This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Trump promises to stick to the script. Utah congressional leaders applaud the president's speech. State lawmakers look to acquire Bears Ears land.

Happy Wednesday. Though Donald Trump's speech to a joint session of Congress received much acclaim for its more subdued style than his previous statements, White House aides say the real discipline came before the president delivered the remarks. Trump spent most of Tuesday practicing the speech. Throughout the day, the president marked up early drafts with a black Sharpie. He rehearsed with a teleprompter. He got advice from Stephen Bannon, Reince Priebus and Kellyanne Conway. He read a copy in the limo on the way to the Capitol. And he promised to stick to the script. [<a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2017/03/trump-speech-backstory-235552">Politico</a>]

<strong>Topping the news: </strong>Utah's congressional leadership lauded President Donald Trump's address, saying his call for a "renewal of the American spirit" was optimistic and set a new tone for his administration. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4995377-155/utahns-in-congress-laud-trumps-plan">Trib</a>]

-> Making plans in case Trump chooses not rescind Bears Ears National Monument, state lawmakers voted unanimously in favor of a bill that would pursue state acquisition of the land. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4997246-155/with-trust-in-trump-lawmakers-pass"; target="_blank">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865674488/Committee-Utah-should-acquire-Bears-Ears-National-Monument.html"; target="_blank">DNews</a>]

-> You've heard of the "Zion Curtain" and — more recently — the "Zion Moat." Now, meet "the Washington State wall," a compromise Utah House Majority Leader Brad Wilson says may solve concerns about his 144-page alcohol reform bill. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4995507-155/new-alternative-offered-to-utahs-zion?fullpage=1"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]

<strong>Tweets of the day: </strong>From <a href="https://twitter.com/mckaycoppins">@mckaycoppins</a>: "Tuesday is 'blue dimpled tie, grey suit, and flag pin' day on Pence's and Ryan's BFF coordinated outfit calendar."

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<p class="TweetTextSize TweetTextSize—26px js-tweet-text tweet-text" lang="en">-> From <a href="https://twitter.com/joshgondelman">@joshgondelman</a>: "I am 100% sure that Trump ran for president specifically for these standing ovations."</p>

</div>

<strong>In other news: </strong>The public corruption trial of former Utah Attorney General John Swallow is winding down, with the defense resting its side of the case after calling just five witnesses. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4994803-155/latest-from-the-john-swallow-corruption"; target="_blank">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865674445/Utah-House-Speaker-Greg-Hughes-not-taking-witness-stand-in-Swallow-trial.html"; target="_blank">DNews</a>] [<a href="http://www.good4utah.com/news/defense-rests-in-john-swallow-trial/664176715"; target="_blank">ABC4</a>] [<a href="http://fox13now.com/2017/02/28/defense-rests-in-john-swallow-corruption-trial/"; target="_blank">Fox13</a>]

<p class="p1">-> Though jurors are not expected to hear from Swallow in defense of himself, his team said they are confident he would be cleared of all charges. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4994943-155/jury-may-get-swallow-case-wednesday"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]</p>

-> Salt Lake City canceled its $7 million property purchase on Simpson Avenue, where it will no longer build a new homeless shelter. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4995298-155/salt-lake-city-cancels-controversial-simpson"; target="_blank">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865674531/Salt-Lake-City-cancels-purchase-of-Simpson-Avenue-site.html"; target="_blank">DNews</a>]

<span style="line-height: 1.5;">-> </span>Salt Lake City's police chief said President Donald Trump's stance on deportation not only frightens people in immigrant communities but also impacts law enforcement, making it harder for local police to do their job. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4995091-155/presidents-message-on-immigration-concerning-to"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]

-> A new Facebook group is looking to monitor Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in Utah. [<a href="http://www.good4utah.com/news/local-news/facebook-group-monitors-ice-enforcment-in-utah/664159278"; target="_blank">ABC4</a>]

-> After a meeting with Donald Trump, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert said he's confident the president will give states more power and decrease federal regulations. [<a href="http://kutv.com/news/local/gov-herbert-optimistic-trump-will-give-states-flexibility"; target="_blank">APviaKUTV</a>]

-> Prior to Trump's address to Congress, Pat Bagley imagined the president presenting Oscar-style awards to himself. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/4996517-155/bagley-cartoon-state-of-the-trump"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]

-> Robert Gehrke castigates the Utah Senate for squandering an opportunity to stand up to the rise of hate crimes — not even granting a bill on the subject a public hearing. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4996846-155/utah-lawmakers-squandered-their-chance-to">Trib</a>]

-> Amid concerns about soil erosion, pollution and landslides, more than 40,000 people have emailed the Bureau of Land Management about its consideration of leasing land for oil drilling near Zion National Park. [<a href="http://www.good4utah.com/news/local-news/should-oil-be-drilled-near-zion-national-park/664279563"; target="_blank">ABC4</a>]

-> City officials scrapped a plan to relocate Bountiful's city hall after heavy opposition from community members. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4996438-155/bountiful-officials-scrap-plan-to-relocate"; target="_blank">APviaTrib</a>] [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865674484/Bountiful-leaders-pull-plug-on-city-hall-proposal.html"; target="_blank">DNews</a>]

