House to present final report on John Swallow investigation. Lee not worried about dual-track nominating system. Herbert says he’s an “action figure” on Medicaid.
Countdown:
- Tomorrow is the last day of the 2014 Legislature
- 2 days until the Utah candidate filing period opens
- 6 days until the Utah Democratic Party caucus meetings
- 8 days until the Utah candidate filing period closes
- 8 days until the Utah GOP caucus meetings
- 44 days until the Utah State Republican and Democratic conventions
- 104 days until Utah’s 2014 primary elections
- 237 days to the 2014 midterm elections
- 600 days to the 2015 elections
- 665 days until the 2016 Iowa Caucuses
- 971 days to the 2016 presidential election
Today’s Utah political news highlights:
- The House wraps up the investigation into former Attorney General John Swallow, will present their final report on Wednesday [Utah Policy, Tribune, Deseret News].
- Sen. Mike Lee says he’s not worried about the dual-track nominating system that came out of a compromise between the Legislature and “Count My Vote” [Tribune].
- Sen. Stuart Reid says the new dual-track nominating will lead to the death of the Democratic party in Utah [Deseret News].
- Gov. Gary Herbert takes a swipe at Speaker Becky Lockhart saying he’s an “action figure” when it comes to negotiating on Medicaid with the federal government [Utah Policy, Deseret News].
- Senators approve a bill allowing the use of cannabis oil in the treatment of seizures, sending the measure to the governor [Deseret News, Tribune]
- The Senate moves forward on a measure allowing the Stericycle medical waste incinerator to move from North Salt Lake to Tooele [Tribune].
- Sens. Orrin Hatch and Mike Lee introduce legislation calling on the federal government to reimburse Utah for the cost of opening the state’s national parks during the government shutdown [Deseret News].
- Utahns are rushing to sign up for Obamacare as the March 31 deadline looms [Tribune].
- The Utah Senate advances a bill to give tax incentives for the construction of a convention center hotel in downtown Salt Lake City [Tribune].
- Lawmakers reveal their own stories of being abused during emotional debate over a bill to help educate schoolchildren on how to avoid sexual abuse [Utah Policy, Deseret News].
- There’s a high-stakes fight over electrical power lines is brewing on the Hill [Tribune].
- BYU names Kevin Worthen as the school’s 13th president. He will replace Cecil Samuelson in May [Deseret News, Tribune].
On this day in history:
- 1862 – Ulysses S. Grant was promoted to general-in-chief of the Union armies.
- 1912 – The Girl Guides, the forerunner of the Girl Scouts, was founded.
- 1933 – President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivers his first radio “fireside chat.”
- 1987 – The musical “Les Miserables” opened on Broadway.
- 1994 – The Church of England ordained its first female priests.
- 2002 – Homeland security chief Tom Ridge unveiled the color-coded system for terror warnings.
- 2003 – Elizabeth Smart was found alive nine months after vanishing from her bedroom.
- 2008 – New York Governor Eliot Spitzer resigned after reports surfaced he was a customer of a prostitution ring.
- 2009 – Financier Bernard Madoff pleaded guilty to running a Ponzi scheme.
