate the 67th anniversary of the United Nations ratification of the Universal Declaratio...

Advocates Call on EPA to Not Delay Utah's Clean Air Planning and Action
Clean air advocacy groups submitted a joint letter to EPA Region 8, urging the administrator to reject a proposed rule that would delay by 18 months the plan that will chart how Utah will clean its air....

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