Sloganeering doesn’t win elections and it’s easy to see why. (Our political parties aren’t very good at it.) The Utah Legislature, which usually takes 45 days to get anything done, does a bunch of stuff in a single sitting. And Gehrke gets the last word ... Or does he?
Happy Thursday! “For the People” vs. “Better Off Now.” It’s the battle of the political slogans, 2018 edition — and House Democrats just unveiled the “For the people” mantra Wednesday, describing it as an attempt to distance themselves from the GOP policies. House Republicans had earlier switched to the “Better Off Now” slogan from their “A Better Way.” [Politico]
Topping the news: Despite SLC Mayor Jackie Biskupski’s last-ditch effort to persuade lawmakers to scrap inland port legislation and start over (even as the city council lobbied for the amended bill), the measure passed during Wednesday’s special session. [Trib] [Fox13]
-> Also during Wednesday’s special session, Utah lawmakers passed a $30 million tax cut in the form of an increased child tax credit for families. Sen. Jim Dabakis questioned why families are being helped on the basis of size and not income. [Trib] [Fox13] [DNews]
-> Democrats in the US Senate are demanding Russian Ambassador Jon Huntsman testify before Congress about President Donald Trump’s private meeting with Russia’s Vladimir Putin. [Trib]
Tweets of the day: From @RobertGehrke: “Well, it’s not the first time the editorial board has been wrong.”
-> From @conncarrol: “The extreme left is often completely blind to where they overlap with the extreme right which is why both are dangerous.”
-> From @chelseahandler: “When it comes to lying, nobody gets more dressed up to do it than Sarah Huckabee Sanders.”
In other news: Trib Talk. Tribune columnist Holly Richardson, a member of the Utah State Records Committee and a former state lawmaker, joins reporters Benjamin Wood and Jessica Miller to discuss a court decision that BYU police have to follow the same rules as other local agencies. The Mormon church-owned school is appealing the decision. [Trib]
-> Utah lawmakers on the Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Interrim Committee debated -- but did not vote on -- a proposal to require guns be safely stored when not in use, with the bill’s sponsor, Democrat Rep. Elizabeth Weight, saying the requirement could “save lives.” [Trib] [DNews]
-> Sen. Mike Lee met with President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court pick, Judge Brett Kavanaugh, and called him “just the kind of originalist jurist we need on the court.” [Trib]
-> Uintah County Attorney’s Office investigator Jayson Chamberlain was charged with third-degree felony tampering with a juror after allegedly trying to cozy up to jurors in the December trial of three men accused of raping a 9-year-old girl. [Trib] [KSL]
-> A woman who alleges she was sexually assaulted by then Missionary Training Center President Joseph L. Bishop in 1984 says she is “cautiously optimistic” while a federal judge decides whether to dismiss her lawsuit due to statute of limitations. [Trib] [KSL]
-> For the fifth year in a row, the LGBTQ group Mormons Builiding Bridges will not be allowed in the Days of ’47 parade in Salt Lake City on Pioneer Day. [Trib]
-> A video posted to Facebook shows a UTA Frontrunner worker confronting women who shared the restroom together and calling them porn stars. He has been placed on paid leave while the human resources department investigates the incident. [Trib] [ABC4]
-> About 100 anti-Trump protesters showed up at the Utah Capitol Wednesday night for a “Confront Corruption: Demand Democracy” vigil, one of more than 110 throughout the country. [Trib]
-> The United Utah Party selected MTC director of research and evaluation Tim Zeidner as the party’s candidate in the 3rd Congressional District. [Trib]
-> Pat Bagley questions how upset Congressional Republicans really are about Russia’s interference with the 2016 presidential election. [Trib]
Nationally: After giving conflicting statements about his meeting in Helsinki, Finland, with Russia’s Vladimir Putin, President Donald Trump said he holds Putin responsible for Russian interference and that he laid down the law during their private meeting. [NYTimes] [CNN]
-> As the White House struggles to clarify Trump’s comments about his meeting with Putin, Russian officials say “important verbal agreements” were made between the two leaders. [WaPost] [TheHill]
-> Former first lady Michelle Obama is kicking off the 2018 election campaigns by getting involved with a nonpartisan voter registration initiative that will also be supported by A-list celebrities including actor Tom Hanks, Houston Rockets star Chris Paul and “Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda. [Politico] [USAToday]
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-- Dan Harrie and Connor Richards
Follow @sltribpolitics