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Local News Highlights: Daily Briefing
Morning must reads for Friday, February 3, 2017
Good Friday morning from Salt Lake City. Today is the 34th day of the year. There are 331 days remaining in 2017.
Utah Lawmakers opened an incredible number of so-called "secret" bill files this year. Attorney General Sean Reyes could take a post in the Trump administration. A Senate panel advances a resolution calling for scrapping the Bears Ears National Monument.
The clock:
- 25 days until President Trump addresses a joint session of Congress (2/28/2017)
- 34 days until the final day of the 2017 Utah Legislature (3/9/2017)
- 277 days until the 2017 municipal elections (11/7/2017)
- 642 days until the 2018 midterm elections (11/6/2018)
- 1369 days until the 2020 presidential election (11/3/2020)
Ten talking points for Friday:
- Lawmakers opened a record number of bill files for the 2017 session. According to our math, nearly 40% of those were so-called "secret" bill files [Utah Policy].
- Sources say Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes could be tapped by Donald Trump to head up the Federal Trade Commission within the next two weeks [Utah Policy].
- Want to understand the "what" and "why" of the last week in Utah politics? Watch our week in review [Utah Policy].
- Rep. Ken Ivory is sponsoring legislation that would allow Utah to invest in gold and silver in case of economic collapse [Utah Policy].
- Bob Bernick says it's time for the Utah GOP to end their battle against the "Count My Vote" compromise, SB54 [Utah Policy].
- After a packed hearing, a Senate panel advances a resolution calling on President Donald Trump to overturn the Bears Ears National Monument [Tribune, Deseret News].
- A new poll shows Americans are deeply divided over President Trump's executive order temporarily banning immigration from seven Muslim-majority nations. 51% favor the order, and 49% disagree [CBS News]. Meanwhile, Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway fabricates out of whole cloth a terrorist attack that never happened to justify Trump's "Muslim ban" [Vox].
- President Donald Trump will sign an executive order on Friday to scale back much of the regulatory system put in place after the financial crisis [Wall Street Journal].
- President Donald Trump signals he is prepared to take steps to expand religious rights, including increased protections for those acting on their faith [Wall Street Journal].
- Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski unveils a five-year plan to alleviate the city's affordable housing shortage [Deseret News, Tribune].
On this day in history:
- 1690 - Massachusetts Colony issued the first paper money in America.
- 1783 - Spain recognized the independence of the United States from Great Britain.
- 1870 - The 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified. It decreed that the right to vote shall not be denied on account of race, color or previous condition of servitude.
- 1913 - The 16th Amendment, allowing the establishment of an income tax, became part of the U.S. Constitution after ratification by Wyoming.
Today At Utah Policy
 | Lawmakers opened more than 500 'secret' bill files for the 2017 Legislature Thursday was the last day for Utah state senators and representatives to introduce bills in the 2017 general session, without having to ask permission from their respective bodies.... |
| Lee slams Pelosi for 'dangerous' accusation against Bannon In an appearance on CNN, Sen. Mike Lee blasts House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi for making the repeated, unsubstantiatedclaim to reporters Thursdaythat White House chief strategist Stephen Bannon is a "white supremacist." Lee says Pelosi (and otherliberals in high dudgeon o... |
 | Bob Bernick's Notebook: Time to end the fight over SB54 Will this be the last SB54/Count My Vote column I ever write?... |
 | Bill would allow Utah to invest in gold and silver You can always count on state Rep. Ken Ivory to sponsor a few bills that are, well, maybe “odd” is a polite term.... |
 | Do the political math on Bears Ears - Bernick and Schott on politics #315 It's week two of the 2017 Utah Legislature, and it's already exhausting.... |
| ACLU of Utah files FOIA on execution of Trump's immigration and refugee ban The American Civil Liberties Union of Utah filed a Freedom of Information Act request today with its local Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection office to expose how Trump administration officials are interpreting and executing the president&rsq... |
 | Sources say Reyes could be tapped by Trump to head FTC in the next two weeks Multiple sources have told UtahPolicy.com that Attorney General Sean Reyes could be appointed by the Trump administration to head up the Federal Trade Commission sometime in the next two weeks.... |
