This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated.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.
White House spokesman dodges comment on Trump's tweets. Utah's congressional leaders and local immigrant groups react to Trump's new travel ban. Chaffetz sees no evidence in Trump's wiretapping claims.
Happy Tuesday. As a spokesman for the White House, Sean Spicer is supposed to speak for the president. But sometimes he defers — and it's often in response to Donald Trump's tweets. In recent months, Spicer has developed something like a catchphrase when asked about the president's messages on social media. "I think the president's tweet speaks very clearly for itself," he often says. [<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/03/07/heres-how-you-know-the-white-house-hates-defending-trumps-tweets/?utm_term=.bbff680c4fc4">WaPost</a>]
<strong>Topping the news: </strong>Sen. Orrin Hatch and Rep. Jason Chaffetz approve of President Donald Trump's revised executive order, which temporarily halts travel from six Muslim-majority countries. Local immigrant groups and Democrats, though, say the new travel ban is just a dressed-up version of the last one. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/5021099-155/trumps-new-travel-ban-gets-thumbs"; target="_blank">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865674990/New-travel-ban-cruel-and-will-further-harm-refugees-Utah-agencies-say.html"; target="_blank">DNews</a>]
-> Chaffetz, chair of the House Oversight Committee, said he has not seen any evidence that former President Barack Obama wiretapped Trump Tower during the campaign, as Trump has alleged. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/5021691-155/chaffetz-i-have-not-seen-anything"; target="_blank">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865674937/Chaffetz-not-ruling-out-Trumps-wiretapping-claim.html"; target="_blank">DNews</a>]
-> Utah lawmakers killed a proposed reinstatement of a sales tax on food, opting instead to study the issue during the spring and summer and revisit the legislation later on. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/5021687-155/food-tax-hike-is-dead-in-utahs"; target="_blank">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865674964/Public-hearing-on-food-tax-bill-set-for-Tuesday.html"; target="_blank">DNews</a>] [<a href="http://kutv.com/news/local/bill-raising-food-sales-tax-dies-before-launch"; target="_blank">KUTV</a>] [<a href="http://fox13now.com/2017/03/06/food-tax-to-go-up-under-bill-being-pushed-through-the-legislature/"; target="_blank">Fox13</a>] (More Legislature news below).
<strong>Tweets of the day:</strong> From <a class="ProfileHeaderCard-screennameLink u-linkComplex js-nav" href="https://twitter.com/seungminkim">@<span class="u-linkComplex-target">seungminkim</span></a>: "Man next to me in Portland diner: 'I gave up Trump for Lent. But I keep reading about him. I have to stop that.'"
-> From <a href="https://twitter.com/mviser">@mviser</a>: "So at this point President Trump is basically calling on Congress to investigate what his sourcing was for his own tweet."
-> From <a class="ProfileHeaderCard-screennameLink u-linkComplex js-nav" href="https://twitter.com/joshgondelman"; target="_blank">@joshgondelman</a>: "TRUMP: 'Barack Obama trained a wolf to hide in the White House. No one can see it but me.' JASON CHAFFETZ: 'Invisible wolf. Classic Obama.'"
<strong>Happy Birthday: </strong>To Jared Whitley, Scott Burns and Taylorsville CFO Scott Harrington.
