Bernie Sanders’ ‘Medicare for All’ legislation splits Democrats. Poll shows Curtis handily winning congressional seat. LDS Church backs baker in case before the Supreme Court.
Happy Wednesday. Sen. Bernie Sanders is unveiling his Medicare for All legislation today, pushing his party left a year after he shook up the presidential race against Hillary Clinton. The legislation, though, has also split Democrats who are worried about tacking too far to the left ahead of the midterm elections and the 2020 presidential race. [Politico]
Topping the news: The first major poll in the 3rd Congressional District special election places Republican John Curtis approximately 30 points ahead of Democrat Kathie Allen. [Trib] [DNews] [ABC4]
-> The LDS Church and most of the Utah State Senate have signed briefs supporting a Colorado baker whose case will appear before the U.S. Supreme Court after he refused to make a wedding cake for a gay couple. [Trib] [DNews] [FOX13]
Tweets of the day: From @RobertGehrke: “Whatever you do, don’t Google ‘Ted Cruz porn.’ The results are horrifying.”
-> From @gopTODD: ”Looks like there could be an opening in @tedcruz’s office today for a social media consultant.”
-> From @GeorgTakei: ”The only thing worse than imagining Ted Cruz watching porn is imagining Ted Cruz in one.”
Happy Birthday: To former Utah First Lady Norma Matheson.
In other news: State Auditor John Dougall found that the Mountain Accord, a coalition of politicians and private businesses involved in planning land use in the Wasatch Mountains, doesn’t have any spending issues, but he has referred the group’s practices to the attorney general’s office for a transparency investigation. [Trib] [DNews]
-> Two married gay men are challenging a portion of Utah’s gestational surrogacy law in the state Supreme Court because they say the law keeps them from having a biological child. [Trib]
-> Although the Salt Lake City Council hasn’t approved the plan yet, the state has begun to fence off a portion of Rio Grande Street which will only be accessible to individuals with a homeless services ID card. [Trib] [ABC4]
-> A recent rise in crime is testing a more secular Hildale and Colorado City. [Trib]
-> Once a child bride, Elissa Wall now has ambitions to remake a polygamous community. [Trib]
-> Northwest Shoshone tribal leaders met with Wellsville city leaders in an attempt to come to a compromise over the future of the city’s “Sham Battle.”. [Trib]
-> Pat Bagley gives his take on Education Secretary Betsy Devos’ changes to campus sexual assault rules. [Trib]
Nationally: President Donald Trump named his longtime aide Hope Hicks to be the permanent White House communications director. [NYTimes]
-> The Trump administration is discussing whether to lower the refugee quota below 50,000 for the first time since at least 1980. [NYTimes]
-> Congress agreed to condemn last month’s white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., and have now sent the legislation to Trump’s desk. [NYTimes]
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-- Thomas Burr and Emily Anderson: Twitter.com/thomaswburr and Twitter.com/emilyreanderson
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