House GOP leaders unveil their plan for Medicaid expansion. Leavitt slams Bramble’s alternative to Count My Vote. Lawmaker says the atmosphere could use more, not less carbon dioxide.
Countdown:
- 22 days until the final day of the 2014 Legislature
- 23 days until the Utah candidate filing period opens
- 27 days until the Utah Democratic Party caucus meetings
- 27 days until the Utah candidate filing period closes
- 29 days until the Utah GOP caucus meetings
- 66 days until the Utah State Republican and Democratic conventions
- 125 days until Utah’s 2014 primary elections
- 258 days to the 2014 midterm elections
- 621 days to the 2015 elections
- 686 days until the 2016 Iowa Caucuses
- 992 days to the 2016 presidential election
Today’s Utah political news highlights:
- Utah House leaders unveil their plan for the state to not accept any Medicaid expansion money [Utah Policy, Tribune].
- Former Gov. Mike Leavitt slams Sen. Curt Bramble’s bill that would neuter the “Count My Vote” initiative [Tribune].
- Bramble’s SB 54 will be up for debate in the Senate on Thursday morning [Daily Herald].
- Polls show only the most conservative Utahns want to preserve the caucus system, while those with other political leanings favor an open primary [Utah Data Points].
- Sen. Scott Jenkins is proposing a constitutional amendment that would keep the state from changing the way political parties nominate their candidates [Deseret News].
- Rep. Jerry Anderson thinks the atmosphere needs more, not less, carbon dioxide and is proposing legislation to de-fang the state’s ability to regulate greenhouse gasses [Tribune].
- Foes of Common Core education standards hold a rally at the Capitol [Deseret News, Tribune].
- A House committee advances a measure to help pay for a convention center hotel in downtown Salt Lake City [Tribune].
- Rep. Chris Stewart visits lawmakers to talk immigration reform. federalism [Deseret News, Tribune].
- Gov. Gary Herbert warns if the federal government lists the sage grouse as an endangered species, Utah could lose billions in revenue [Deseret News].
- The Senate passes a bill to restrict who can access Utah voter information [Standard-Examiner, Tribune].
- A House panel passes a measure giving a tax refund to home-schoolers [Tribune].
On this day in history:
- Astronomer Copernicus was born in 1473.
- Thomas Edison patented the phonograph in 1878.
- Kansas became the first state to prohibit alcoholic beverages in 1881.
- President Franklin Roosevelt signed an executive order allowing the military to relocate Japanese-Americans in 1942.
- U.S. Marines landed at Iwo Jima in 1945.
- The first broadcast of Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood airs on PBS in 1968.
- Former Enron executive Jeffery Skilling was charged with fraud in 2004.
- New Jersey became the third state to offer civil unions to gay couples in 2007.
- Fidel Castro resigned as President of Cuba in 2008.