Immigration reform could be an issue in the 4th Congressional District race. Matheson returns PAC donations. Former Tribune staffers say there’s a conspiracy to shut down the paper.
Countdown:
- 40 days until Utah’s 2014 primary elections
- 173 days to the 2014 midterm elections
- 256 days to the start of the 2015 Utah Legislature
- 537 days to the 2015 elections
- 613 days until the 2016 Iowa Caucuses (tentative)
- 908 days to the 2016 presidential election
Thursday’s Utah political news highlights:
- Immigration reform could be an issue in the race between Mia Love and Doug Owens [Deseret News, Tribune].
- Rep. Jim Matheson returns more than $130,000 in donations from political action committees [Utah Policy].
- Rep. Jacob Anderegg wants to limit what schools do with the data they collect about students [Daily Herald].
- Local scientists warn that the “fake” debate over climate change is harming efforts to reduce the effects of climate change in Utah [Tribune, Deseret News].
- The deep distrust Utah lawmakers have for the federal government is impacting efforts by some to get the state to expand Medicaid [City Weekly].
- The state’s decision to not expand Medicaid may have been a financial boon to Utah-based health insurers [Tribune].
- Former Tribune staffers say there’s a conspiracy between the paper’s owner and the LDS Church to shut down the state’s biggest publication [City Weekly].
- A nonprofit organization is turning the Beehive Brick Building into offices and residential units [Tribune].
On this day in history:
- 1862 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture was created by Congress.
- 1911 – The U.S. Supreme Court ordered the dissolution of the Standard Oil Company because it violated the Sherman Antitrust Act.
- 1948 – Just hours after declaring its independence, the new state of Israel was attacked by Transjordan, Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Lebanon.
- 1969 – Supreme Court Justice Abe Fortas resigned because of a controversy over his past legal fees.
- 1970 – Two black students at Jackson State College in Mississippi were killed when police opened fire during student protests.
- 1972 – Alabama Governor George Wallace was shot while campaigning in Maryland. The attack left him permanently paralyzed below the waist.
- 1988 – The Soviet Union began withdrawing troops from Afghanistan.
- 2006 – Saddam Hussein refused to enter a plea at his trial in Iraq, insisting he was still the leader of that country.
- 2006 – The United States removed Libya from the list of terrorist states.
- 2007 – The Rev. Jerry Falwell died at the age of 73.
- 2008 – The California Supreme Court declared gay couples could marry. That decision was overturned by the passage of Proposition 8.