<strong>In other news: </strong>Law enforcement officials are looking for the person behind a flier distribution campaign that's spreading false information about Bears Ears National Monument. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/5022158-155/san-juan-county-sheriff-investigating-phony"; target="_blank">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://kutv.com/news/local/police-warn-of-bear-ears-entry-fee-scam"; target="_blank">KUTV</a>] [<a href="http://fox13now.com/2017/03/06/police-offering-500-reward-for-information-on-fake-bears-ears-signs/"; target="_blank">Fox13</a>]
-> Additionally, Chaffetz asked a House interior appropriations subcommittee that oversees funding of the U.S. Department of Interior to refrain from funding the Bears Ears designation in southeastern Utah. [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865674995/Will-Bears-Ears-National-Monument-get-funded.html"; target="_blank">DNews</a>]
<p class="p1">-> Pat Bagley looks behind the scenes at President Donald Trump's 'control' room — which he imagines looks quite a bit like Twitter. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/5022269-155/bagley-cartoon-donald-trump-control-room"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]</p>
-> Paul Rolly says efforts in the Utah Legislature and from the Utah Republican Party would move elected officeholders further from accountability to the public. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/5009882-155/rolly-swallows-acquittal-more-of-an?fullpage=1"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]
<strong>From the Hill:</strong> Without holding a public hearing, the House passed a bill that would authorize the state to borrow an additional $100 million in bonds for the new state prison, increasing the project's total cost to $575 million. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/5022806-155/lawmakers-quickly-draft-pass-bill-for">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865675007/Lawmakers-rush-through-bill-to-allow-100-million-more-for-new-prison.html"; target="_blank">DNews</a>]
-> Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski said legislation that would give the state the ability to locate a homeless shelter in a city that doesn't want it "may be the single most important action the Legislature takes this year." The bill received unanimous support in a House committee. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/5020697-155/homeless-funding-bill-empowers-state-to?fullpage=1"; target="_blank">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865674966/Bill-would-give-state-Salt-Lake-County-leaders-power-to-choose-homeless-shelter-site.html"; target="_blank">DNews</a>] [<a href="http://www.good4utah.com/news/top-stories/abandoned-child-bill-falls-short-in-committee/667520616"; target="_blank">ABC4</a>] [<a href="http://fox13now.com/2017/03/06/house-committee-approves-10-million-for-homeless-services/"; target="_blank">Fox13</a>]
-> A bill designed to tax counties statewide to help provide support for Salt Lake City homeless shelters failed to advance in a House committee after some lawmakers feared it would lead to county tax hikes that sidestepped public processes. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/5021739-155/committee-kills-bill-to-tax-counties"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]
<p class="p1">-> In a vote that fell cleanly along party lines, Republicans lawmakers advanced a resolution proposing the state take over land at Bears Ears National Monument if it is rescinded and manage the area in collaboration with American Indian tribes. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/5023420-155/house-oks-resolution-calling-for-state"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]</p>
<p class="p1">-> Lawmakers unanimously advanced another public lands bill that detailed the way Utah would manage and sell federal lands should the areas come under state control. [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865674989/Senate-committee-advances-Utah-Public-Lands-Act.html"; target="_blank">DNews</a>]</p>
<p class="p1">-> Former Senate President Michael Waddoups told lawmakers that a lengthly piece of alcohol policy reform legislation is a "bad bill" that he believes will lead to more children consuming alcohol. [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865674988/Former-Utah-Senate-president-calls-alcohol-reform-proposal-bad-bill.html"; target="_blank">DNews</a>]</p>
<p class="p1">-> The minimum age for Utahns to obtain, possess or use tobacco will remain at 18 after a bill attempting to raise the age limit to 21 failed in a House committee. [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865674955/Lawmakers-reject-proposal-to-raise-age-for-tobacco-use.html"; target="_blank">DNews</a>]</p>
-> A program that would have required the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control to create a program evaluating customer service, store cleanliness, product availability and compliance with laws at state-owned liquor stores failed to move past committee. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/5021845-155/lawmakers-sideline-secret-shopper-plan-for"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]
