Jason Chaffetz, Ryan Zinke and Obamacare. Your Wednesday morning political briefing from UtahPolicy.com

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Local News Highlights: Daily Briefing

Morning must reads for Wednesday, May 3, 2017

Good Wednesday morning from Salt Lake City. Today is the 123rd day of the year. There are 242 days remaining in 2017. Today is the 104th day of Donald Trump's presidency.

Jason Chaffetz's poll numbers haven't improved much. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke will visit Utah next week. Republicans still can't get everybody on board about repealing Obamacare.

The clock:

17 days until the Utah Republican State Convention (5/20/2017)

45 days until the Utah Democratic State Convention at Weber State University (6/17/2017)

188 days until the 2017 municipal elections (11/7/2017)

264 days until the opening day of the 2018 Utah Legislature (1/22/2018)

309 days until the final day of the 2018 Utah Legislature (3/8/2018)

552 days until the 2018 midterm elections (11/6/2018)

1,280 days until the 2020 presidential election (11/3/2020)

Today's political TL; DR -

NEW POLL #1: What issue do 3rd District voters want their member of Congress to tackle now that Rep. Jason Chaffetz is stepping down? The answer that came up most was education/schools. Those same voters are equally split over their view of President Donald Trump, which means any potential replacement for Chaffetz should probably be careful about cozying up to the president's agenda [Utah Policy].
NEW POLL #2: Rep. Jason Chaffetz's favorability ratings haven't moved much in either direction since he announced he was not running for re-election in 2018 [Utah Policy].
LaVarr Webb argues if Chaffetz steps down early, existing election law should be followed in a special election to pick his replacement [Utah Policy].
The rift between legislative leaders and Gov. Gary Herbert over how to conduct a special election to replace Rep. Jason Chaffetz if he resigns early is growing [Deseret News].
Utah officials tell members of Congress that national monument designations in the state are damaging to the local economy surrounding the protected areas [Deseret News, Tribune].
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is set to visit Utah to tour Bears Ears and Grand Staircase next week [Deseret News].
Congressional Republicans still don't have enough votes to pass their legislation repealing the Affordable Care Act [New York Times].
President Donald Trump suggests that shutting down the government and killing the Senate filibuster would be a way to get Congress to pass his budget priorities [Wall Street Journal].
Former Acting Attorney General Sally Yates will testify before Congress next week that she gave a "forceful warning" to the White House about former national security adviser Michael Flynn three weeks before he was fired [CNN].
Hillary Clinton took some responsibility for her 2016 loss to Donald Trump, but still cast plenty of blame on FBI Director James Comey and Russian interference in the election [Washington Post].
CNN refused to air a self-congratulatory ad produced by President Donald Trump's campaign arm praising his first 100 days in office because the ad labeled CNN as "fake news" [Washington Post].
Boring but important. The NSA still collected 151 records about Americans' phone calls last year, which is a massive reduction from previous information the agency gathered [New York Times].
Sen. Orrin Hatch unveils legislation to strengthen protections for those exercising their religious beliefs [Deseret News].
Utah Supreme Court Justice Christine Durham announces she will retire from the bench in November after serving 35 years in that position [Deseret News].
Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski unveils her proposed budget for next year which includes more money for homeless services and a hike in sewer and water rates [Deseret News, Tribune].
The Salt Lake County Council approves a plan to move some inmates to other facilities to free up jail space [Deseret News, Tribune].
Rep. Keith Grover wants more information about the relationship between the Huntsman Cancer Institute and the University of Utah following the turmoil that led to two high-profile resignations at the school [Deseret News].

On this day in history:

1802 - Washington, D.C., was incorporated.
1913 - The California Alien Land Law of 1913 (Webb-Haney Act) passed the California state Senate, ignoring the demands of Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan. The bill forbid immigrants, not eligible for citizenship, from owning any land for agricultural or gardening purposes.
1921 - West Virginia imposed the first state sales tax.
1948 - The Supreme Court ruled that covenants prohibiting the sale of real estate to blacks and other minorities were legally unenforceable.
1979 - Conservative Party leader Margaret Thatcher became Britain's first female prime minister as the Tories ousted the incumbent Labor government in parliamentary elections.
1988 - The White House acknowledged that first lady Nancy Reagan had used astrological advice to help schedule President Ronald Reagan's activities.

Today At Utah Policy

Poll: What are the top priorities for 3rd District voters? By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor What do 3rd District voters want from their representative in Congress? A new poll may provide a path forward for those seeking to replace Rep. Jason Chaffetz....

