Herbert says a controversial Nevada rancher should not be the face of the fight over public lands. Derek Miller steps down as Herbert’s chief of staff. Same-sex weddings could boost Utah’s economy.
Countdown:
- The Utah State Republican and Democratic conventions are Saturday
- 61 days until Utah’s 2014 primary elections
- 192 days to the 2014 midterm elections
- 276 days to the start of the 2015 Utah Legislature
- 556 days to the 2015 elections
- 621 days until the 2016 Iowa Caucuses
- 927 days to the 2016 presidential election
Today’s Utah political news highlights:
- Gov. Gary Herbert says controversial Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy should not be the “face” of the fight over control of public lands [Tribune, Deseret News].
- Herbert suggests Utah needs to take control of wild horse herds in the state in order to control their populations [Utah Policy].
- Rep. Rob Bishop denounces racist comments made by Cliven Bundy [Tribune].
- Derek Miller, Herbert’s chief of staff, steps down to take the top job at the World Trade Center Utah [Tribune].
- Herbert says helping to grow the Mexican economy may help to halt the tide of illegal immigration from that country [Tribune].
- A study says same-sex weddings could boost Utah’s economy by more than $15 million [Tribune].
- Justin Fawson is appointed to fill the legislative seat vacated by Rep. Ryan Wilcox [Tribune].
- An online petition aimed at helping the Salt Lake Tribune survive may be harvesting personal information for political purposes [Utah Policy].
- Republican leaders from around the Western U.S. are gathering in Salt Lake City [Utah Policy, Deseret News].
- Overstock.com chairman Jonathan Johnson is eyeing a run for governor in 2016 [Utah Policy].
On this day in history:
- 1507 – “America” was first used as the name of a continent on a map.
- 1859 – Crews broke ground on the Suez canal.
- 1898 – The United States declared war on Spain.
- 1901 – New York became the first state to require automobile license plates.
- 1945 – Delegates from 50 countries met in San Francisco to organize the United Nations.
- 1990 – The Hubble Space Telescope was deployed from the Space Shuttle Discovery.
- 2003 – The Georgia legislature voted to remove the “Confederate flag” design from its state flag.
- 2007 – The Dow Jones industrial average topped 13,000 for the first time ever.
