This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Kenyan kids sport leftover Romney-Ryan shirts. Hatch pushes pension reform. Auditors to begin look at Swallow's office.
Happy Tuesday. After Mitt Romney's loss last November, his Tennessee campaign office decided it should use leftover Romney-Paul Ryan T-shirts for a good purpose. They sent them to Kenya. Through a nonprofit, the campaign office shipped some 200 shirts to a needy village and the kids there were happy to sport the new outfits for the cameras. [DailyCaller]
Topping the news: Sen. Orrin Hatch has unveiled a pension overhaul bill to try to relieve the strain on state and local governments. [NYTimes] [WSJ]
-> On Monday, auditors were given the go-ahead to begin examining the "highest risk" areas of AG John Swallow's office, but stopped short of ordering a comprehensive audit due to the heavy workload at the Legislative Auditor General's office. [Trib] [UtahPolicy]
-> Texas Gov. Rick Perry announced that he will not run for reelection in 2014. However, he did not elaborate on his plans for the future, fueling speculation that he may make a second run for president. [Politico] [WaPost]
Tweet of the day: From @TonyFratto: "'1st, it's time to give someone else a chance to be governor of Texas. 2nd, I want to consider other opportunities. Third...third...'"
In other news: Jailed businessman Marc Jenson's request for an order of protection against Swallow's office has been denied. [ABC4]
-> A preliminary report from the Legislative Auditor General's office shows that a significant number of prison inmates and wanted criminals received public assistance in January 2012, in violation of both state and federal rules. [Trib]
-> Another audit shows some concerns with air pollution caused by permitting some sand and gravel operations. [UtahPolicy]
-> Gov. Gary Herbert has named two women to serve on the state Board of Regents. [Trib]
-> Built to avoid widening the roads and damaging nearby real estate, Utah's first "flex lanes" on 5400 South in Taylorsville - which go in one direction during rush hour and the opposite direction during off-peak times - have proven to be successful. [Trib]
-> Around 11,000 civilian employees at Hill Air Force Base in Utah will be directly affected by Defense Department furloughs, which came into effect on Monday. Workers will be required to take 11 days of unpaid leave before Sept. 21. [Trib] [ABC4]
-> Pat Bagley gives his take on the comprehensive immigration reform bill. [Trib]
-> Parking meters in downtown Salt Lake City will be back on today after the heat caused a malfunction. [Trib] [DNews]
-> The Salt Lake County Council has ruled that a notebook carried by DA Sim Gill isn't open to a GRAMA request. [Trib]
-> This week two projects to clean up the Cottonwood canyons will take place. On Tuesday volunteers will focus on Big Cottonwood Canyon, and on Saturday the operation moves to Little Cottonwood Canyon. [Trib]
-> Following a vague explanation of how they spent $300,000 of taxpayer money, the Big Game Forever political action group, which fights against federal control of wolf management, is facing an examination by state auditors. [Trib]
Nationally: Hillary Clinton's camp is hoping that her potential role as the first female U.S. president is enough to combat Republican criticism that she's a has-been. [Politico]
-> A new report reveals that the IRS accidentally exposed thousands of Social Security numbers on the Internet. The information released concerned transactions made by nonprofit political groups. [NationalJournal]
-> A small group of Senate and House Republicans held a meeting to see whether they could find a way for an immigration reform bill to pass through Congress. [Politico]
-> In an attempt to put pressure on House Republicans over the immigration reform bill, center-right group American Action Network has spent $100,000 on an ad that will run exclusively on Fox News encouraging Congress to pass the "border surge" agreement. [TheHill]
-> The White House budget office announced that the federal budget deficit will drop to $759 billion for this fiscal year, a significant improvement on the projections that were made back in March. [NYTimes] [TheHill]
-> The Department of Agriculture is looking to add Greek yogurt to lunch menus at schools offering federally subsidized school lunches. Idaho, New York, Arizona and Tennessee will be the first states to test it out. [TheHill]
Where are they?
Rep. Rob Bishop attends the weekly GOP Conference meeting, chairs a Public Lands and Environmental Regulation subcommittee hearing on the impact of closing amenities at Yosemite National Park, meets with representatives of Sinclair Oil, attends a Rules Committee hearing and joins an endangered species working group meeting.
Rep. Jason Chaffetz joins a GOP conference meeting, meets with the CEO of Energy Solutions and attends an NRCC reception.
President Barack Obama discusses legislative priorities with members of the Congressional Black Caucus, meets with Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew and talks to Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel.
Got a tip? A birthday, wedding or anniversary to announce? Email us at cornflakes@sltrib.com. If you haven't already, sign up for our weekday email and get this sent directly to your inbox. [Trib]
— Thomas Burr and Isobel MarkhamTwitter.com/thomaswburr and Twitter.com/i_markham