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Wednesday’s Talking Points – March 30, 2016

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Good Wednesday morning from Salt Lake City. Today is the 90th day of the year. There are 276 days left in 2016.

Donald Trump goes back on his vow to support the eventual GOP nominee. Trump’s campaign manager is charged with battery. Former Gov. Leavitt says he doesn’t think Trump can win the election in November.

The clock:

  • Today is the last day the governor may sign or veto bills (3/30/2016)
  • 24 days to the Utah Republican and Democratic State Conventions (4/23/2016)
  • 40 days to the last day a veto override session may begin (5/9/2016)
  • 90 days to the 2016 Utah primary election – (6/28/2016)
  • 110 days to the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland (7/18/2016)
  • 117 days to the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia (7/25/2016)
  • 223 days until the 2016 presidential election – (11/8/2016)
  • 299 days until the first day of the 2017 Utah Legislature – (1/23/2017)
  • 344 days until the final day of the 2017 Utah Legislature – (3/9/2017)

Ten talking points for Wednesday:

  1. Donald Trump reverses himself and says he will not honor his pledge to support another candidate if he fails to win the GOP nomination [New York Times, Fox News, Politico].
  2. Trump’s campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, has been charged with simple battery for allegedly forcefully grabbing the arm of a reporter. Trump is defending Lewandowski despite calls for his ouster over the incident [Politico, Associated Press, New York Daily News].
  3. Former Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt says Donald Trump is not a candidate who can win the general election in November [Utah Policy, Tribune, Deseret News, 2 News].
  4. Hillary Clinton‘s campaign makes a bold prediction that they will have the nomination virtually wrapped up by the end of April [Mother Jones].
  5. If Trump and Clinton are indeed the nominees this year, they would be the oldest contestants in U.S. history [Newsweek].
  6. Utah becomes the first state in the U.S. to have an online registry for white collar criminals [The Atlantic].
  7. Public unions win a significant victory at the Supreme Court as the justices deadlocked 4-4 on a whether public school teachers in California could be forced to pay union fees instead of dues. Before Antonin Scalia‘s death, it appeared the unions would lose on a 5-4 vote [Fortune].
  8. Utah’s Congressional delegation is renewing efforts to get a new V.A. center in northern Utah [Tribune].
  9. Good news for those businesses seeking a liquor license. Some changes to the way they’re allocated mean a few more licenses will be available later this year [Fox 13]. Gov. Herbert also approved funding for a new state liquor store in Syracuse [Deseret News].
  10. The Salt Lake County Council approves $5.2 million for homeless programs and criminal justice reinvestment [Tribune].

On this day in history:

  • 1867 – Secretary of State William Seward reached an agreement with Russia for the purchase of Alaska for $7.2 million in gold.
  • 1870 – The 15th Amendment, granting African-American men the right to vote, was adopted into the U.S. Constitution.
  • 1870 – Texas was readmitted to the Union.
  • 1981 – President Ronald Reagan was shot by John Hinckley Jr. outside a Washington hotel. White House press secretary James Brady, a Secret Service agent and a Washington police officer also were wounded.