How to Sound Smart About Utah Politics – May 6, 2014

Don’t expect much change from the SCOTUS decision allowing prayer before public meetings. Chaffetz says the White House is hiding Benghazi documents. Golf is big business for Utah.

Countdown:

  • 49 days until Utah’s 2014 primary elections
  • 182 days to the 2014 midterm elections
  • 265 days to the start of the 2015 Utah Legislature
  • 546 days to the 2015 elections
  • 622 days until the 2016 Iowa Caucuses (tentative)
  • 917 days to the 2016 presidential election

Today’s Utah political news highlights:

  • The Supreme Court decision allowing prayer before public meetings probably won’t change much in Utah [Deseret News, Tribune].
  • Rep. Jason Chaffetz is on the warpath again about Benghazi, accusing the White House of hiding documents [Deseret News].
  • A movement to “draft” Mitt Romney for another presidential run is not expected to have much success in 2016 [Deseret News].
  • A report says golf is a huge economic driver for the state [Tribune, Deseret News].
  • Rep. Ronda Menlove reflects on her 10-years in the legislature [Deseret News].
  • An effort to remove pollutants from Utah’s waste water could cost more than $1 billion [Deseret News].
  • Drones are wreaking havoc with bighorn sheep and hikers in Zion National Park [Tribune].
  • How Utah is using slick videos to change perceptions about the state [Utah Policy].

On this day in history:

  • 1865 – Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, was born.
  • 1861 – Arkansas seceded from the Union.
  • 1882 – Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act, which barred Chinese immigrants from the U.S. for 10 years.
  • 1915 – Babe Ruth hit the first of his 714 major league home runs.
  • 1937 – The dirigible Hindenburg burned and crashed in Lakehurst, N.J., killing 36 people.
  • 1954 – Roger Bannister became the first athlete to run a mile in less than four minutes.
  • 2002 – “Spider-Man” became the first movie to make more than $100 million in its opening weekend.
  • 2004 – The final episode of “Friends” aired on NBC.