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Obama campaign manager: We were afraid of Huntsman. Poll: 73% of Utahns say state on right track. Hatch wants Secret Service to investigate threats against former VPs.
Happy Wednesday. President Barack Obama's former campaign manager, Jim Messina, says that the Republican presidential candidates to watch are Chris Christie, Jeb Bush and John Kasich but he also noted that former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman was a big concern in 2012. "[In 2012,] the guy that we were always most afraid of was Jon Huntsman, the governor of Utah, who I think would be a smashingly great general election candidate," Messina said. Of course, he added, given the Republican Party's base right now, "You and I have the same chance he does of getting the Republican nomination for president." [http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/231516-obama-campaign-manager-says-watch-for-christie-bush-kasich" target="_blank">TheHill]
Topping the news: Some 73 percent of Utahns think Utah is on the right track, according to a new poll, with only 18 percent saying the state is headed in the wrong direction. [http://utahpolicy.com/index.php/features/today-at-utah-policy/4704-poll-utahns-think-state-is-on-the-right-track" target="_blank">UtahPolicy]
-> Meanwhile, nearly three-quarters of Utahns want to raise teacher salaries to be in line with the national average, a new poll finds. [http://utahpolicy.com/index.php/features/today-at-utah-policy/4705-poll-utahns-favor-raising-teacher-salaries" target="_blank">UtahPolicy]
-> Sen. Orrin Hatch wants to close a loophole in the law to allow the Secret Service to investigate threats against former vice presidents. The law was tweaked before to protect ex-VPs but hadn't allowed the Secret Service to follow up on threats. [http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/231601-senator-looks-to-close-threat-loophole-for-former-vps" target="_blank">TheHill]
Tweet of the day: From @https://twitter.com/HillaryClinton" target="_blank">HillaryClinton "The science is clear. The earth is round, the sky is blue, and #vaccineswork. Let's protect all our kids. #GrandmothersKnowBest"
From @https://twitter.com/DavidMDrucker" target="_blank">DavidMDrucker "I'm running for president so let's get the two main things out of the way: I smoked weed as a teen & please vaccinate your kids. -30-"
Happy Birthday: To state Sen. Luz Robles, Emily Andrews and Kindall Palmer.
Tune in: Salt Lake City Council vice chair James Rogers, Bill Walker of the Utah Golf Association and Tribune reporter Christopher Smart join Jennifer Napier-Pearce to discuss the shaky financial state of the city's golf courses and the prospect of fee hikes and closures. Watch Trib Talk live at 12:15 MT on http://sltrib.com/" target="_blank">sltrib.com.
From Capitol Hill: The House Judiciary Committee debated and eventually signed off on a bill Tuesday with the intent of clarifying "sexual consent," especially with regards to spouses. [http://www.sltrib.com/news/2136918-155/utah-lawmaker-questions-whether-sex-with" target="_blank">Trib] [Fox13]
-> Utah Gov. Gary Herbert is asking a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit that the GOP filed over the Count My Vote bill. [Fox13]
-> Utah could be the first state to raise the legal smoking age to 21 if lawmakers succeed in passing a bill that was defeated last year. [http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865621073/Utah-lawmaker-proposes-raising-legal-smoking-age-to-21.html" target="_blank">Trib]
-> The Senate Education Committee unanimously recommended a bill yesterday to increase funding to hire more teachers and reduce class sizes in Utah schools. [http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865621085/Lawmakers-recommend-more-education-money-to-get-smaller-classes.html" target="_blank">DNews]
-> After a district judge deemed Utah's current process of appointing school board members unconstitutional last year, a Senate committee recommended a bill yesterday that would reform the system to make it a partisan election. [http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865621082/Bid-to-make-school-boards-partisan-clears-first-legislative-hurdle.html" target="_blank">DNews][http://utahpolicy.com/index.php/features/today-at-utah-policy/4701-appointing-instead-of-electing-school-board-members" target="_blank">UtahPolicy]
-> Lawmakers are considering making their own wood-burning restrictions into law, which are less-stricter than the state Department of Environmental Quality's current proposal of a winter-long ban on all wood burning. [http://kuer.org/post/lawmakers-consider-taking-wood-burning-regulation-out-hands-deq" target="_blank">KUER] [http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865621032/Proposed-seasonal-wood-burning-ban-faces-likely-revision.html" target="_blank">DNews]