<strong>From the Hill: </strong>A bill that would allow carrying concealed weapons in Utah without a permit passed through the House, though it was previously considered to be dead. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4997750-155/house-oks-permit-free-carrying-of-concealed"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]

-> Senate lawmakers swapped out a bill that would have provided Utah's manufacturing industry with a $60 million tax break and turned it into a clean-air initiative that would cost $1.8 million and address some of the challenges with Utah's air pollution. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4995494-155/senate-shrinks-60m-manufacturing-tax-break"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]

-> The Senate Education Committee advanced a bill that would institute a statewide property tax freeze through 2020, allowing schools to capture the revenue generated by increases in property values. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4996698-155/senate-panel-oks-property-tax-freeze"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]

-> Senators gave preliminary approval to two education bills that would amend current definitions of success for school grading procedures and turaround programs. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4996265-155/tweaks-to-school-grading-and-turnaround"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]

-> Though a Utah representative had promised earlier to abandon legislation if he did not receive support from the Utah Board of Education, he has continued to promote a measure that would direct the board to review federal education mandates without its support. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4995427-155/utah-lawmaker-abandons-pledge-to-run"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]

-> The Senate Education Committee approved legislation that would create a grant program to support kindergarten enrichment programs. [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865674527/Kindergarten-enrichment-program-endorsed-by-Senate-panel.html"; target="_blank">DNews</a>]

-> The House Education Committee signed off on a bill that would set aside $200,000 to partially reimburse schools looking to purchase humanoid robots for work with autistic children. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4995220-155/robots-to-help-teach-children-with"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]

<p class="p1">-> The House endorsed a bill that would make sweeping changes to the state's juvenile justice system, seeking to keep low-risk offenders in their homes, when possible, through the use of a variety of alternative programs rather than jumping directly to incarceration. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4995462-155/sweeping-changes-to-juvenile-justice-system"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]</p>

<p class="p1">-> A bill that would ask a current state task force studying intergenerational poverty to look at the causes of child homelessness and study how to best address it received unanimous support in the House. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4996268-155/bill-to-study-address-homelessness-among"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]</p>

<p class="p1">-> The sponsor of a bill that would allow poor working Utahns to qualify for a state-earned income tax credit says the legislation would help 20,000 families across the state. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4997095-155/earned-income-tax-credit-finally-coming"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]</p>

-> The Senate Government Operations Committee advanced a bill that would create a presidential primary in Utah to address problems with last year's caucuses. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4994959-155/remember-the-long-lines-and-chaos"; target="_blank">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://www.good4utah.com/news/top-stories/presidential-primary-bill-advances-at-capitol/664168290"; target="_blank">ABC4</a>] [<a href="http://kutv.com/news/local/after-caucus-chaos-lawmaker-wants-utah-to-pay-for-primaries"; target="_blank">APviaKUTV</a>]

-> A bill that would provide protections to voter-registration records cleared through committee on its third try amid disagreements over who should have access to the information. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4996961-155/voter-registration-privacy-bill-goes-to"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]

<p class="p1">-> Lawmakers debated a bill on the House floor that would give immediate family members of individuals struggling with addiction a legal path for control over some decisions in their loved one's recovery. [<a href="http://www.good4utah.com/news/local-news/father-he-came-out-of-treatment-too-early/663807011"; target="_blank">ABC4</a>]</p>

<p class="p1">-> The House voted to allow local health departments to have more power to control smoke and e-cigarette shops through new licensing requirements. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4997138-155/utah-house-votes-to-give-local"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]</p>

<p class="p1">-> Lawmakers in the House are considering a bill that would allow motorcyclists to travel between lanes of traffic on Utah roads when the riders determine they can safely make the move without exceeding 40 mph. [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865674522/California-style-motorcycle-law-could-be-coming-to-Utah.html"; target="_blank">DNews</a>]</p>

<p class="p1">-> To speed up transportation projects particularly on I-15, Republican lawmakers are considering authorizing $1 billion in bonding over the next four years, which they say will help them get ahead of expected escalations in construction costs. [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865674536/GOP-lawmakers-looking-at-bonding-for-1-billion-to-speed-up-transportation-projects.html"; target="_blank">DNews</a>]</p>

<p class="p1">-> The House unanimously advanced a bill addressing limitations to freedom of speech on college campuses across the state. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4996963-155/house-oks-free-speech-on-campus-bill"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]</p>

<p class="p1">-> A bill that would have allowed Antelope Island State Park to tap into the revenue it generates failed to advance out of a House committee. [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865674496/Lawmakers-say-no-to-dedicated-revenue-for-Antelope-Island-State-Park.html"; target="_blank">DNews</a>]</p>

<p class="p1">-> The House Business and Labor Committee voted to hold a bill that would expand civil remedies at the state level for workers filing discrimination claims. [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865674431/Workplace-anti-discrimination-bill-on-hold.html"; target="_blank">DNews</a>]</p>

