Good Monday morning from Salt Lake City. Today is the 58th day of the year. There are 307 days remaining in 2017.
Lawmakers are racing to finish the budget. “Zion Curtain” bill expected on Monday. Utah GOP revives the lawsuit against SB54.
The clock:
- 10 days until the final day of the 2017 Utah Legislature (3/9/2017)
- 110 days until the Utah Democratic State Convention (6/17/2017)
- 253 days until the 2017 municipal elections (11/7/2017)
- 329 days until the opening day of the 2018 Utah Legislature (1/22/2018)
- 374 days until the final day of the 2018 Utah Legislature (3/8/2018)
- 618 days until the 2018 midterm elections (11/6/2018)
- 1345 days until the 2020 presidential election (11/3/2020)
Today’s political TL:DR –
- Utah lawmakers have to pass the budget by midnight on Friday. There’s not much money for building construction this year [Utah Policy].
- The bill to get rid of the Zion Curtain is expected to finally see the light of day this week. Lawmakers are still working on finding a compromise with restauranteurs [Utah Policy].
- Rep. Jim Dunnigan wants to end the practice of allowing lobbyists to try and influence lawmakers on the floor of the House [Utah Policy].
- The Utah GOP votes to revive their federal lawsuit challenging SB54 [Utah Policy, Deseret News, Tribune].
- Lawmakers reach a compromise with Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County on homeless resource centers. Instead of building four facilities in Salt Lake City, that number will be cut in half, which includes nixing the controversial shelter proposal in Sugar House [Utah Policy, Tribune, Deseret News].
- House Speaker Greg Hughes lashed out against University of Utah athletics in newly public emails just before ordering an audit of the department [Tribune].
- Our “Political Insiders” say they’re not sure the loss of the Outdoor Retailers show will have a big economic impact on the state [Utah Policy].
- The race to replace outgoing Utah Democratic Chair Peter Corroon is shaping up to be a crowded one [Utah Policy].
- President Donald Trump will speak to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night [Politico].
- Residents of Washington, D.C. are fed up with Rep. Jason Chaffetz meddling in their affairs, so they’re forming a political action committee to fund a primary challenger for him in 2018 [The Hill].
- President Donald Trump‘s approval rating is at 44% according to a new poll. That’s the lowest ever for a newly inaugurated president [NBC News].
- President Trump’s first budget proposal includes an increase in military spending while cutting budgets in other agencies. The proposal will not include reductions in Social Security and Medicare [New York Times].
- Sean Spicer wants to crack down on leaks coming from the White House with increased security measures. News of the changes immediately leaked to the press [Politico].
- If you went to bed early, you missed the biggest screw-up in Oscar history. Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway read the wrong winner for best picture, announcing La La Land. Minutes later, organizers had to end the celebration and give the Oscar to Moonlight [Hollywood Reporter]. Here’s how Beatty ended up with the wrong envelope that led to the mixup [Los Angeles Times]. PricewaterhouseCoopers apologizes for the mixup [Variety]. Host Jimmy Kimmel roasted President Donald Trump repeatedly during the program [Page Six].
On this day in history:
- 1933 – Germany’s parliament building in Berlin, the Reichstag, caught fire. The ruling Nazis, blaming the Communists, used the fire as a pretext to suspend civil liberties.
- 1951 – The 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, limiting a president to two terms of office, was ratified.
- 1973 – Members of the American Indian Movement occupied Wounded Knee, S.D., the site of the 1890 massacre of Sioux men, women and children. The occupation lasted until May.
