Loading...
| 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 lwebb@utahpolicy.com,. Situational Analysis - October 14, 2020Welcome to Wednesday. Washington State entomologists have lost track of a "feisty" female murder hornet after feeding her strawberry jam and outfitting her with a tracking device. She's out there somewhere . . . marshaling forces and plotting an attack on the country. Par for the course for 2020. TICK TOCK1 day to the 3rd Congressional District debate (10/15/2020) Today At Utah PolicyGuest opinion: Thoughts on democracy and republicBy Rep. Merrill Nelson, R-Grantsville Sen. Mike Lee is, of course, technically correct that the United States is a Republic rather than a Democracy. The Constitution itself "guarantee[s] to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government." (Art. IV, Sec. 4) We solemnly "pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands." Our Founders never used "Democracy" and "Republic" interchangeably-they understood the difference and warned against the extremes of democracy. Webb's Wrap: Battling the pandemic . . . Lee at SCOTUS hearings . . . 2nd district race By LaVarr Webb The state's new pandemic-fighting regime should motivate all Utahns to take personal responsibility for staying healthy and slowing the spread of COVID-19. Notably, the new guidelines don't shut the state down. Businesses can keep operating and children can continue to go to school. The economy can continue its growth. The main focus is on mask-wearing and social distancing - which is where the emphasis should be. The focus is also on social and family gatherings, which is where the spread is mostly occurring. In a Salt Lake Chamber board meeting Tuesday morning, business leaders noted that workplace and classroom spread is minimal, but employees and students are catching the virus at home and at social gatherings.Guest opinion: Amendment G is sleight of hand By Dr. Richard Kendell I would like to propose a different interpretation of the purposes commonly suggested by Constitutional Amendment G proponents. The amendment language says that education money can be spent for children and people with disabilities. Currently the state uses approximately $600 million of general revenue funds for programs that fall into the category of children and the disabled. With Amendment G, the Legislature can pay the same $600 million for children and the disabled by simply switching funding sources. In brief, general fund revenue is replaced by education fund revenue. Utah HeadlinesDeseret News Op-ed: With Amendment E, Utahns can preserve their outdoor heritage Op-ed: Is it time for Utah to ban billboards? Jay Evensen: Why Utah's 2020 election won't be as scary as the rest of the year Editorial: Amy Coney Barrett hearings highlight Congress' failure Despite pandemic, some Utah employers are adding scores of new jobs Sen. Mike Lee attacks court packing in Amy Coney Barrett confirmation hearing Mitt Romney condemns Trump name calling, 'hate-filled morass' of American politic Utah officials set statewide mask mandate for social gatherings, replace color-coded risk statusSalt Lake Tribune Family members protest after 278 prisoners test positive for coronavirus at Utah prison Utah governor announces new coronavirus strategy as cases rise by 987 Mitt Romney scolds Trump, calls current politics a 'hate-filled morass' Sen. Mike Lee asks Amy Coney Barrett few questions; gives long speeches insteadOther Utah County classified as 'high' transmission level under new COVID-19 Transmission Index (Daily Herald) Hill AFB selected as part of large-scale COVID-19 random testing program (Standard-Examiner) Weber, Davis counties register highest COVID-19 case counts since pandemic's start (Standard-Examiner) Gov. Herbert changes COVID-19 regulations, color system; Cache transmissions 'high' (Logan Herald Journal) 'Vile, vituperative, hate-filled morass': Romney bemoans state of American politics in tweet (St. George Spectrum) Masks made mandatory in 3 local counties; governor ditches colors for COVID-19 restrictions (St. George News)National HeadlinesFor some Black youth, it's time to question Democratic loyalties (POLITICO) The Black Trump Vote (American Mind) Why history shows 'court packing' isn't extreme (CNN) Confessions of the Secret Suburban Trump Moms: Arizona (Spectator) Phone a friend: Democrats look beyond campaign volunteers to boost turnout (Roll Call) Another 'skinny' coronavirus relief bill on tap in Senate (Roll Call) What Wisconsin Democrats Learned from 2016 (New Yorker) Do you want a Trump or Biden economy? (Spectator) The