Email cornflakes@sltrib.com to subscribe.
Obama's budget: Tax hike for rich, more money for transportation. Did Romney really turn around the '02 Games? Utah lawmakers target 'Obamacare.'
Happy Monday. President Barack Obama unveils his fiscal 2013 budget this morning and look for it to include a hike on taxes for the rich with a boost of money for transportation projects. The budget, which Congress often tosses in the round file, is really more about setting priorities, especially in an election year. [WaPost] [Politico] [CNN]
-> Check back at Sltrib.com later to see what your Tribune Washington Bureau finds in the budget that will affect Utah.
Topping the news: Gubernatorial candidate Morgan Philpot and two campaign aides were able to walk away from a nasty crash over the weekend. [Trib] [Fox13] (See the Tweet of the Day below for a pic of the truck.)
-> How much did Mitt Romney really do to save the Salt Lake Olympics? Depends on whom you ask. The Trib's Mike Gorrell, who covered the ins and outs of the Olympics from start to finish, takes a deep look. [Trib] And the Washington Post takes on the same subject. [WaPost]
-> Remember the time that Romney supposedly uttered the F-word? That moment offers a take on Romney's "un-Mormon like" anger. [Trib]
Today's news: State lawmakers have opened a slew of bills to take on President Obama's health care law that has some worrying it will hinder the ability to provide care for the poor. [Trib]
-> What do state lawmakers seek the most in prayer? Civility. The Trib's Lee Davidson looks at what prayers so far this session have sounded like. [Trib]
-> The legislative session so far could be classified as, well, boring. But lawmakers still have to tackle some of the weightiest topics. [DNews]
-> Utah lawmakers aren't likely to touch one subject this year: execution. [UtahPolicy]
-> Lawmakers are trying to change how Utahns help elect the U.S. president by pledging to give the state's Electoral College votes to the winner of the national popular vote. [Trib] The two divergent proposals are splitting Republicans on the Hill. [UtahPolicy]
-> Paul Rolly digs into public records to offer more information on an assistant principal's settlement with a school district after being implicated in an alleged racist incidence. [Trib]
-> Sen. Mike Lee wants to be able to use his Constitutional Conservatives Fund to help fellow like-minded candidates but will have to raise some money to do so. [RollCall]
Opinion section: Judi Hilman says Utah health care battle in the Legislature shows a "mosh pit" of shoulder rubbing between federal and state reform. [Trib]
-> Rolly slams Sen. Lee for his "fit" at Obama and says the senator is trying to pander to two billionaire industrialists. [Trib]
-> G. Donald Gale argues that if there really was an LDS influence on Capitol Hill, things would look a little different. [Trib]
-> Fending off sarcastic questions after a move from New York City to Salt Lake, Arjune Rama wonders when "Mormon-bashing" become socially acceptable. [Trib]
-> George Pyle argues that straight or gay, their union should have the same name. [Trib]
-> HEAL Utah's Christopher Thomas says that the possible change in Utah's five environmental boards gives the state the power to pollute. [Trib]
-> Jim Wightman denounces a senate bill that "invites fraud and abuse." [Trib]
-> Frank Pignanelli and LaVarr Webb take a look at the groups that hold the most sway on Utah's Capitol Hill. [DNews]
-> Former Sen. Bob Bennett says there's no chance for a brokered convention like some presidential candidates and the media would like. [DNews]
Tweet of the day: From @morganphilpot: "Count your blessings." [Twitter]
Happy (belated) birthday: To Emily Bennion, press secretary for Sen. Mike Lee, who celebrated on Sunday, and to Steve Gehrke (A.K.A. Lil' Gehkre) who turned a year older on Saturday.
The Session: Here's your committee schedule for Monday. [Trib]
-> After an inmate starved himself to death in a "hunger strike," an attorney is pushing legislation that would enforce feedings to prevent a similar death in the future. [Trib]
-> Utah County legislators are making the session a family affair, with five lawmakers employing sons or daughters as legislative interns. [Herald]
-> Some health industry lobbyists are concerned that some health measure may hurt home-grown fixes. [Trib]
-> A House committee OKs a ban on DUI checkpoints, siding with the argument that the practice is ineffective and infringes on civil liberties. [Trib] [Fox13]
-> One lawmaker promises his new GRAMA bill won't cause the stir HB477 did last year as it covers areas agreed upon by the Utah Media Coalition. [DNews]
-> The House votes against a bill that would boost high school college counseling in favor of letting the district decide how to spend the money. [Trib]
-> A proposed law to create a preferred list of medications for mental health patients on Medicaid could pose risks for proper treatment according to the bill's critics. [Trib]
-> For the third session in a row, a measure that would allow legal immigrant children to qualify for Medicaid or Utah's Children's Health Insurance Program coverage without a wait will likely die without a hearing. [Trib]
-> A Utah commission asks the Legislature not to pass any immigration-related bills this session, coming at the request of Attorney General Mark Shurtleff. [Trib]
->The House unanimously votes to have I-15 designated as "Veterans' Memorial Highway." And the House backs a study on bad air in Utah. [Trib]
2012 watch: Romney edges out Ron Paul to win Maine's caucuses, beating the Texas representative by just 3 percent. [NBC] [CNN] [WaPost]
-> Three of the four presidential candidates showed up to speak at day two of the Conservative Political Action Conference [WaPost]. Romney went on to win the conference's straw poll, but just barely over Ron Paul. [ABCNews]
-> In light of Romney's comment to Republicans that he is "severely conservative," Rick Santorum capitalizes on his rivals words as a fundraising strategy. [Politico]
-> Romney is running as a Washington outsider but he keeps a lot of Washington insiders around. [NYTimes]
->Santorum says he backs women and hints that the CPAC straw poll was rigged. [LATimes]
-> With his cash flow dwindling, Newt Gingrich is forced to focus on campaign donors rather than voters. [NYTimes]
-> New this presidential race, super PACs have been offering a chance for billionaires to sway the 2012 campaign for the presidency. [FoxNews]
Weekend in review: Chevron will boost Utah's post-oil spill projects by dispersing $3 million in penalty money, with top dollars going to a Jordan River project and the pond at Liberty Park. [Trib]
Where are they?
Got a tip? A birthday, wedding or anniversary to announce? Email us at cornflakes@sltrib.com.
-- Thomas Burr and Laura Schmitz
Twitter.com/thomaswburr
