Countdown: There are 51 days to the 2013 municipal elections, 135 days until the start of the 2014 Legislature, 410 days until the 2014 midterm elections and 847 days until the 2016 Iowa Caucuses.
- Former Gov. Mike Leavitt and former first lady Norma Matheson join the “Count My Vote” group as co-chairs [Tribune].
- Sen. President Wayne Niederhauser questions the need for other probes into John Swallow’s activity following a decision by federal investigators to not pursue charges against Utah’s Attorney General [Deseret News].
- Sens. Ted Cruz and Mike Lee vow to fight against Obamacare until the end [Tribune].
- A number of younger Utahns don’t know much about the Affordable Care Act [Tribune].
- Gov. Gary Herbert and state trust land managers reach a deal to delay energy exploration in some parts of the Book Cliffs [Tribune].
- Sen. Scott Jenkins is miffed that the state’s Building Board is not following recommendations from the Legislature on which construction projects should be prioritized [Standard-Examiner].
- Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams wants to create two positions to coordinate activity between the gang units for Salt Lake City and the Unified Police Department [Tribune].
- Sen. Orrin Hatch announces former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will speak at his annual Utah Women’s Conference next month [St. George.com].
- The city of Farmington joins other groups in opposing the proposed West Davis Corridor freeway [Tribune].
- A proposed youth detention center in Weber County could save local governments nearly $400,000 per year [Standard-Examiner].
- Paul Rolly burnishes his “geek cred” by merging politics and Salt Lake’s Comic Con [Tribune].
- The Sundance Film Festival will stay in Utah through 2026 [Deseret News].
- Another good sign for Utah’s economy – the number of “underwater” mortgages are falling, but the number is still too high for comfort [Tribune].
- A technological makeover for some Utah schools is hitting a number of snags [Tribune].
- More construction coming to I-15. This time, a $120 million project in Davis County [KSL].
- Former NFL quarterback Steve Young speaks at a conference for gay and lesbian Mormons [Deseret News].