Civil Rights Legend Who Opposed Critical Race Theory (RealClearPolitics) How the Senate should question Amy Coney Barrett to show the threat she poses (Los Angeles Times) A Golden Opportunity for the U.S. to Lead NATO Into the Future (RealClearWorld) From Dairy Country To Green Bay, Trump Radically Changed Wisconsin Politics. Can He Do It Again? (Federalist) Older voters helped put Trump in office; they will help take him out (The Hill) Could Pennsylvania's Democratic governor deliver Trump the election? (The Hill) What Amy Coney Barrett is like as a sister and fellow Supreme Court clerk (Washington Examiner) Amy Coney Barrett's day one hearing was rank hypocrisy from start to finish (Guardian) Yes, Take '1619' to Task -- But Problem Goes Beyond One Story (RealClearPolitics) Expensive-city exodus leads to massive rent declines in NYC, San Francisco (FOX Business)Policy NewsMeet Amendment G: Education funding & taxes, Utah's proposed constitutional amendmentAs part of the Salt Lake Chamber's Meet the Candidates Series, we will virtuially discuss Amendment G on Thursday, Oct. 15, 4-5 p.m. Amendment G is the proposed constitutional amendment addressing income tax and education funding. Join our panel of education leaders, tax experts and the Legislative architects of the proposal to learn how this amendment is intended to address education funding and the structural issues of Utah's tax system. Register HERE.Speaker Wilson statement on the new Transmission Index Brad Wilson, speaker of the Utah House of Representatives, issued the following statement regarding the governor's announcement of the new Transmission Index: "As COVID-19 cases have risen sharply across our state, it has become evident that the color-coded system implemented during the first weeks of the pandemic was no longer meeting the needs of the ongoing response. The new Transmission Index is data-driven and sets statewide standards while empowering local elected and health officials to tailor restrictions to address local needs. Most importantly, this places responsibility for our state's response with each of us individually. By showing where we are and what it will take for restrictions to be relaxed, we should all be eager to do our part as individuals, families, and businesses to drive our case rate as low as possible."U.S. Chamber endorses Blake Moore in Utah's 1st Congressional District The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has announced its endorsement of Blake Moore (R) to represent Utah's First Congressional District in this open-seat contest. The U.S. Chamber is proud to endorse Moore in efforts to promote free enterprise and job-creating policies for businesses across all regions and sectors.McAdams' competitor to endorse him Jonia Broderick, United Utah Party congressional candidate in the 4th District, will endorse Congressman Ben McAdams on Wednesday. McAdams said in anticipation of the event, "I'm honored and grateful to have this endorsement from another 4th Congressional District candidate. I know from my conversations with Jonia that she supports my track record of bridging divides and bringing Utahns together to solve challenging issues and believes I'm the candidate who will deliver on that. I greatly respect her effort to serve Utah voters in elected office and thank her for her contributions as a candidate and as a community leader. I serve Utahns from all political parties as their independent voice in Congress." BUSINESS HEADLINESOp-ed: How the recent Middle East agreement reinforces partnerships with Utah (Deseret News) Big Utah potash project collapses for lack of investors (Salt Lake Tribune) Busting the mythbusters: Young, 'digital natives' ready to take business world by storm (Deseret News) Utah County accepting 2nd round of COVID-19 business grant applications (Daily Herald) CARES Act funding still flowing to St. George businesses, but some remains untapped (St. George News)ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY(From History.com) 1912 - Presidential candidate Theodore Roosevelt is wounded by a gunman before a campaign speech in Milwaukee, Wisc. He recovers, but is defeated by Democrat Woodrow Wilson. Wise WordsSaint and Sinner: "The only difference between the saint and the sinner is that every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future." Oscar Wilde Lighter SideThree Questions A new client had just come in to see a famous lawyer. Subscribers may receive special messages with information about new features, special offers, or public policy messages from clients and advertisers. |
Loading...
Loading...
