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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. Send news tips or feedback to bschott@utahpolicy.com, or message us on Twitter. Situational awareness - March 5, 2020Good Thursday morning from Salt Lake CityTICK TOCKThere are 6 working days remaining in the 2020 Utah Legislature7 days to the final day of the 2020 Utah Legislature (3/12/2020)19 days to the statewide neighborhood caucus meetings (3/24/2020)51 days to the Utah Republican and Democratic state conventions (4/25/2020)117 days to the 2020 Utah primary elections (6/30/2020)243 Days to the 2020 election (11/3/2020)326 days to the start of the 2021 Utah Legislature (1/25/2021)Here are the stories you need to pay attention to this morning:Lawmakers considering a slight income tax rate decrease this year. Poll: Utahns believe a tax cut will help the economy Bloomberg drops out following Super TuesdayMARCH POLITICAL MADNESSIt's almost time for our third-annual "Utah political bracket" contest where we pit the 64 top Utah politicos against each other in our own version of March madness. Will last year's winner, Greg Hughes, triumph again, or will another claim the championship belt? If you would like to be part of our selection committee to set the field of 64, send me an email at bschott@utahpolicy.com. Thanks for subscribing to Utah's must-read daily political news rundown.If you know of friends or colleagues who would benefit from our daily news roundup, please encourage them to sign up for our emails.Today At Utah PolicyPoll shows Utahns believe an income tax cut would benefit the state's economyBy Bob Bernick, Contributing Editor Just over half of all Utah voters believe their state taxes are too high, a new Y2 Analytics survey shows.Lawmakers considering a slight income rate cut this year By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor Lawmakers are eyeing a slight tax rate decrease as tax relief this year, possibly dropping the overall income tax rate from the current 4.95 percent to 4.9 or 4.89 percent. 'This is basically our last option.' Legislative leaders pitch plan to overhaul public schools funding in Utah By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor House leaders said Wednesday morning a proposal to add some services for the disabled and children to the current constitutional earmark for income tax is about providing budget surety for Utah's public schools.Guest opinion: Killing me with your kindness By Kristen Cox What started as a beautiful California day was about to become a series of jarring events that had me questioning, once again, people's fundamental assumptions. I had landed at the Sacramento airport and was on my way to give a presentation to a group of CIO's and CTO's from around the state.Utah's unemployment rate inches up slightly, remains below national average By News release Utah's nonfarm payroll employment for January 2020 grew by an estimated 2.9%, adding 44,900 jobs to the economy since January 2019. Utah's current employment level registers 1,568,600. December's year-over job growth has been revised down to 2.9%. OTHER UTAH HEADLINESDeseret News Derek Miller: The United States and China have entered a new cold war Jay Evensen: Ranked-choice voting would have helped on Super Tuesday Hal Boyd: What does the return of Joe Biden tell us? Perhaps conservatism was last night's real winner Will Salt Lake high schools start classes at 8:45? Board looking at 2021-22 school year Bloomberg drops out of Democratic presidential race but could still be a force in Utah elections Why does the West love Bernie? Income taxes may be used for children's health, disabled under new Utah plan Coronavirus, Chinese travel restrictions already impacting Utah tourism Committee approves bill addressing free speech in higher education 'Watered down' bill addressing community impact of Utah Inland Port advances Opponents of Olympia Hills development kick off referendum effort Bernie Sanders or Joe Biden? Utah still picks TrumpSalt Lake Tribune In Utah's Democratic primary, moderates backing Biden and Bloomberg had a surprisingly strong showing Utah fetal remains burial bill now squarely targets abortion Utah cannabis patients may be able to use physician letters at pot pharmacies New homeless resource centers facing 'emergency' $3 million shortfall Stricter Utah ban on hand-held phones while driving nears final OK Utah Inland port bill aims to mitigate impacts on nearby communities Plan to loosen Utah's education funding earmark emerges Olympia Hills opponents launch referendum to stop the project; Riverton leader announces run for county mayor University of Utah professor launches bid to become Utah's next governorOther Now focused on abortion, Provo lawmaker's fetal remains bill passes through Utah House (Daily Herald) Teens' health would be most hurt by a move to year-round daylight saving time, but other pressures push Utah that direction (Standard-Examiner) Weber County election season gearing up in wake of presidential primaries (Standard-Examiner) Ogden's new downtown master plan moving forward (Standard-Examiner)NATIONAL HEADLINESThe Democratic field narrowsAfter Super Tuesday, Democrat Mike Bloomberg dropped out of the presidential race on Wednesday and endorsed Joe Biden [New York Times]. Elizabeth Warren is reportedly assessing her path forward after falling short in several states on Super Tuesday [AP]. Joe vs. BernieJoe Biden had a great night on Super Tuesday, but that doesn't mean he'll be able to put Bernie Sanders away in the Democratic race anytime soon [Bloomberg]. CoronavirusThe House passed $7.8 billion in emergency funding to respond to the coronavirus outbreak [Bloomberg]. The death toll from the virus in the US hits 11, including the first fatality outside of Washington State [AP]. President Donald Trump falsely blamed the Obama administration was responsible for making it harder to implement widespread testing for the virus [CNN]. The coronavirus is prompting many conferences to pull the plug on their events this year. So far, canceled conferences have resulted in $480 million in losses so far [Recode]. Despite the economic uncertainty, private payrolls jumped 183,000 in February [CNBC]. Supreme CourtSupreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts rebuked Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Wednesday after Schumer attacked two of the conservative justices over abortion [Politico]. BUSINESS HEADLINESA. Scott Anderson: Utah's rural communities need more business opportunities (Deseret News) Business loan innovator Lendio nabs $55 million in fresh funding (Deseret News) Utah economy shows few signs of slowing despite coronavirus scare, analyst says (Deseret News) Is Utah tech too successful? New report celebrates victories, but highlights concerns (Deseret News)Policy NewsSL Chamber provides Coronavirus resources for businessesThe Salt Lake Chamber has announced that an online clearinghouse for all businesses has gone live at slchamber.com/coronavirus to access information and best practices to prepare for the Coronavirus.Utah Thrives podcast: The state auditor's take on how to get Utah's fiscal house in order In this episode of Utah Thrives, we sit down with Utah State Auditor John Dougall to discuss his views on the state's fiscal challenges, particularly in light of the recent tax reform effort. We also discuss the transportation funding questions that he suggests stand at the heart of the matter.Learn how to protect your workplace from the coronavirus Employers, are you concerned about the coronavirus (COVID-19) and how it may impact your business? More National HeadlinesNo, Trump didn't shut down 37 of 47 global anti-pandemic programs (Washington Post) Democratic Primary Voters Decisively Rejected the Media's Favorite Candidates (Reason) The real reason Chris Matthews was fired from MSNBC (New York Post) Former Prisoner Recalls Sanders Saying, 'I Don't Know What's So Wrong' With Cuba (NPR) Maybe Bernie Sanders Shouldn't Have Doubled Down on Cuba the Week Before Super Tuesday (Reason) Elon Musk Says the Fighter Jet Is Dead (Popular Mechanics) Are You Ready for Congressman Darrell Issa Again? Californians Appear to Say Yes. (PJ Media) COVID-19 is exposing dangerous flaws in how we make and prescribe drugs (Popular Science) Candidates endorsed by AOC flounder in Texas primary races (Washington Examiner) Elizabeth Warren has no one to blame but herself for losing Massachusetts (Boston Herald) Farewell, John McAfee - America's light is a bit dimmer today (Spectator)ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY1496 - King Henry VII of England issues letters patent to John Cabot and his sons, authorizing them to explore unknown lands. 1770 - Boston Massacre. Five Americans, including Crispus Attucks, are fatally shot by British troops in an event that would contribute to the outbreak of the Revolutionary War. 1836 - Samuel Colt patents the first production-model revolver, the .34 caliber. 1933 - President Franklin D. Roosevelt declares a "bank holiday," closing all U.S. banks and freezing all financial transactions. 1946 - Winston Churchill coins the phrase "Iron Curtain" in his speech at Westminster College, Missouri. 1953 - Joseph Stalin dies in Moscow after suffering a stroke. 1970 - The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons goes into effect after ratification by 43 nations. Wise WordsTaxes"The hardest thing to understand in the world is the income tax."Albert Einstein Lighter SidePence Experience"What medical experience does Mike Pence have? At best, he looks like a CPR doll that won't let you do mouth-to-mouth on it."- SETH MEYERS Listen to us on_Apple Podcasts Subscribers may receive special messages with information about new features, special offers, or public policy messages from clients and advertisers. |
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