<p class="p1">-> For the first time in at least a decade, the Utah Air Quality Board is seeking Gov. Gary Herbert's veto. They want him to reject a bill that would bar the state from regulating sources of wood smoke, even on mandatory no-burn days, if the fire was used to cook food. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/5022428-155/state-air-board-seeks-governors-veto">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865674933/Air-quality-board-asks-for-veto-on-outdoor-cooking-bill.html"; target="_blank">DNews</a>]</p>
<p class="p1">-> Lawmakers advanced a measure that would allow outdoor recreation enthusiasts the option to purchase a card that would exempt them from paying for the cost of a search and rescue operation if they didn't intentionally engage in reckless behavior. [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865674953/Bill-exempts-coverage-for-reckless-behavior-in-search-and-rescues.html"; target="_blank">DNews</a>]</p>
-> The Senate Transportation Committee voted unanimously to endorse a proposal to borrow $1 billion through bonds — an effort to speed up already approved projects that have the most need or would create the most savings. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/5020678-155/plan-to-borrow-1-billion-for"; target="_blank">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865674972/Bill-authorizing-1-billion-in-transportation-bonding-passes-committee.html"; target="_blank">DNews</a>]
<p class="p1">-> Despite concerns about its removal of letter grades from schools, a bill addressing student testing and school accountability advanced out of a House committee. [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865674943/School-testing-accountability-bill-moves-forward-despite-concerns-about-letter-grades.html"; target="_blank">DNews</a>]</p>
<p class="p1">-> Lawmakers in the House voted unanimously to approve a measure that may allow law enforcement to release body camera footage more quickly in high-profile cases. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/5022687-155/bill-advances-to-allow-quicker-release"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]</p>
<p class="p1">-> The sponsor of a bill looking to end home confinement as a sentencing option for most DUI offenders argued such a punishment is not an effective deterrent. [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865674939/Bill-would-eliminate-home-confinement-as-sentencing-option-for-most-DUIs.html"; target="_blank">DNews</a>]</p>
<p class="p1">-> The House Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee voted unanimously to share criminal records and background checks between Utah and other states. [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865674967/Utah-may-join-national-crime-prevention-compact.html"; target="_blank">DNews</a>]</p>
<p class="p1">-> By a single vote, the House advanced a bill that would give Utahns the option to choose whether to make their voting registration records private. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/5023243-155/bill-advances-to-allow-voters-to"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]</p>
<p class="p1">-> The House voted to stop hospitals and doctors from charging the difference between what insurance companies are required to pay for emergency care under federal law and what the hospital and doctors want to pay — a practice known as "surprise billing." [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/5022626-155/house-oks-plan-to-limit-surprise"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]</p>
<p class="p1">-> Barbers would be legally allowed to give "a gentle massage of the head, back of the neck and shoulders" with haircuts if a bill awaiting Herbert's signature or veto is approved. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/5022386-155/need-a-neck-massage-ask-your"; target="_blank">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865675001/Legislature-passes-bill-allowing-massages-during-haircuts.html"; target="_blank">DNews</a>]</p>
<p class="p1">-> A bill that aimed to protect LGBT youths from being kicked out of their homes for sexual orientation stalled in House committee over concerns that the legislation would push government regulation on families and that the measure was unnecessary. [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865674973/Bill-to-protect-LGBT-from-getting-kicked-out-of-homes-stalls.html">APviaDNews</a>] [<a href="http://www.good4utah.com/news/top-stories/abandoned-child-bill-falls-short-in-committee/667520616"; target="_blank">ABC4</a>] [<a href="http://kutv.com/news/local/bill-protecting-lgbt-from-getting-kicked-out-of-homes-stalls"; target="_blank">KUTV</a>]</p>
<p class="p1">-> A "stand your ground" bill that would have clarified a Utahn's right to use deadly force in an act of self-defense failed to advance past the Senate Judiciary, Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee. [<a href="http://fox13now.com/2017/03/06/senate-skeptics-sink-duty-to-retreat-self-defense-law/"; target="_blank">Fox13</a>]</p>
