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Situational awareness - February 26, 2018

Good Monday morning from Salt Lake City. There are just 9 working days until the end of the 2018 Utah Legislature.

A small group of Utah GOP hardliners sows chaos in the party. Utahns approve of Medicaid work requirements. Congress gets back to work with new pressure to take action on guns.

Tick Tock:

10 days until the final day of the 2018 Utah Legislature (3/8/2018)11 days until the filing period for candidates in the 2018 election opens (3/9/2018)17 days until the filing deadline for the 2018 elections (3/15/2018)22 days until the statewide caucus meetings for Utah Republicans and Democrats (3/20/2018)54 days until the Utah GOP State Convention (4/21/2018)61 days until the Utah Democratic State Convention (4/28/2018)120 days until the 2018 Primary Election (6/26/2018)252 days until the 2018 midterm elections (11/6/2018)336 days until the first day of the 2019 Utah Legislature (1/28/2019)982 days until the 2020 presidential election (11/3/2020)

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Here's what's driving the day:

GOP Chaos

A small group of hardliners in the Utah GOP passed a rule change on Saturday that would "immediately" strip the party membership of any candidate that takes the signature-gathering route to the ballot. That means Mitt Romney could be kicked out of the Utah GOP if he uses signatures to get on the ballot. The restriction doesn't apply to Reps. Mia Love and John Curtis, who have already started gathering signatures. And, that same group fired the Utah GOP's attorney and rejected the entire list of people Chairman Rob Anderson picked to help him plan April's state convention [Utah Policy].

Utahns support expanding Medicaid with work requirements

Our new poll shows nearly 2/3rds of Utahns say they support a plan to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act that will be coupled with work requirements and caps on what the state will pay [Utah Policy].

Utah House cracking down on journalists

Utah Representatives will consider a rule change that would keep journalists off the House floor 45 minutes before a session, severely limiting the access journalists have to lawmakers [Utah Policy].

Separation of powers battle

The House introduces a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow them to call themselves into special session. Right now, only the governor can do that [Utah Policy].

Chavez-Houck not running

Rep. Rebecca Chavez-Houck says she doesn't have the "fire in the belly" to run for Sen. Jim Dabakis's seat after he retires this year [Utah Policy].

Abolishing the death penalty

Our "Political Insiders" mostly support the effort to abolish the death penalty in Utah, but the Republicans on our panel are evenly divided [Utah Policy].

Webb and his AR-15

Publisher LaVarr Webb writes about gun control and admits he owns an AR-15 [Utah Policy].

Other Utah headlines:

Gov. Gary Herbert says he supports expanded background checks for gun purchases. He also says he would consider restrictions on high-capacity magazines and raising the age to purchase some semi-automatic rifles [Tribune].
Legislative leaders are exploring what steps they can take in the waning days of the 2018 Legislature to curb gun violence [Deseret News, Tribune].
A bill to overhaul the governance of the UTA also raises the state sales tax to 4.85%, which would raise $80 million annually for mass transit [Deseret News].
Lawmakers reject a ban on plastic grocery bags, then turn around and approve a bill barring cities from imposing their own bans on the bags [Tribune].
Sen. Todd Weiler's bill setting guidelines for transgendered Utahns to legally change their gender failed in the Senate [Deseret News].
Rep. Keven Stratton is warning of "havoc" if the state doesn't move to change temporary "surplus water" contracts cities enter into with customers outside their jurisdictions [Deseret News].
A House committee approves a bill allowing prosecutors to charge drug dealers with homicide if a customer dies from a drug overdose [Tribune].
Police departments across Utah are scrambling to find experienced officers to fill their ranks [Tribune].

