LDS Church. Medical Marijuana. Mitt Romney. Israeli embassy. White House leaks. Monday morning's political news briefing from UtahPolicy.com

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Situational awareness - May 14, 2018

Good Monday morning from Salt Lake City.

The LDS Church takes aim at medical marijuana. Mitt Romney's defunct presidential campaign is sitting on illegal contributions, but they haven't been ordered to get rid of the money. The U.S. opens a new embassy in Jerusalem on Monday.

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  TICK TOCK  

15 days until the last day to register to vote by mail for the 2018 primary election (5/29/2018) 16 days until the last day to change your party affiliation before the primary election (5/30/2018) 22 days until primary election mail-in ballots are sent to voters (6/5/2018) 29 days until in-person early primary voting begins (6/12/2018) 36 days until the final day to register to vote online or in person before the primary election (6/19/2018) 39 days until in-person early primary voting ends (6/22/2018) 43 days until the 2018 Primary Election (6/26/2018) 176 days until the 2018 midterm elections (11/6/2018) 259 days until the first day of the 2019 Utah Legislature (1/28/2019) 904 days until the 2020 presidential election (11/3/2020)

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  HERE ARE THE STORIES DRIVING MONDAY  

Marijuana opposition

On Friday, the LDS Church issued a legal analysis of the proposal to legalize medical cannabis in Utah. The memo raises several arguments about the proposal the Church says should give voters pause if the issue makes the ballot in November [Utah Policy].

Signature removal

Our "Political Insiders" say the process allowing Utahns to remove their names from ballot initiatives should be more difficult [Utah Policy].

Campaign cash

Mitt Romney's now-defunct presidential campaign is sitting on more than $140,000 in illegal donations. The money has nothing to do with Romney's current run for U.S. Senate. Most of the money has been distributed to Republican groups [Utah Policy].

Consumer prices

Consumer prices ticked up slightly in the West last month, mostly because of higher housing and gasoline costs [Utah Policy].

  OTHER UTAH HEADLINES  

Mitt Romney ripped the choice of evangelical leader Robert Jeffress to give a blessing at the opening of the new U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem. Romney says Jeffress is a religious bigot who has denigrated other religions, including Mormonism [NBC News].
Republican officials in San Juan County have kicked a Democratic candidate for county commission off the ballot because they say he is not a resident [Tribune (paywall)].
Rep. John Curtis says he is "hesitant" to join Rep. Mia Love in the effort to force a vote on several immigration measures [Deseret News].
You can now see how many bills lawmakers are working on for the next legislative session [Tribune (paywall)].
The Utah Elections Office is looking into why some members of the United Utah Party are reporting their voter registrations are being changed without their permission [Deseret News].

  NATIONAL HEADLINES  

The U.S. cuts the ribbon on the new American Embassy in Jerusalem on Monday. The move has prompted protests and raised fears of violence in the region [New York Times].
Make China great again? President Trump pledges to save Chinese tech company ZTE from the effects of U.S. sanctions [Washington Post].
The White House communications team is furious about the leak of a staffer mocking Sen. John McCain's brain cancer diagnosis [Axios]. The White House has still not apologized for the remark [CNN].
A former National Security Council official explored ways to crack down on leaks coming from the White House by spying on his colleague's telephone calls [Daily Beast].
President Donald Trump and Fox News host Sean Hannity speak via telephone most weeknights before Trump heads to bed for the evening [New York Magazine].
The Supreme Court will soon start issuing rulings on some contentious issues including partisan gerrymandering, religious freedom, and President Trump's travel ban [The Hill].
Special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation is entering its second year this week [Washington Post].
Republicans in Congress are scrambling to find the votes for a controversial farm bill which imposes work requirements for food stamp recipients [The Hill].
The Education Department is mothballing a special team to investigate fraud at for-profit colleges [New York Times].
Democrats hope to make their support for popular net neutrality rules a big campaign issue in November's midterms [The Hill].
Gasoline prices could spike to a 4-year high this summer due to record demand [CNBC].

  ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY  

1607 - Jamestown, Virginia is settled as an English colony.
1787 - In Philadelphia, delegates convene a Constitutional Convention to write a new Constitution for the United States; George Washington presides.
1796 - Edward Jenner administers the first smallpox inoculation.
1800 - The process of moving the U.S. capital from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C.
1804 - The Lewis and Clark Expedition departs from Camp Dubois.
1878 - The last witchcraft trial held in the United States begins in Salem, Massachusetts, after Lucretia Brown accused Daniel Spofford of attempting to harm her through his mental powers.
1848 - Israel is declared to be an independent state, and a provisional government is established. Immediately after the decision, Israel is attacked by the neighboring Arab states, triggering the 1984 Arab-Israeli War.
1973 - Skylab, the United States' first space station, is launched.