<p class="p1">-> Senators voted again to kill a bill seeking to end criminal penalties for parents of truant children. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/5022826-155/resurrected-school-truancy-bill-dies-again"; target="_blank">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865675002/Senate-again-defeats-bill-to-nix-criminal-penalties-for-parents-of-truant-children.html"; target="_blank">DNews</a>]</p>
<p class="p1">-> The House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee voted to reject a bill that encouraged the public, businesses and the Legislature to create and support solutions addressing the causes and effects of climate change in Utah. [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865675009/Lawmakers-divided-on-Utahs-environmental-message.html">DNews</a>] [<a href="http://fox13now.com/2017/03/06/politicians-strike-down-climate-change-bill-better-utah-responds/"; target="_blank">Fox13</a>]</p>
<strong>Nationally:</strong> President Donald Trump issued a new executive order on travel — this one designed specifically to hold up in court. The mandate blocks immigrants from six nations and imposes a 90-day ban on travelers but drops religious language and applies only to new visa issuance. [<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/06/us/politics/travel-ban-muslim-trump.html"; target="_blank">NYTimes</a>] [<a href="http://www.npr.org/2017/03/06/518785814/full-text-trumps-new-executive-order-on-travel-annotated"; target="_blank">NPR</a>] [<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/06/politics/trump-travel-ban-iraq/"; target="_blank">CNN</a>] [<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/new-executive-order-bans-travelers-from-six-muslim-majority-countries-applying-for-visas/2017/03/06/3012a42a-0277-11e7-ad5b-d22680e18d10_story.html?utm_term=.cf27fd579662"; target="_blank">WaPost</a>]
-> House Republicans brought forward their long-awaited plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. The new plan would eliminate the requirement for most Americans to have health insurance and proposes a system centered on tax credit to help people buy insurance in the open market. [<a href="http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/322609-gop-releases-bill-to-repeal-and-replace-obamacare"; target="_blank">TheHill</a>] [<a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/republicans-unveil-obamacare-replacement-bill-scrapping-individual-mandate-n729871"; target="_blank">NBCNews</a>] [<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/new-details-emerge-on-gop-plans-to-repeal-and-replace-obamacare/2017/03/06/04751e3e-028f-11e7-ad5b-d22680e18d10_story.html?utm_term=.a597aa6e9b07"; target="_blank">WaPost</a>] [<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/06/us/politics/affordable-care-act-obamacare-health.html"; target="_blank">NYTimes</a>]
-> The White House offered to preserve federal payments to Planned Parenthood if the organization stopped providing abortions — an offer the health provider quickly dismissed. [<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/06/us/politics/planned-parenthood.html"; target="_blank">NYTimes</a>] [<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/06/politics/donald-trump-planned-parenthood-funding-abortion/"; target="_blank">CNN</a>] [<a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-planned-parenthood-funding-cuts-abortions/story?id=45948972"; target="_blank">ABCNews</a>] [<a href="http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/322597-planned-parenthood-tells-trump-it-wont-end-abortions-in-exchange-for"; target="_blank">TheHill</a>]
<strong>Where are they?</strong>
<ul>
<li>Rep. Jason <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/jasoninthehouse"; target="_blank">Chaffetz</a> </strong>returns to Washington, attends meetings about postal reform and votes.</li>
<li>Rep. Mia <a href="https://twitter.com/RepMiaLove"; target="_blank"><strong>Love</strong></a> flies to Washington, heads to a planning meeting with other Republicans and votes.</li>
<li>Gov. Gary <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/GovHerbert"; target="_blank">Herbert</a> </strong>meets with legislators, speaks to the media and attends various meetings.</li>
<li>Lt. Gov. Spencer <strong><strong><a href="https://twitter.com/SpencerJCox"; target="_blank">Cox</a> </strong></strong>heads to a legislative strategy meeting and the governor's leadership meeting before receiving updates on the Legislature.</li>
<li>State Auditor John <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/FrugalDougall"; target="_blank">Dougall</a> </strong>visits with legislators, meets with his management team and attends a luncheon on fraud investigations.
<div></div></li>
<li>President Donald <strong><strong><a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor">Trump</a> </strong></strong>speaks with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta by telephone before receiving his daily intelligence briefing. In the afternoon, he lunches with Sen. Lindsey Graham, leads a policy discussion with Sen. Tom Cotton and Sen. David Perdue and hosts a meeting with the U.S. House deputy whip team. Later, he meets withPresident of AFL–CIO Richard Trumka and visits with the Boy Scouts of America.</li>
</ul>
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— Courtney Tanner and Taylor Stevens