Ten Things You Need to Know for Wednesday - August 19, 2015

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Wednesday, August 19, 2015 - 8:15am

Utah Policy

Good Wednesday morning from Salt Lake City.

Lawmakers meet in special session to consider the prison move. Democrats think the Legislature should deal with Medicaid expansion. Becker pulls a proposed $150 million recreation bond from the ballot.

The clock:

76 days to the 2015 election - (11/3/2015)
152 days to the 2016 Iowa Caucus (tentative) - (1/18/2016)
159 days to the opening day of the 2016 Utah Legislature - (1/25/2016)
160 days to the 2016 New Hampshire Primary - (1/26/2016)
204 days to the final day of the 2016 Utah Legislature - (3/10/2016)
314 days to the 2016 Utah primary election - (6/28/2016)
447 days until the 2016 presidential election - (11/8/2016)

Wednesday's top-10 headlines:

Lawmakers meet in a special session today to consider moving the prison from Draper to Salt Lake City and four other non-related issues [Tribune, Deseret News].
Utah Democrats are upset that the Legislature is dealing with the prison issue before addressing Medicaid expansion [Deseret News, Tribune, KUER, ABC 4].
Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker pulls a proposed $150 million open space bond from November's ballot [Deseret News, Tribune, ABC 4, Fox 13].
The LDS Church announces women will add women as permanent members of three formerly all-male committees within the Church [Deseret News, Tribune, ABC 4, Fox 13].
A new poll shows most Utahns did not watch the first GOP presidential debate. However, those who did watch say Donald Trump and Marco Rubio were the winners [Utah Policy].
The final vote tally from Salt Lake City's primary election shows Jackie Biskupski with a 15-point win over Ralph Becker. Derek Kitchen and Nate Salazar will face off in Council District 4 [Tribune].
A group pushing term limits files a lawsuit against the state after election officials reject their petition proposal [Tribune, Deseret News].
All three of the counties along the Wasatch front will vote on a sales tax hike to fund transportation this November [Utah Policy, Tribune, Daily Herald].
Two Utah lawmakers claim the federal government may have deliberately released toxic waste into the San Juan River and want Attorney General Sean Reyes to investigate the possibility [Tribune, Deseret News].
The White House appoints its first openly transgender full-time employee [The Guardian].

On this day in history:

1812 - The U.S. Navy frigate Constitution defeated the British ship Guerriere off the coast of Nova Scotia, earning the ship the nickname "Old Ironsides."
1934 - A plebiscite in Germany approved the vesting of sole executive power in Adolf Hitler as Fuhrer.
1960 - U-2 spy plane pilot Francis Gary Powers was convicted in a Moscow court and sentenced to 10 years in prison. He was released 18 months later and exchanged for Soviet spy Rudolf Abel.
2004 - Internet search engine Google went public.
2010 - The last American combat brigade exited Iraq, seven years and five months after the U.S.-led invasion began.

Today At Utah Policy

Poll: Most Utahns Didn't Watch First GOP Debate; Those Who Did Say Trump and Rubio Won
By Bryan Schott
Even though it was one of the highest-rated cable television shows ever, not very many Utahns watched the first GOP debate according to a new UtahPolicy.com survey....

Lawmakers Grapple with School Budget Forecasting
By Bob Bernick
Not that Utah public schools don’t need the money, but over the last six years the state education budgeters over-estimated the number of new students, under-estimated the amount the property tax will bring to the tune of $111.1 million of surplus tax....

Gov. Gary Johnson Discusses 2016 and the Effort to Legalize Medical Marijuana in Utah (Video)
By Bryan Schott
Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, the 2012 Libertarian Party presidential nominee, stops by to discuss his efforts to run for president in 2016. ...

America's Culture War over Guns Spreads to the Backcountry
By Golden Webb
The New York Times sends a reporter to Utah to investigate the controversy surroundingrecreational target shooting on public lands....

Weekly Survey: Johnson vs. Herbert
By Bryan Schott
Jonathan Johnson made it official this week announcing he would challenge Gov. Gary Herbert for the Republican nomination in 2016. Can Johnson beat Herbert? Vote now in our weekly survey....

Policy News

Press Release: Weber, Davis and Utah County Authorize Local Option Sales Tax
Weber, Davis and Utah County joined nine other Utah counties in authorizing that a local option sales tax be placed on the November 2015 ballot. The sales tax option of a quarter-cent – or one penny for every four dollars – would pay for local roads, bus service,...

Press Release: UTGOP Statement on the Democrats' Political Posturing Over Medicaid Expansion
UTGOP Chairman James Evans released the following statement below following the Utah Democrats' latest attempt to play politics with Medicaid expansion:...

Utah Scores Third Straight A+ In Small Business Friendliness
Small business owners gave Utah an A+ in business friendliness for the fourth year in a row, according to Thumbtack’s annual Small Business Friendliness Survey. ...

Consumers Feeling Pretty Good About Economy
Consumer confidence continues to rise as the summer progresses. ...