-> A bill that would appropriate $1 million to a program to help students improve their reading and writing skills narrowly passed the House yesterday. [http://kuer.org/post/bill-designed-strengthen-students-language-skills-narrowly-passes-utah-house" target="_blank">KUER]
-> Rep. Ken Ivory, R-West Jordan, lives in a city with no car dealerships, and is sponsoring a new piece of legislation would send sales-tax revenue from car sales to the buyer's hometown instead of the city where the car was bought. [http://www.sltrib.com/news/2135026-155/car-sales-tax-could-move-from" target="_blank">Trib]
-> The House Transportation Committee put a bill on hold today that would revoke the registration of smoky cars that don't comply with emissions requirements requirements. [http://www.sltrib.com/news/2136623-155/bill-attacking-utahns-smoky-cars-fails" target="_blank">Trib] [http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865621065/Effort-to-crack-down-on-smoking-vehicles-chokes-in-committee-hearing.html" target="_blank">DNews]
-> Language matters, and lawmakers are looking to change the state's oath of office to have elected officials swear allegiance to first the state's constitution and then the U.S. Constitution, rather than the other way around. [http://www.sltrib.com/news/2137144-155/lawmakers-utah-should-be-first-feds" target="_blank">Trib]
-> Cities may be given more freedom when annexing land, with a new law that the House passed yesterday giving them the ability annex areas while leaving islands or peninsulas of land in county territory. [http://www.sltrib.com/news/2135992-155/city-annexation-bill-would-allow-islands" target="_blank">Trib]
-> In an effort to facilitate the thousands of people that visit Utah's Goblin Valley and Little Sahara each week, a new bill would allow the state park to acquire thousands of acres of nearby land from the Bureau of Land Management. [http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865621048/Legislative-proposals-seek-changes-to-loved-to-death-Goblin-Valley-Little-Sahara-parks.html" target="_blank">DNews]
-> And here's today's Legislature schedule. [http://www.sltrib.com/news/2136514-155/utah-legislature-wednesday-feb-4" target="_blank">Trib]
In other news: Utah has seen a 10,000-fold increase in the amount of cyber attacks on its state database, most likely because hackers are trying to find a way into the National Security Agency computer center in Saratoga Springs. [http://www.sltrib.com/news/2135491-155/massive-utah-cyberattacks-up-to?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed" target="_blank">Trib]
-> Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams focused last night's State of the County speech on what he will do to ensure future generations inherit a good place to live. [http://www.sltrib.com/news/2135997-155/state-of-salt-lake-county-mayor" target="_blank">Trib] [http://kuer.org/post/mcadams-county-programs-need-be-efficient-effective" target="_blank">KUER]
-> Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes made amends with Salt Lake Rotarians yesterday as he visited them in person and told them of his experience going on a child sex-slave sting operation with a Utah group last fall. [http://www.sltrib.com/news/2134954-155/rolly-reyes-discusses-sex-trafficking-makes" target="_blank">Trib]
-> The vaccine-debate continues in the face of the most recent measles outbreak, with 102 confirmed measles cases in 14 states, including 3 in Utah. Utah is one of 18 states that allows parents to exempt their children from these vaccines for personal reasons. [http://www.good4utah.com/story/d/story/vaccine-debate-continues-as-measles-outbreak-sprea/58978/4zt9JVoJWUCLFw8f-Hzdug" target="_blank">ABC4]
-> Dozens of people piled into the Salt Lake City Council chambers yesterday to fight for Salt Lake's struggling golf courses. [http://fox13now.com/2015/02/03/slc-residents-speak-out-in-keeping-citys-golf-courses/" target="_blank">Fox13]
-> The West Jordan City Council agreed Saturday to pay $75,000 to the city's Justice Court clerk supervisor to settle a lawsuit alleging she was sexually harassed and threatened by city officials. [http://www.sltrib.com/news/2135891-155/west-jordan-oks-75k-payment-to" target="_blank">Trib]
-> Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker announced an executive order yesterday to make city facilities more eco-friendly. [http://kuer.org/post/slc-mayor-aims-executive-order-adding-city-energy-efficiency" target="_blank">KUER]
-> Provo Mayor John Curtis voiced his support for the Legislature's anti-discrimination bill in a post on his website yesterday. [http://fox13now.com/2015/02/03/provo-mayor-supports-anti-discrimination-bill/" target="_blank">Fox13] See the full statement here: [http://provomayor.com/2015/02/03/no-one-deserves-discrimination/" target="_blank">ProvoMayor]
-> The Salt Lake County Health Department closed down a buffet restaurant and two taco carts last week for health code violations. [http://www.sltrib.com/entertainment/2136777-155/salt-lake-county-health-department-closes" target="_blank">Trib]
