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Situational awareness - March 1, 2019

Good morning from Salt Lake City and TGIF. Welcome to March!

Here are the stories we're following today:

• The Supreme Court may decide the fate of SB54 today.
• A bill banning abortions in the case of a Down syndrome diagnosis is on the way to Gov. Herbert's desk.
• Businesses begin to dig into the details of the tax reform proposal.
• President Trump ordered White House officials to approve a top-secret clearance for his son-in-law Jared Kushner.

Friday's political trivia!

What Utah governor played basketball and baseball for Cyprus High School?

The first three readers who submit the correct answer will be recognized in Monday's newsletter.

Send your guesses to me at bschott@utahpolicy.com.

Today's question was submitted by Carl Stark who wins a $25 Amazon gift card if Mike Mower can't answer the question.

UtahPolicy.com mailbag!

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The UtahPolicy.com daily newsletter gets you up to speed on the top local and national news about politics and public policy. Our news is curated by Managing Editor Bryan Schott, along with help from Golden Webb. ((Click here to subscribe))

TICK TOCK

Today is the 60th day of the year. There are 305 days remaining in 2019.

13 days until the final day of the 2019 Utah Legislature (3/14/2019)

64 days to the Utah State Republican Party Organizing Convention (5/4/2019)

94 days until the municipal election filing period opens (6/3/2019)

98 days until the municipal election filing period ends (6/7/2019)

113 days to the Utah State Democratic Party Organizing Convention (6/22/2019)

165 days to the 2019 Utah primary elections (8/13/2019)

249 days to the 2019 municipal elections (11/5/2019)

332 days to the first day of the 2020 Utah Legislature (1/27/2020)

340 days to the 2020 Iowa Caucuses (2/3/2020)

608 days until the 2020 presidential election (11/3/2020)

Today At Utah Policy

OTHER UTAH HEADLINES

Deseret News

• A. Scott Anderson: Pro-growth tax reform is a generational opportunity
• Jay Evensen: How much more would you pay for a haircut?
• Utah lawmakers take another step toward banning flavored e-cig cartridges from teens
• Bill allowing cities more enforcement of idling laws stalls in Utah Senate committee
• Bill limiting local regulations over gravel pits clears Utah House
• Balking at 'unfunded mandate,' Utah House shoots down bill requiring seat belts on school buses
• Competing bills will either save, or sacrifice, embattled Utah biotech development agency
• Bill allowing cyclists to move forward when there is no traffic hits a red light
• Legislation amending police body camera requirements fails Senate vote
• Bill outlawing abortions solely for Down syndrome diagnosis passes Utah Legislature
• Utah House committee endorses bill to target $32.1M for school mental health, support services
• Utah governor calls for even bigger cut in state sales tax as lawmakers get details of new reform plan

Salt Lake Tribune

• Op-ed: The truth about 'Lauren's Law'
• A business group is running TV ads on Utah's housing gap, but opponents call them 'propaganda' pushing high-density housing
• The Legislature narrowly passed a bill to motivate more Utah students to take year-end tests. Conservative groups hate it.
• Describing the anxiety and depression of Utah's children, parents and educators ask for $32M to add more school counselors
• Put more funding toward safeguarding air, land and water, Utahns say
• Tax reform or 'misery tax'? Attorneys, homebuilders, barbers and a slew of others begin to digest big tax overhaul plan that is hard to swallow for some.
• Gov. Herbert says EnergySolutions' donations to lawmakers not a factor as he weighs signing bill that may allow it to store depleted uranium
• Legislators send ban on Down syndrome-based abortions to the governor
• Salt Lake City International Airport set another record with more than 25 million total passengers last year
• McAdams backed expanding background checks for guns - but opposed extending wait periods
• 'Let's submit designs': New version of state flag bill would launch a review of replacement ideas
• Bill to allow bicyclists to roll through stop signs and red lights crashes in committee
• Gravel extraction bill passes through Utah House after debate over pits, property rights

Other

• Weber County bond ratings upgraded, reflects area's financial health (Standard-Examiner)

NATIONAL HEADLINES

Uh oh! President Donald Trump personally intervened and ordered White House officials to give his son-in-law Jared Kushner a top-secret security clearance. Kushner had been denied a clearance due to concerns that he was vulnerable to manipulation by foreign governments. Trump previously claimed he played no role in Kushner receiving his clearance - https://nyti.ms/2IJMFvp

House Democrats plan to dig deeper into President Trump's business dealings. Democrats plan to open new paths of inquiry following the public testimony of Michael Cohen earlier this week - https://wapo.st/2IMa0fX

