Good Monday morning from Salt Lake City. There are 327 days left in 2016.
Rubio chokes in the final debate before New Hampshire. The LDS Church voices its opposition to a medical marijuana bill. An activist group prepares to sue the state over education funding.
The clock:
- The 2016 New Hampshire Primary is tomorrow – (2/9/2016)
- 12 days to the Nevada Democratic Caucuses and South Carolina Republican Primary (2/20/2016)
- 15 days to the Nevada Republican Caucuses (2/23/2016)
- 19 days to the South Carolina Democratic Primary (2/27/2016)
- 34 days to the final day of the 2016 Utah Legislature – (3/10/2016)
- 46 days to the Utah Republican and Democratic caucus meetings (3/22/2016)
- 78 days to the Utah Republican and Democratic State Conventions (4/23/2016)
- 144 days to the 2016 Utah primary election – (6/28/2016)
- 161 days to the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland (7/18/2016)
- 168 days to the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia (7/25/2016)
- 277 days until the 2016 presidential election – (11/8/2016)
Monday’s top-10 headlines:
- Yikes. Marco Rubio‘s opponents are piling on after he turns in a brutal debate performance ahead of Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary [Politico, Washington Post, New York Times].
- Jeb Bush‘s campaign manager is warning staffers to watch for “dirty tricks” from the Rubio campaign as voters go to the polls in New Hampshire [Politico].
- Ted Cruz releases a list of New Hampshire endorsements which includes a lawmaker who did not endorse him [New York Times].
- The LDS Church voices its opposition to Sen. Mark Madsen‘s medical marijuana bill [2 News, Fox 13, Deseret News, Tribune].
- Alliance for a Better Utah is preparing a lawsuit against Utah alleging the Legislature is not adequately funding public schools [Tribune].
- House Speaker Greg Hughes says the relationship between majority Republicans and the minority Democrats has soured to the point that changes in the way the legislature runs are needed [Utah Policy].
- Trouble brewing? Rep. Chris Stewart is the only member of Utah’s Congressional delegation with approval ratings below 50% [Utah Policy].
- Utah’s highly controversial “guest worker” law, passed in 2011 but never implemented, may be repealed this year [Tribune, Deseret News, Fox 13].
- As we enter week #3 of the 2016 Legislature, lawmakers are staring down the barrel of a record number of bills [Fox 13].
- A Senate committee advances a resolution declaring pornography a public health crisis in Utah [Tribune, Deseret News, Fox 13].
On this day in history:
- 1587 – Mary Queen of Scots was beheaded, charged with conspiring to kill England’s Queen Elizabeth I.
- 1692 – A doctor in Massachusetts Bay Colony said two village girls were possibly bewitched, a charge that set off the Salem witch trials.
- 1999 – The Senate heard closing arguments in President Bill Clinton’s impeachment trial.
- 2002 – The Olympic Winter Games opened in Salt Lake City.
