Good Tuesday morning from Salt Lake City. There are 347 days left in 2016.
Obama plans an “audacious” use of executive powers. Most Utahns want lawmakers to pass some kind of Medicaid expansion. Gov. Gary Herbert decides to use signature-gathering to get on the 2016 ballot.
The clock:
- Six days to the opening day of the 2016 Utah Legislature – (1/25/2016)
- 13 days to the 2016 Iowa Caucus – (2/1/2016)
- 21 days to the 2016 New Hampshire Primary – (2/9/2016)
- 51 days to the final day of the 2016 Utah Legislature – (3/10/2016)
- 63 days to the Utah Republican and Democratic caucus meetings (3/22/2016)
- 95 days to the Utah Republican and Democratic State Conventions (4/23/2016)
- 161 days to the 2016 Utah primary election – (6/28/2016)
- 294 days until the 2016 presidential election – (11/8/2016)
Tuesday’s top-10 headlines:
- The White House says President Barack Obama plans an “audacious” use of his executive power during his final year in office [The Hill].
- A significant majority of Utahns want the Utah Legislature to pass some sort of Medicaid expansion according to a new poll [Utah Policy].
- The Utah GOP heads back to court to see if they’re allowed to exclude candidates who don’t go through the convention system [Deseret News, Tribune, Fox 13].
- Gov. Gary Herbert is using the signature-gathering route to get on the 2016 primary ballot [Utah Policy, Deseret News].
- Businessman Michael Weinholtz is reportedly set to launch a bid for Utah Governor on the Democratic ticket [Utah Policy].
- A proposed bill would raise the smoking age in Utah from 19 to 21 [Fox 13].
- Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski keeps three department heads from Ralph Becker‘s administration while two others decide to leave [Deseret News, Tribune].
- The Utah Attorney General’s office says they’ve been investigating San Juan County Commissioner Phil Lyman in some fashion since 2013 [Tribune].
- A new law allows some consumer complaints filed with the Division of Consumer Protection to be made public [Tribune].
- Tuesday marks the official start of tax season [Washington Post].
On this day in history:
- 1861 – George seceded from the Union and joined the Confederacy.
- 1944 – The federal government relinquished control of the nation’s railroads after settling a wage dispute.
- 1966 – Indira Gandhi was elected prime minister of India.
- 1977 – President Gerald Ford pardoned Iva Toguri D’Aquino, who had been convicted of treason for her World War II Japanese propaganda broadcasts as “Tokyo Rose.”
- 2001 – In a deal sparing himself possible indictment, President Bill Clinton acknowledged for the first time making false statements under oath about Monica Lewinski; he also surrendered his law license for five years.
- 2010 – In a major upset, Republican Scott Brown captured the Senate seat held by Democrat Edward Kennedy for nearly half a century as he defeated Democrat Martha Coakley in a special election.