National headlines:

Students return to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School for the first time since the mass shooting on February 14 [New York Times].
Congress gets back to work following a 10-day recess. They're under pressure to pass new gun laws, but that probably won't happen [Washington Post].
The NRA is facing off with Florida Republicans over gun restrictions in the wake of the mass shooting at a Florida high school [Politico].
Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto canceled a planned trip tot he White House after a phone call with President Trump got testy when the discussion turned to Trump's proposed border wall [Washington Post].
The House Intelligence Committee released the Democratic memo intended to rebut allegations that the FBI and other law enforcement agencies had political motives for surveilling a former Trump campaign aide [New York Times].
The number of "glitches" in the new tax law passed by Republicans in Congress at the end of last year are starting to pile up. However, Democrats don't seem too keen to help Republicans fix them [Politico].
President Donald Trump reportedly has been pushing his personal pilot as the head of the FAA. The agency has a budget in the billions and oversees all civil aviation in the US [Axios].
President Trump's deregulation push has weakened safety rules, while no new safety regulations have been proposed since he took office [Associated Press].
Michelle Obama is set to publish a new memoir in November [Washington Post].
California Democrats refused to endorse longtime Sen. Dianne Feinstein ahead of the upcoming primary election where she is facing a challenge from her political left [The Hill].
Russian hackers broke into computers used by South Korean Olympic officials and tried to make it look like the North Koreans were responsible [Washington Post].
China is moving to abolish term limits on the presidency, which would allow Xi Jinping to stay in tower indefinitely [New York Times].

On this day in history:

1616 - Galileo Galilei is formally banned by the Roman Catholic Church from teaching or defending the view that the earth orbits the sun.
1815 - Napoleon Bonaparte escapes from Elba.
1919 - President Woodrow Wilson signs an act of Congress establishing the Grand Canyon National Park.
1929 - President Calvin Coolidge signs an executive order establishing the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.
1987 - Iran Contra affair: The Tower Commission rebukes President Ronald Reagan for not controlling his national security staff.
1993 - A truck bomb parked below the North Tower of the World Trade Center explodes, killing six and injuring over a thousand.
1995 - The UK's oldest investment bank, Barings Bank, collapses after a rogue securities broker loses $1.4 billion by speculating on the Singapore International Monetary exchange.

Today At Utah Policy

Most Utahns back expanding Medicaid with work requirements and caps on what the state would spend By Bob Bernick, Contributing Editor Two-thirds of Utahns want the GOP-controlled Legislature to adopt Medicaid expansion, the health insurance program for the poor that lawmakers continuously opposed during Democratic President Barack Obama's time....

Chaos in the Utah GOP! Hardliners adopt rule change that could kick Mitt Romney (and other candidates) out of the party By Bob Bernick, Contributing Editor You may have thought the internal workings of the Utah Republican Party were really screwed up before....

Guns? I have a few By LaVarr Webb, Publisher I grew up fishing and hunting in various places around Utah. As a teen, I loved to tramp the fields and marshes in the fields around Utah Lake, often alone, with a shotgun over my shoulder, hunting pheasants, ducks, quail and sometimes crows and magpies (legal back then)....

'Political Insiders' mostly say Utah should abolish the death penalty By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor Some legislative Republicans are pushing a bill that would abolish the death penalty in Utah. Our "Political Insiders" are mostly on board with that idea, but Republicans are divided....

Chavez-Houck decides to not run for Dabakis' seat By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor After dancing around the idea for a few days, Rep. Rebecca Chavez-Houck has decided not to run for the SD2 seat being vacated by Sen. Jim Dabakis....

Possible House Rule change would clamp down on journalists By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor A proposed rule change in the Utah House of Representatives appears to be an attempt to crack down on press access to lawmakers and set up a kind of safe space away from the media....

Proposed constitutional change would give lawmakers the power to call themselves into a special session By Bob Bernick, Contributing Editor Utah lawmakers who now can only be called into a special session by the governor would have the power to call themselves into such sessions and set their own agendas under a constitutional amendment introduced Friday....

Policy News

SLCC's Grand Theatre welcomes Black Panther co-founder Bobby Seale Salt Lake Community College is hosting author and activist Bobby Seale, co-founder of the Black Panther Party, at SLCC's Grand Theatre on Feb. 26 at 7 p.m. The free event is open to the public....

Salt Lake County accepting applications from arts organizations for funding consideration Arts and cultural projects or organizations can apply to receive funding from Salt Lake County as part of the Cultural Facilities Support Program....

ALAS-Utah offers scholarships to Latino educators The Utah affiliate of ALAS (the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents) recently announced two $5,000 scholarships for Latino educators who aspire to school and/or district level leadership positions....

