Archive

Morning must reads for Monday, January 30, 2017

··

Good Monday morning from Salt Lake City. Today is the 30th day of the year. There are 335 days remaining in 2017.

Trump’s immigration ban sows chaos. Lawmakers put election changes on a fast track. Herbert wants lawmakers to kill the Zion Curtain. 

The clock:

  • 29 days until President Trump addresses a joint session of Congress (2/28/2017)
  • 38 days until the final day of the 2017 Utah Legislature (3/9/2017)
  • 281 days until the 2017 municipal elections (11/7/2017)
  • 646 days until the 2018 midterm elections (11/6/2018)
  • 1373 days until the 2020 presidential election (11/3/2020)

Ten talking points for Monday:

  1. He’s doing what he said he would. President Donald Trump‘s immigration ban, which he signed on Friday, has sparked chaos in America and around the globe [New York Times]. Trump’s team kept the details of the ban quiet, and many American immigration officials didn’t see the order until after it was put in effect [Wall Street Journal]. Trump is turning up the volume on his defense of the order as opposition mounts [Politico]. Sens. John McCain and Lindsey Graham say the immigration ban will be a boon for extremist groups [Washington Post]. The LDS Church released a statement following Trump’s order, urging cooperation in finding a solution to the situation [KSL]. Demonstrations break out at airports across the United States, including in Salt Lake City [Deseret News]. Utah Sen. Mike Lee wants more information on what Trump is trying to accomplish with the ban [Tribune]. Most of those who voted for Mr. Trump are encouraged by the immigration ban [Reuters].
  2. Rushing an election fix. Republican lawmakers are putting Sen. Curt Bramble‘s bill to establish a runoff election in some primary contests on a fast track. They’re trying to pass the bill before Saturday’s Utah GOP Central Committee meeting [Utah Policy].
  3. Turning Utah into a landlord. Sen. Gene Davis says it makes more sense for lawmakers to lease state-owned land rather than sell it to developers [Utah Policy]. Here’s the video of our interview with Davis about the 2017 Utah Legislature [Utah Policy].
  4. Staying mum on Trump’s border wall. We asked Utah’s House members in Congress if they thought President Donald Trump would be able to get Mexico to pay for construction of the wall on the southern border. Most of them wouldn’t answer the question [Utah Policy].
  5. Legalizing medical marijuana is off the table. Lawmakers say they won’t take action to legalize medical marijuana this year [Utah Policy, Deseret News, Tribune, Daily Herald].
  6. Bracing for action on Bears Ears. Our panel of “Political Insiders” say they expect President Donald Trump to take action to reduce or completely undo the new Bears Ears National Monument [Utah Policy].
  7. Tear down that curtain. Gov. Gary Herbert says he wants lawmakers to tear down the so-called “Zion Curtain” in in restaurants, the 7-foot barrier that shields patrons from seeing alcoholic beverages being mixed [Utah Policy]. 
  8. Murky funding. The Utah League of Cities and Towns is trying to figure out the details of a mysterious fund that is being used to pay to place sponsored articles in the Deseret News. The fund came to light as part of a blistering audit released earlier this month [Tribune].
  9. Testing the teachers. A proposal would require prospective teachers to pass a test showing they know how to teach before they can get a license [Deseret News].
  10. Gearing up for a SCOTUS fight. President Trump is expected to name his pick to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court this week [Politico].

On this day in history:

  • 1798 – The first fight to break out on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives began when one congressman spat in another’s face.
  • 1933 – Adolf Hitler became chancellor of Germany.
  • 1948 – Indian political and spiritual leader Mahatma Gandhi was murdered by a Hindu extremist.
  • 1968 – The Tet offensive began as Communist forces launched surprise attacks against South Vietnamese provincial capitals.
  • 1969 – The Beatles performed in public for the last time in a 45-minute gig on the roof of their Apple Records headquarters in London.