Poll: Chaffetz's favorability ratings haven't moved since he announced he was leaving office By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor Rep. Jason Chaffetz's favorability hasn't changed much since he announced he was not running for re-election in 2018 according to a new poll....

All votes should count in filling U.S. House vacancy By LaVarr Webb, Publisher Some members of the Utah House of Representatives would like political party state delegates to select nominees in the event a vacancy occurs in a U.S. House seat – instead of allowing all party voters to elect the nominee....

Weekly survey: Special election for Congress By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor If Rep. Jason Chaffetz steps down from his seat before his term is up, how should the state pick the candidates for the special election to replace him? ...

Policy News

Governor's 2017 Energy Development Summit to explore 'crossroads of innovation' Gov. Gary R. Herbert has announced the sixth annual Utah Energy Development Summit, to be held May 3-4, 2017 at the Grand America Hotel....

Hatch, Feinstein introduce legislation to curb religious hate crimes Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT), the longest-serving member and former Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), the current ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, in introducing the Protecting Religious Affiliated Institutions Act&mda...

Governor Herbert statement on the death of Catholic Bishop George H. Niederauer Governor Gary R. Herbert issued a statement following the death of Catholic Bishop George H. Niederauer:...

Local Headlines

Salt Lake Tribune

Op-ed: Jason Chaffetz's dishonorable dereliction of duty

Editorial: Utah will now do right by Planned Parenthood

Utah's construction workers are seeing the best job market in a decade

EPA labels Utah air-quality problems 'serious'

Bears Ears is overkill, San Juan County leaders tell Zinke

Gehrke: Herbert is right to not let Chaffetz's replacement turn into a political game

National monuments harm the economy, Utah public lands official tells Congress

Utah Supreme Court's first female judge retiring from the bench

Salt Lake County signs off on plan to send inmates elsewhere

Huntsman Cancer Institute backers want more control over U.'s cancer revenues, care, hiring

Biskupski's budget seeks to bolster homeless services, rethink golf funding

Deseret News

Boyd Matheson: Collusion, not conflict, is bankrupting the nation

Richard Davis: Our permanent presidential campaign continues

Editorial: Implement solutions to solve traffic problems plaguing Big Cottonwood Canyon

Utah's first female Supreme Court justice to retire

Governor's energy summit features international panel, new coal technology report

Salt Lake County approves plan to use jail space in outlying counties

Sewer rate hikes, golf, homelessness highlight Biskupski's 2017 budget proposal

Governor, legislative leaders disagree over possible special election

Monuments under the microscope: Subcommittee debates designations

Hatch, Feinstein bill would make threats against religions, worshippers a federal crime

Secretary of Interior to tour Bears Ears, Grand Staircase next week

Peter Huntsman: Huntsman Cancer Institute needs autonomy

Lawmaker wants more clarity on U. relationship with Huntsman Cancer Institute

Other

Editorial: This is no time for Salt Lake to begin sending prisoners to other jails (Standard-Examiner)

National Headlines

White House aims for Thursday signing of religious liberty executive order (Politico)

Did Too Much Caitlyn Jenner Doom ESPN? (Politico)

Why a Congress that's protesting wasteful spending wants $77 million more for itself (McClatchy)

Berkeley Plans to Fight Left-Wing Violence With 'Laughter Yoga', Singing and Bubbles (Heat Street)

Stephen Colbert in Hot Water Over 'Homophobic' Donald Trump Joke (Variety)

Provocateur-in-Chief Trump Pokes His Own Party's Power Centers (Bloomberg)

GOP bill hung up on pre-existing conditions (The Hill)

Influential GOP lawmaker latest to say no to revised Republican health care bill (FOX News)

Clinton blames misogyny, FBI, Russia, herself for 2016 loss (New York Daily News)

Heritage Foundation board ousts president Jim DeMint (Washington Post)

United CEO, airline execs face latest group of unhappy customers: Congress (Chicago Tribune)

Wise Words

Religion and Morality
[T]he only foundation for a useful education in a republic is to be laid in religion. Without this there can be no virtue, and without virtue there can be no liberty, and liberty is the object and life of all republican governments." Benjamin Rush

Lighter Side

United
"After a month of very bad PR, United Airlines is offering up to $10,000 to passengers on overbooked flights. But you know another thing they could do? Stop selling more tickets than there are seats on the plane! Just don't do that!" James Corden

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