Girls Who Code clubs to launch statewide in Utah In partnership with Adobe, Dell EMC, Girls Who Code and Microsoft, the Utah STEM Action Center announced the launch of the Utah Girls Who Code Club Network, at an event at Dell EMC. ...

Local Headlines

Salt Lake Tribune

Editorial: Schools should teach students about consent

Utah senators vote to give more money to some school districts, despite concerns it means less money for all

With one vote to spare, the Utah House agrees to strip the state school board of its final say in approving or denying new charter schools

Company abruptly withdraws bid to bring out-of-state industrial waste to a landfill it is building near the Great Salt Lake

Noting Utah's high inmate death rate, lawmakers want jails to report on in-custody deaths every year

Romney hires longtime aide, and Trump campaign treasurer, as his Senate organization's accountant

Until now, stealing a police dog was a more serious crime than killing one. Lawmakers vote to change that.

Gary Ott spent years in public office with progressive Alzheimer's disease. Lawmakers are taking steps to avoid a repeat.

Deseret News

Op-ed: Utah should support a state earned income tax credit

Op-ed: Improving school libraries gives Utah students a first-rate education

Editorial: Training rural Utahns in tech jobs is money well spent

Utah senator day drinks before presenting bill to delay state's new .05 percent DUI law

Campus civil liberties resolution headed to final passage

Utah Senate panel gives OK to inmate addiction study bill

Bill would require Utah truckers to be trained to identify victims of human trafficking

Police unable to identify 'date' who showed up at Utah senator's hotel room

Utah Legislature urges full compensation on rural $ for federal lands

Utah lawmakers stiffen penalty for killing police dog

Utah House votes to ban A.G., other state offices from fundraising during legislative session

Utah Senate gives preliminary approval to bill equalizing school funding

Utah's changing demographics could impact local economy

Legislators to field questions, concerns on prison construction, inland port on Saturday

Utah attorney general kicks off a cultural celebration of Latinos at the Capitol

Lawmakers advance bill instructing all doctors to complete suicide prevention training

Working conditions a key factor in teacher turnover, Brown University professor says

Bill to remove mentally unfit elected officials passes Utah House

Utah launches statewide network of girls' coding clubs

Utah lawmakers debate, fail to act on family leave bill

Rep. Mia Love: 'Everything has to be on the table' after Florida school shooting

Utah Sen. Mike Lee opposes AR-15 ban, says hard to distinguish from hunting rifles

Utah contingent offering Olympic officials a reminder that Utah is 'ready, willing and able' to host Games again

Other

Editorial: Utahns' understanding of the 2nd Amendment enhances ability to make better change (Daily Herald)

Bill would apply Utah's open-container alcohol laws to motorized bicycles (Standard-Examiner)

Weber County ag boosters tout import of farming even as more development looms (Standard-Examiner)

Arm the teachers? Utah educators can already legally pack heat (Logan Herald Journal)

National Headlines

Fire And Fury author Michael Wolff flees Today interview after questions over Trump's affairs (news.com.au)

Free news gets scarcer as paywalls tighten (AFP)

California Democrats agree they have too many candidates for Congress. What to do about them is the problem. (Los Angeles Times)

Florida lawmakers call for suspension of Broward sheriff after Parkland massacre as he defends 'amazing leadership' (Chicago Tribune)

Supreme Court to Decide Fate of Public-Sector Unions (Wall Street Journal)

California Democrats deny Sen. Feinstein an endorsement (CNN)

Ivanka Trump: Arming teachers an option that 'needs to be discussed' (NBC News)

Lines Out the Door and Strong Sales at Tampa Gun Show (New York Times)

White House Legal Team Considers Ways Trump Could Testify Before Mueller (Wall Street Journal)

Glenn Beck: Divisions in US reminiscent of Germany in 1920s (The Hill)

Ranchers set to fight back against vegetarian 'fake meat' (USA Today)

Wise Words

Awareness

"What is necessary to change a person is to change his awareness of himself." Abraham Maslow

Lighter Side

Popular Vote

"According to a New York Times survey of political scientists across both parties, Donald Trump has been rated America's worst president ever. I had a sneaking suspicion. It's pretty incredible because it's the first time Trump has won a popular vote." James Corden

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