• Trump's "money man" Alan Weisselberg will likely be called to testify by the House Oversight committee to discuss his role in the hush-money payments to an adult film actress who had an affair with President Trump - https://nbcnews.to/2IIoyx3
• The House Oversight Committee plans to pursue interviews with Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump, Jr. - https://politi.co/2ILfGXt

Congress is not done with Michael Cohen. President Trump's former personal lawyer will return to Washington next week to continue closed-door testimony to the House Intelligence Committee - https://wapo.st/2IMxmly

Republicans in Congress are pressuring Trump to back down from his emergency declaration. At the same time, Trump is warning Republicans in the Senate are in "great jeopardy" if they vote to block his effort to build a wall on the Mexico border - https://wapo.st/2INfoPY

The U.S. economy is cooling down. G.D.P. grew at a 2.6% rate in the fourth quarter. Economists expect growth to drop below 2 percent in the first quarter of 2019 - https://nyti.ms/2IFRK7U

Both sides are casting blame after Trump's summit with Kim Jong Un collapses. North Korean officials say the president is mischaracterizing their demands that led to President Trump abruptly ending the summit - http://bit.ly/2IL4sm1

The House passed another gun control measure on Thursday. The Democratic-controlled house closed the so-called "Charleston loophole" which is a gap in the background check system that allowed a man to purchase a gun and kill nine members of a church nearly four years ago - https://cnn.it/2II9akk

Andrew Wheeler is confirmed as the head of the EPA. The former coal lobbyist was confirmed by the Senate on Thursday - https://wapo.st/2IMb0AJ

President Trump wants to raise a billion dollars for his re-election. But, Republicans are worried his super PAC is not up to the task - https://politi.co/2IGDqfh

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is running for president. He joins the growing Democratic field seeking the nomination - https://wapo.st/2IITSfm

Travelers passing through Midway airport may have been exposed to measles. An unvaccinated traveler and infected with the disease was in the Chicago airport last week - http://bit.ly/2IL6cvB

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be indicted on bribery charges from three corruption investigations. The indictment could impact his fortunes in the upcoming elections as he seeks a fifth term in office - https://cnn.it/2IJ1tu5

U.S. officials put out a $1 million bounty on one of Osama Bin Laden's sons. Hamza Bin Laden is reportedly emerging as a leader of al-Qaeda - https://bbc.in/2IKylTw

Yikes! An iceberg twice the size of New York City is about to break off of Antarctica - https://wapo.st/2ILg0Wb

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

1565 - The city of Rio de Janeiro is founded.

1642 - Georgeana, Massachusetts (now known as York, Maine) becomes the first incorporated city in the United States.

1692 - Sarah Good, Sarah Osborne, and Tituba are brought before local magistrates in Salem Village, Massachusetts, beginning what would become known as the Salem witch trials. Eventually, 19 men and women were executed.

1781 - The Continental Congress adopts the Articles of Confederation.

1790 - The first United States census is authorized.

1803 - Ohio was admitted as the 17th state.

1845 - President John Tyler signs a bill authorizing the United States to annex the Republic of Texas.

1867 - Nebraska becomes the 37th state. Lancaster, Nebraska is renamed Lincoln and becomes the state capital.

1872 - Yellowstone national park is established as the world's first national park.

1932 - Aviator Charles Lindbergh's son was kidnapped. The child's body was found on May 12. Bruno Hauptmann was convicted of the kidnapping and murder and executed in 1936.

1936 - The Hoover Dam is completed.

1953 - Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin suffers a stroke and collapses; he dies four days later.

1954 - Armed Puerto Rican nationalists opened fire from the gallery of the U.S. House of Representatives, injuring five Representatives.

1971 - A bomb exploded in a restroom in the Senate wing of the U.S. Capitol, causing $300,000 damage but no injuries. The radical leftist group Weather Underground claimed responsibility.

1974 - Seven people are indicted for their role in the Watergate break-in and charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice.

Policy News

More National Headlines

• Michael Cohen may have just helped Donald Trump (New York Post)
• Justin Trudeau dodges calls to resign amid former attorney general's allegations in bribery scandal (FOX News)
• Biden responds to criticism over calling Pence 'a decent guy' (The Hill)
• 2020 Democrats are under pressure to embrace sweeping political reforms (McClatchy)
• 2016 Michael Cohen Interview Shows He 'Certainly Hoped' He'd Be Offered a White House Job (Mediaite)
• 'This is not a day at the beach': Pelosi tells moderate Dems to stop voting with GOP (Politico)
• Gov. Cuomo reportedly pleaded to Jeff Bezos to bring Amazon HQ2 back to New York (CNBC)

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