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Hatch says Romney will be nominee -- but needs to watch his comments. Lee's colleagues wary of blanket hold. Hatch, part II: Obama isn't Jesus.
Happy Friday. Sen. Orrin Hatch says that Mitt Romney will be the GOP nominee, but that he needs to be careful with his comments after Romney said that he's "not concerned about the very poor" because there's a safety net to take care of them.
"I think he will be the standard bearer," Hatch told The Tribune off the Senate floor Thursday. "As you can see, he's going to have to be much more careful about what he says. Because even though he said it correctly and clarified what he meant, they lift it out of context and beat him up with it." (Related: Romney says he "misspoke" [MyNews3])
-> That said, Hatch notes that Newt Gingrich's candidacy is troubling because "we all know that some of his approaches to life have been very problematic" and that Rick Santorum can't appeal to independents or moderate Republicans. As for Romney, "I think Mitt is going to win and he's going to be a formidable candidate. ... He's the only one that has a chance of defeating the president."
Topping the news: Hatch, meanwhile, took to the Senate floor on Thursday night to criticize a speech by President Barack Obama and remind the president that he isn't Jesus. [TheHill]
-> Sen. Mike Lee's Republican colleagues aren't ready to jump on board his plan to block administration nominees over the president's questionable recess appointments. [Trib]
-> In anticipation of extra revenue, Gov. Gary Herbert is calling for a 1 percent increase in pay for state employees -- except those who work for colleges and universities. [Trib]
-> Herbert links arms with lawmakers in pushing for $500,000 to keep Hill Air Force Base at the top of its game before an upcoming round of base closures. [Trib] [DNews]
Happy Birthday: Today to state Rep. Patrice Arent and on Saturday to state Sen. Luz Robles.
Tweet of the day: @StephenAtHome: "Great. Now I can't get Newt's version of 'Eye of the Tiger' out of my head. I'll be humming about the Founders' faith all night."
In other news: Taylorsville Mayor Russ Wall offers his State of the City address, saying the city has tough choices ahead but is confident it will be for the better. [DNews]
-> Sens. Hatch and Lee unveil legislation that would allow generations of families to keep their homes from being seized by the government. [Trib] [DNews]
-> The U.'s student government's Supreme Court was summoned for the first time in six years after a political party was accused of pre-campaigning under the guise of a front organization. [TheChrony]
-> Former Sen. Dan Liljenquist likens government budgets to a "high stakes game of Hungry Hungry Hippos." [CacheDaily]
-> Occupy Provo and an anti-capitalist group from UVU are gathering Saturday to protest a couple of anti-terror laws passed last year, one giving police authority to detain suspected terrorists without trial. [Trib]
2012 watch: Romney and Ron Paul never attack each other on the campaign trail in a strategic alliance that could benefit both in the long run. [WaPost]
-> Gov. Gary Herbert finally endorses Romney, saying it's time to coalesce around the candidate who has the best chance of ousting President Barack Obama. [Trib]
-> A good read: Secret Service protection offers Romney a certain level of cache that few people in America have. [Globe]
-> Should Romney give back donations from the tobacco and gambling industry since the LDS Church forbids those. [DeathandTaxes]
-> The WaPost's Dan Balz looks at how the presidential race has gone just exactly how Romney advisers planned. [WaPost]
-> After interviews with Mormons, Politico "discovers" that LDS faithful are excited about Romney. [Politico] And the LA Times notes that Romney's success is a mixed bag for the LDS Church. [LATimes]
-> Donald Trump confirms a Romney endorsement, killing speculation that he'd endorse rival Newt Gingrich. [CNN] [ABCNews]
-> Rick Santorum gets an endorsement from former Nevada Senate candidate Sharron Angle, saying she praised his character. [WaPost] [CNN]
-> In a campaign that's been too strapped for cash to air TV ads, Santorum's Super PAC released one in Minnesota, lumping Romney and Gingrich together with President Barack Obama. [CNN]
-> Could Gingrich make a comeback? [Politico]
-> Paul says he's still in it to win it, harnessing his focus on picking up delegates rather than the larger, winner-take-all states. [FoxNews]
The Session: After years of being locked up in the Senate, a bill that would grant a state-wide ban on LGBT discrimination receives its first hearing today. [Trib]
-> Couples wanting to tie the knot in Utah might be required to get counseling first -- or pay a heftier fee -- if this bill passes. [Trib]
-> A bill to reduce Utah class sizes advances in the Senate, which would shrink kindergarten classes to as low as 20. [Trib]
-> The Senate defeated a bill that would've let police arrest people carrying spray paint to be used for graffiti after concerns that it would infringe on personal liberties. [Trib] Days before it was defeated, however, the group "Anonymous" hacked the SLCPD in protest. [ABC4]
-> Voter information will continue to be snail-mailed to residents, after the House voted down a bill that would've posted the info online instead. [Trib]
->A committee endorses a move to let Medicaid patients maintain their benefits for one year, even if their status or income changes. [Trib]
-> Utah lawmakers give preliminary approval to a tanning-bed ban for teens after melanoma survivors gave their testimonies before the Legislature. [Trib] [Fox13]
-> A social justice group argues the $85,000 spent on Utah's immigration bill should have been spent on "true state priorities." [Trib]
-> Paul Rolly characterizes Judge Dee Benson as a flip-flopping monkey. [Trib]
-> The House approved a weakened measure to up the stakes of background checks for smoke shop owners. [Trib]
-> One lawmaker plans to unveil bills that would scrap Utah's current guest-worker law. [Trib]
-> Driving with a revoked license could be enough to get cars impounded after a bill passed through the Senate. [Trib]
-> Committee OKs a bill targeting agents who provide fraudulent immigration services. [Trib]
-> Steering Medicaid patients to a "preferred list" of cheaper meds helped the state save $27.6 million in fiscal year 2011, prompting a senator to lobby for even more savings. [Trib]
-> The governor and Senate will have more say in choosing higher education leaders after the bill cleared both houses and is on the governor's desk for a signature. [Trib] [DNews]
-> A bill that would authorize Workforce Services to track generational poverty was cleared through a House committee and moves on to the Senate. [Trib]
-> A committee head admits to a rule violation when the committee openly debated a high-interest bill not posted to the public agenda. [Trib]
-> Lawmakers advocate a change in parents' ability to serve on their kids' school community councils. [Trib]
Where are they?
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-- Thomas Burr and Laura Schmitz
Twitter.com/thomaswburr