Today At Utah Policy

Romney's old presidential campaign is still sitting on illegal campaign contributions By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor Mitt Romney's now-defunct 2012 presidential campaign account, along with the national Republican Party, are still holding on to more than $140,000 in illegal campaign contributions discovered years ago. ...

'Political Insiders' say it should be more difficult to remove signatures from ballot initiatives By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor As the effort to remove signatures from two proposed ballot initiatives turns nasty, our "Political Insiders" say the requirements to get Utahns to take their names off those proposed ballot initiatives should be more difficult. ...

LDS Church opposes medical marijuana initiative By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor On Friday, the LDS Church issued a legal analysis of the proposed ballot initiative to legalize medical marijuana in Utah, citing 31 "legal issues" with the proposal. ...

BLS: West prices up 0.4 percent in April and 3.2 percent over the year By Press Release Prices in the West Region, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, increased 0.4 percent in April, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. ...

Policy News

Looking to grow and strengthen your business? Explore new business opportunities in Taiwan and South Korea! Join World Trade Center Utah in partnership with U.S. Commercial Service on Thursday, May 17th at 9:00 a.m. for a seminar on doing business in Taiwan and South Korea....

Achieving the American dream: University of Utah to lead state-wide project aimed at strengthening middle class President Ruth V. Watkins announced the University of Utah has been selected by Schmidt Futures to solicit and develop ideas for ensuring a vibrant middle class in America. ...

Local Headlines

Salt Lake Tribune

Op-ed: It's not the Jews who cannot be questioned

Op-ed: Does Salt Lake City have the water for the Northwest Quadrant?

Granite School District delivers bonuses to teachers to their delight, and sometimes, embarrassment

San Juan County judge rejects delay in felony gate-closing case, but moves activists' May 23 trial to Price

Feds block government archaeologists from speaking at a major science conference

Rolly: Romney gets an introduction into the wild and wacky world of rural Utah politics

Changes coming to Cottonwood canyons as they win biggest share of $100 million jackpot to reduce traffic congestion

'It's hearsay': Navajo Democrat responds after San Juan County kicks him off the special election ballot

Mormon church releases a list of 'legal issues' with Utah's medical marijuana initiative

Utahns can now see how many bills each lawmaker is working on. Some are working on a lot.

With internal candidates unqualified, polygamous community seeks police chief who isn't from there

'Bigot' pastor who once labeled Mormonism a cult shouldn't give prayer at embassy event in Israel, Romney argues

Deseret News

Frank Pignanelli & LaVarr Webb: How fair is the citizen initiative signature rescission process?

Op-ed: Why is S.L. County Council ignoring the will of voters?

Editorial: Utah lawmakers stay ahead of the technological curve

LDS Church: Legal analysis 'raises grave concerns' about Utah medical marijuana initiative

Utah Rep. John Curtis 'hesitant' to join Rep. Mia Love in pushing for immigration vote

New board to oversee Draper prison revamp

San Juan County clerk: Navajo political candidate not a Utah resident

2 editors, publisher among news staff laid off from Ogden Standard-Examiner

Harry Reid, Yasser Arafat, magic dust: Former Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt has 1,000 stories to tell

State looking into reports United Utah Party members' party affiliations being switched

Other

Wet weather doesn't stop Vineyard celebration, visit from Romney (Daily Herald)

Weber Co. proposal to hire Layton firm renews debate over use of consultants (Standard-Examiner)

Mother-daughter duo running for House seats in Northern Utah (Standard-Examiner)

Summit County Council weighs imposing new taxes (Park Record)

National Headlines

Peace talks ignite land buying frenzy along South Korea's fortified border (Reuters)

With an eye on 2020, Democrats jockey to define their party, and gain an advantage (Washington Post)

Federal Tax Cuts Leave States in a Bind (CNBC)

These 95 Apartments Promised Affordable Rent in San Francisco. Then 6,580 People Applied. (New York Times)

Ivanka Trump arrives in Israel ahead of US Embassy opening (Ynet)

Trump's peace plan is stalled, but he's bringing Israel and Gulf states closer (Axios)

Controversial US pastors to take part in embassy opening in Jerusalem (CNN)

Ryan, GOP scramble to win support for controversial farm bill (The Hill)

Trump pledges to help Chinese phone maker ZTE 'get back into business' (Washington Post)

After Dick's banned all 'assault-style' firearms, the free market responded in a powerful way (TheBlaze)

Michael Cohen's D.C. Consulting Career: Scattershot, With Mixed Success (Wall Street Journal)

Wise Words

Mothers

"God could not be everywhere, and therefore he made mothers." Rudyard Kipling

Lighter Side

New Logo

"Best Buy has redesigned their logo in order to make it more modern. Best Buy's CEO said, "With this new logo, we're going to sell a lot of VCRs." Conan O'Brien

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