-> Pat Bagley offers his take on Harper Lee's recent announcement. [http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/2136922-155/bagley-cartoon-american-classic-never-grows" target="_blank">Trib]
** SPONSORED: Crossing Your Fingers Isn't Health Insurance: During their 2015 session, the Utah Legislature has the power to change the lives of over 53,000 Utahns who don't have healthcare coverage. Without access to Medicaid or affordable private insurance, these working adults, full-time students, and their children are forced to live in the http://coverthegap.org/?utm_source=PolliticalCornflakes&utm_medium=eNewsletter&utm_content=CrossingYourFingers&utm_campaign=HealthUtah" target="_blank">coverage gap. Two years of studies, reports, and opinion polls show overwhelming support for legislation to close the coverage gap. Visit http://coverthegap.org/?utm_source=PolliticalCornflakes&utm_medium=eNewsletter&utm_content=CrossingYourFingers&utm_campaign=HealthUtah" target="_blank">http://www.coverthegap.org; to learn more about your neighbors who live in the coverage gap—and how you can help close it.**
Nationally: With gas prices at a low, the Environmental Protection Agency said it wants to revisit the environmental impact the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline would have on global warming. [http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765667652/EPA-Keystone-XLs-climate-impacts-need-to-be-revisited.html" target="_blank">AP] [http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/02/03/epa-keystone-xl-pipeline-will-impact-global-warming" target="_blank">USNews] [http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/04/us/politics/epa-review-of-keystone-pipeline-notes-potential-rise-in-greenhouse-gases.html" target="_blank">NYTimes] [http://www.politico.com/story/2015/02/epa-keystone-xl-climate-impact-114879.html" target="_blank">Politico] [http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/02/03/epa-cheap-oil-weakens-the-case-for-the-keystone-xl-pipeline/" target="_blank">WaPost]
-> Even as he calls for parents to vaccinate their children, President Barack Obama proposed a $50 million cut to a federal immunization program, which means fewer immunizations will be provided free of charge. He says the Affordable Care Act diminishes the need for government-funded vaccines. [http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/obamas-budget-cuts-50-million-national-vaccine-program/story?id=28689193" target="_blank">ABC] [http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/03/politics/measles-outbreak-white-house-reaction/" target="_blank">CNN] [http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/02/president-obama-federal-budget-cuts/385090/" target="_blank">Atlantic]
-> Many possible 2016 GOP contenders have felt prompted to issue their opinion of vaccines, offering varying degrees of support. [http://www.politico.com/story/2015/02/republicans-2016-vaccines-114890.html?hp=t3_r" target="_blank">Politico] In the wake of criticism for his previous statements that implied a link between vaccines and mental disorders, Sen. Rand Paul felt the need to tweet a picture of himself getting a shot to show the world that he really is pro-vaccine. [http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/02/03/rand-paul-gets-a-booster-vaccination/?_r=0" target="_blank">NYTimes] [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/03/rand-paul-vaccination_n_6604498.html" target="_blank">HuffPost] [http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/rand-paul-pro-vaccine/story?id=28702722" target="_blank">ABC] [http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/rand-paul-reflects-profound-mental-disorders" target="_blank">MSNBC] [http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/feb/03/rand-paul-vaccinations-remarks-critics-kaci-hickox" target="_blank">Guardian]
-> Senate Democrats filibustered the Republicans' Homeland Security funding bill that would also overturn Obama's immigration policies, putting the Department of Homeland Security in danger of a shut down and showing that the Democrats are finally embracing a tool that they once were so frustrated with. [http://www.politico.com/story/2015/02/senate-democrats-filibuster-114888.html?hp=t1_r" target="_blank">Politico] [http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/feb/3/democrats-filibuster-dhs-spending-bill/" target="_blank">WaTimes] [http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/02/Senate-Democrats-Block-Vote-on-Homeland-Security-Bill-obama-immigration/385141/" target="_blank">Atlantic] [http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/la-na-congress-immigration-20150204-story.html#page=1" target="_blank">LATimes]
Where are they?
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— Thomas Burr and Erica Palmer
https://twitter.com/thomaswburr" target="_blank">Twitter.com/thomaswburr and https://twitter.com/erica_palmer">Twitter.com/erica_palmer