Good Wednesday morning from Salt Lake City. There are 29 days left in 2015.
Don’t expect a special session this month to fix election laws. Business leaders launch an effort to improve Utah’s education system. The SLC City Council votes to give Biskupski funding for transition efforts.
The clock:
- 54 days to the opening day of the 2016 Utah Legislature – (1/25/2016)
- 61 days to the 2016 Iowa Caucus – (2/1/2016)
- 69 days to the 2016 New Hampshire Primary (tentative) – (2/9/2016)
- 100 days to the final day of the 2016 Utah Legislature – (3/10/2016)
- 111 days to the Utah Republican and Democratic caucus meetings (3/22/2016)
- 143 days to the Utah Republican and Democratic State Conventions (4/23/2016)
- 210 days to the 2016 Utah primary election – (6/28/2016)
- 342 days until the 2016 presidential election – (11/8/2016)
Wednesday’s top-10 headlines:
- It looks like there won’t be a special session in December so lawmakers can fix problems with Utah’s election laws [Utah Policy].
- Sen. Orrin Hatch‘s approval ratings are rebounding, but they’re not as high as Sen. Mike Lee‘s [Utah Policy].
- The Salt Lake City Council reverses course and approves some public money to pay for mayor-elect Jackie Biskupski‘s transition [Tribune, KUER].
- A coalition of businesses leaders is pushing to boost Utah’s education ranking [2 News, ABC 4, Deseret News, Tribune].
- A review of the DABC by Gov. Gary Herbert‘s office recommends restoring $500,000 that was cut from their budget earlier in 2015 [Tribune, Deseret News].
- Sen. Todd Weiler is sponsoring legislation to designate “official hashtags” for the state [2 News].
- Jeb Bush, Donald Trump, Ben Carson and Ted Cruz have all signed up to participate in the Utah Republican presidential caucus in March [Tribune].
- The Utah Department of Health is pushing for new warning labels on e-cigarettes which the industry says will hurt business in the state [2 News, Deseret News].
- Utahns spend less on health care than residents of any other state [Tribune].
- Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg announces he will donate 99% of his stock in the company to charity over his lifetime, which would amount to a staggering $45 billion [Re-Code, Washington Post].
On this day in history:
- 1804 – Napoleon crowned himself emperor of France.
- 1823 – During his annual address to Congress, President James Monroe proclaimed a new U.S. foreign policy that became known as the “Monroe Doctrine.”
- 1942 – Scientists at the University of Chicago demonstrated the first self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction.
- 1954 – The Senate voted 65-22 to condemn Wisconsin Sen. Joseph McCarthy for conduct unbecoming a senator.
- 1982 – Doctors at the University of Utah Medical Center gave retired dentist Barney Clark the first permanent artificial heart. He survived 112 days.