| Podcast: Bernick and Schott on politics #315 Bob Bernick and Bryan Schott run down the week in Utah politics.... |
 | Weekly survey: What do you think of Trump's Supreme Court pick? Donald Trump has nominated Neil Gorsuch for the Supreme Court. What do you think of the pick? Let us know in our weekly survey.... |
Policy News
| Rep. Bishop pens letter to Secretary of Defense, James Mattis Rep. Rob Bishop UT-01 is leading an effort to clarify the impact of a recent Presidential Memorandum which places a “freeze on the hiring of Federal civilian employees.” Civilian depot workers, like the thousands employed at Utah’s Ogden Air Logis... |
| Hatch statement on White House trade meeting Following a meeting at the White House with President Trump and the leaders of the Senate Finance and House Ways and Means Committees regarding the Trump Administration’s interest in modernizing the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with Canada and Mexico and... |
| Casual Friday: Weekend Events & Outdoors Report Outdoor Notes-- Tribune: Celebrate Utah Olympic anniversary this week -- Tribune: Wharton: Hiring freeze could cause major problems Weekend Events-- The Comedian: Tribune review -- Julieta: Tribune review -- The Space Between Us: Tribune reviewConcerts -- Davis Arts Chamber ... |
Local Headlines
Salt Lake Tribune
Op-ed: SB94 makes special districts accountable
Op-ed: Protecting women's rights doesn't mean protecting abortion
New House Majority Leader Brad Wilson seizes opportunity when he sees it
Rolly: Utah GOP official loses charter school contract after allegedly getting insider information
Utah's Chaffetz backs off on plan to sell off 'excess' public lands
After $1 million embezzlement, agency says problems fixed
Salt Lake City affordable housing plan aims to tackle 'crisis'-level shortage
After 2 bumpy weeks for Trump, Gov. Herbert still is 'hopeful' for president's success
Grand Staircase: Boon or bust?
Hatch, Trump express night-and-day views of NAFTA, though both want to rewrite it
Gehrke: Groundhog Day means lousy air and the Legislature all over again
Solar industry drops fight over tax credit
After criticizing UTA, lawmakers advance bill requiring more transparency
Utah lawmakers take first step to tighten residency law for local officials
House panel punts on plan to reward teachers working in low-income schools
Bears Ears supporters pack hearing; Senate panel OKs rescission bill anyway
Poll: Utahns split on later school start times
Deseret News
Hal Boyd: Meet the Mormon helping run Donald Trump's White House
Greg Bell: Technology has given us so much, but there's still much to do
Op-ed: Steve Jobs and the March for Life
Jay Evensen: You're going to pay sales taxes online, but that won't stop you from buying
Editorial: With few exceptions, the president-elect should be able to pick his team
Why is Utah one of the best states for retirement?
Utah Clean Energy, Salt Lake City unveil 10-year solar deployment plan
Amid nasty inversion, Utah Legislature outlines clean air initiatives
Salt Lake City has the most stressed out workers, survey says
Runoff elections bill passed by Senate, but changes being sought
'A big hope': Optimism felt by last refugee family to arrive in Utah
Utah lawmakers advance pushback resolutions on Bears Ears, Grand Staircase-Escalante monuments
Attorney says prosecutors 'ambushed' John Swallow with extortion claim
Trump's draft order on religious freedom prompts praise, concern and confusion
Biskupski unveils 'bold but equitable' affordable housing plan
National Headlines
Is perpetual outrage hurting Democratic Party? (U.S. News & World Report)
'Can she eat more kale?' Hordes of liberals want reassurance RBG's health is good (Washington Post)
Congress does away with Obama coal mining rule (The Hill)
Trump Vows to 'Destroy' Law Banning Political Activity by Churches (New York Times)
Anarchists Respond to Trump's Inauguration, by Any Means Necessary (New York Times)
Pence reaffirms plans to 'repeal and replace' ObamaCare (The Hill)
Conservative Groups Unify to Push Neil Gorsuch's Confirmation (New York Times)
Ivanka Trump's dinner party diplomacy (Politico)
Military investigating SEALs unit convoy flying Trump flag in Kentucky (Lexington Herald Leader)
U.S. airline CEOs ask to meet with Tillerson on Gulf carriers (Reuters)
Trump Looks to Another Finance Veteran for Senior Role (New York Times)
Wise Words
View on Success
"Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get." Dale Carnegie
Lighter Side
Strange Claim
"President Trump continued with his mysterious and puzzling claim that voter fraud cost him the popular vote in the election. He says 3 million to 5 million illegal voters chose Hillary over him. He knows if that's true he still has to be president, right?" Jimmy Kimmel