<p class="p1">-> A bill that would create runoff elections in Utah will likely be stalled after the Utah Republican Party reversed its decision not to pursue a lawsuit against the state over changes to election laws. [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865674503/Runoff-election-bill-likely-stalled-by-Utah-GOP-reversal-on-lawsuit.html"; target="_blank">DNews</a>]</p>

<p class="p1">-> The House voted to kill a bill that would have allowed colleges to involve police in rape cases despite a survivor's request for confidentiality after opponents argued it would make individuals less likely to report. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4996979-155/utah-house-kills-bill-that-would"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]</p>

<p class="p1">-> After passing without debate on its second reading in the Senate, a bill that would have eliminated criminal penalties for truant children was defeated in a tie vote during its final reading on the floor. [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865674526/Bill-to-eliminate-criminal-penalties-for-truant-students-parents-defeated-on-tie-vote.html"; target="_blank">DNews</a>]</p>

<strong>Nationally: </strong>President Donald Trump covered a lot of ground in his address to Congress, striking a seemingly more positive tone for the future of the United States than he has in the past. [<a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2017/02/donald-trump-congress-speech-key-moments-235520"; target="_blank">Politico</a>] [<a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/donald-trump-set-make-biggest-speech-joint-address/story?id=45787395"; target="_blank">ABCNews</a>] [<a href="http://www.npr.org/2017/02/28/517826209/watch-live-president-trump-looks-for-reset-with-joint-address-to-congress"; target="_blank">NPR</a>] [<a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/trumps-address-to-congress/trump-s-address-congress-immigration-budget-health-care-more-n727231"; target="_blank">NBCNews</a>]

-> Earlier in the day, Trump indicated a willingness to compromise on an immigration reform bill that would provide a pathway to legal status for people who are in the United States illegally but who have not committed serious crimes, striking a major shift from the administration's previous policies. [<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/28/us/politics/trump-address-congress.html"; target="_blank">NYTimes</a>] [<a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2017/02/trump-immigration-bill-compromise-235509"; target="_blank">Politico</a>] [<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-says-he-is-open-to-immigration-compromise-including-legal-status/2017/02/28/40a64c7e-fe12-11e6-8f41-ea6ed597e4ca_story.html?utm_term=.8877580de965"; target="_blank">WaPost</a>] [<a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/trumps-address-to-congress/trump-address-may-call-immigration-bill-senior-white-house-official-n726896"; target="_blank">NBCNews</a>]

<p class="p1">-> Trump signed an executive order directing the Environmental Protection Agency to begin dismantling Obama-era rules that gave the federal government authority over small bodies of water across the country. [<a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/feb/28/executive-order-trump-targets-obama-rule-water-pro/"; target="_blank">WaTimes</a>] [<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/02/27/trump-to-direct-rollback-of-obama-era-water-rule-tuesday/?utm_term=.5bb2c4737f3e"; target="_blank">WaPost</a>] [<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/28/us/politics/trump-epa-clean-water-climate-change.html"; target="_blank">NYTimes</a>] [<a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/02/28/517016071/trump-aims-to-eliminate-clean-water-rule"; target="_blank">NPR</a>]</p>

<strong>Where are they?</strong>

<ul>

<li>Rep. Jason <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/jasoninthehouse"; target="_blank">Chaffetz</a> </strong>attends a judiciary mark-up, meets with Uintah County commissioners and manages floor debate of an Oversight Committee bill.</li>

<li>Rep. Chris <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/RepChrisStewart"; target="_blank">Stewart</a> </strong>meets with Orbital ATK, Tooele County commissioners, Utah credit unions and Molina Healthcare. Later, he attends a House Intelligence Committee briefing, a House Appropriations Committee meeting, votes and holds a telephone town hall meeting.</li>

<li>Rep. Mia <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/RepMiaLove"; target="_blank">Love</a> </strong>meets with Utah County commissioners, constituents about the Family Movie Act and Molina Healthcare before attending a briefing on health care reform.</li>

<li>Gov. Gary <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/GovHerbert"; target="_blank">Herbert</a> </strong>hosts a weekly meeting with minority leadership, attends the Utah State Bar leadership's annual update and meets with legislators. Later, he heads to Multicultural Youth Leadership Day, hosts a weekly meeting with majority leadership and participates in a legislative update meeting.</li>

<li>Lt. Gov. Spencer <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/SpencerJCox"; target="_blank">Cox</a> </strong>attends a weekly discussion with minority leadership, heads to the festivities of Multicultural Youth Leadership Day, holds a weekly meeting with majority leadership and receives a legislative update.</li>

<li>State Auditor John <strong><strong><a href="https://twitter.com/FrugalDougall"; target="_blank">Dougall</a> </strong></strong>goes to a management team meeting, sits in on a Senate committee meeting and meets with various lawmakers.</li>

<li>President Donald <strong><strong><a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor">Trump</a> </strong></strong>receives his daily intelligence briefing, attends a House and Senate leadership lunch and leads a legislative affairs strategy session. In the evening, he eats dinner with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.</li>

</ul>

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— Courtney Tanner and Taylor Stevens