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Lawmakers back in session. Utah media to rate openness. Upended presidential primary heads to the Sunshine State.
Happy Monday, and welcome to the first day of the 2012 General Session for the Utah Legislature. Should be an interesting 45 days, as usual, and expect lawmakers to broach topics from education funding to liquor laws to non-discrimination laws and, just guessing here, a few message bills for the election year. A must-see review of likely issues: [Trib].
Your Utah Legislature Survival Kit: A few items to get you Utah politicos started:
-- Who is in charge? A quick look at the state's leaders. [Trib]
-- The new faces you'll see on Capitol Hill. [Trib]
-- What pay and perks do state lawmakers get? Check it out here: [Trib].
-- How many registered lobbyists are there? 444. To the numbers: [Trib].
-> The push to ban discrimination against gay and transgender Utahns gets new support at the Legislature. This time, from the Republican majority. [Trib]
-> Last year it was feral cats, this year, who knows. But there's always a "sleeper" issue that tops headlines. [DNews]
-> A conservative activist chosen to take Rep. Carl Wimmer's spot in the Legislature. [Trib]
-> The Utah Media Coalition vows to keep close tabs on government transparency this Legislative session. [Trib]
-> As always, the Legislature's site is filled with valuable information, from bill text to calendars to audio streams of hearings. [Le.Utah.Gov] And, of course, the best way to keep tabs on your state government's actions is at sltrib.com/politics.
-> In case you need it: The lists of state lawmakers with contact info: [Senate] [House].
Topping the news: As lawmakers head back into session, a reminder that while officials aren't supposed to use campaign donations for private use, items like gym fees and golf outings are now becoming official tasks. [Trib]
-> State attorneys say the LDS Church has the right to influence liquor laws. [Trib]
-> A survey by Utah Policy finds a wide-open field for the 2nd Congressional District seat being vacated by Rep. Jim Matheson. [UtahPolicy]
Today's news: WVC Mayor Mike Winder plans to make his SL County mayoral bid official this week and doesn't think his Richard Burwash moment will haunt him. [UtahPolicy]
-> Activists in Utah are hoping to put another option, the Reform Party, on the ballot. [DNews]
-> Education and economic issues top Utah Policy insiders guess as to the hot topics at the Utah Legislature this year. [UtahPolicy]
-> Tooele Depot finishes destroying chemical weapons that had been stored in Utah's desert for decades. [Trib]
Opinion section: Sean Reyes, a Republican candidate for Utah attorney general, says SOPA and PIPA violate the First Amendment. [Trib]
-> Pat Bagley's take on Newt Gingrich's marital allegations. [Trib]
-> Paul Rolly asks who's "stalking" former state Sen. Dan Liljenquist and ex-House Rep. Holly Richardson, after volumes of public records requests were made to track them. [Trib]
-> A Represent Me Utah! activist says the state should be making it easier to vote, not more difficult. [Trib]
-> Senate Minority Whip Karen Morgan says lawmakers should back the "Best Schools Coalition" bills package to bring the state's schools back on the mark. [Trib]
-> Peg McEntee says Mary Kaye Huntsman is ready for long walks on the beach. [Trib]
-> Eric Shulzke says Newt Gingrich's "very creepiness" might make him the best option for the presidency. [DNews]
-> LaVarr Webb and Frank Pignanelli offer their annual take on what politicians are really saying. [DNews]
-> Former Sen. Bob Bennett says that economic stability depends on political stability. [DNews]
Tweets of the day: From @matthew_piper: "Today's local edition of @washingtonpost demonstrates the power of the fold:" [Twitpic]. (Of course, that's a fake front page, but it's funny, nonetheless.)
-> On that note, Utah Democratic Party Chairman Jim Dabakis emails that at the party's biggest-ever fund-raiser on Saturday, "the largest roar from the Grand America ballroom was for Newt Gingrich! Go Figure."
2012 watch: Pushed forward by a fiery debate performance, Gingrich edges out Romney to win the South Carolina primary, nabbing 40 percent of the vote. [CNN] [ABCNews] [NYTimes] [DNews]
-> Gingrich's win spurs his campaign to light a fire under its fundraising and organizational efforts. [WaPost]
-> With Gingrich's upset win, all bets are off in Florida, as the GOP nomination comes closer. [NYTimes]
-> After a loss in South Carolina, Mitt Romney heads to Florida, targeting Obama and his surging competitor. [Sentinel] [CNN]
-> Under mounting pressure, Romney pledges to release his tax returns Tuesday. [WaPost]
-> Despite his win in Iowa, Rick Santorum still sags in the polls. [WaPost]
-> Santorum heads straight to Florida to gather momentum. [CNN]
-> Ron Paul continues with his campaign, undeterred by his fourth-place finish in South Carolina. [CBS]
-> Our D.C. Notebook looks at the strained relationship between Romney and Jon Huntsman over the years. [Trib]
Weekend in review: David Pershing beats out 80 candidates to be University of Utah's new president. [Trib] [Fox13]
-> Utah comes one step closer to housing its first nuclear power plant, after a state engineer cleared the use of Green River water to cool the reactors. [Trib]
-> Poll shows there is support for potential liquor privatization in Utah. [Fox13]
-> Utah politicians found a loophole in the system, allowing them to campaign money for personal use. [Trib]
Where are they?
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-- Thomas Burr and Laura Schmitz
Twitter.com/thomaswburr
