“I’m getting nervous because of the white space I see”: Republican lawmakers worried about surviving midterm elections are jamming their calendars full of events with voters. In Utah, 404 new laws take effect Tuesday. Organizers say the Medicaid ballot initiative has collected enough signatures.
Happy Monday. Last month, a Republican narrowly won special election in a reliably red district of Arizona that President Donald Trump took handily in the 2016 election. Now, conservative lawmakers who seemed safe are bracing for battles against well-funded Democratic opponents — and hoping to survive. Republican Rep. Ted Budd of North Carolina, for instance, has jammed his schedule full of meet-and-greets and veteran breakfasts and opioid discussions. He worries it’s not enough. “I’m getting nervous because of the white space I see,” Budd noted about the blank lines on his calendar. [WaPost]
Topping the news: More than 400 new laws will go into effect Tuesday. Here are some of the biggest changes coming to the state. [Trib]
-> Grassroots organizers say Utah’s Medicaid expansion initiative now has enough signatures to appear on the November ballot. [Trib] [DNews]
-> After complaints, Utah author Richard Paul Evans and others are reassessing when and how to hug in light of the #MeToo movement. [Trib]
Tweet of the day: From @rolandscahill: “It’s fun watching the MAGA set mock Stormy Daniels for appearing on SNL, a show that Trump hosted TWICE”
In other news: The executive director of Count My Vote is furious at a “dirty, deceptive” robocall that is asking listeners to remove their names from the ballot initiative. [Trib] [DNews]
-> According to a report, an evidence room technician at the Weber County Sheriff’s Office consistently got high on methamphetamine while on the job. [Trib]
-> Pat Bagley depicts the members of America’s “Liar’s Club.” [Trib]
-> Paul Rolly argues that gerrymandering in Utah splits Salt Lake County — muting the influence of the largest and most left-leaning county in the state. [Trib]
-> Robert Gehrke looks at the attempts by opposition groups to persuade voters to take their names off of ballot initiatives. [Trib]
-> Frank Pignanelli and LaVarr Webb ask if Democrats could actually win in Utah this year. [DNews]
Nationally: Rudy Giuliani, the newest member of President Donald Trump’s legal team, says that Trump could circumvent a subpoena from general counsel Robert Mueller by invoking the Fifth Amendment. [WaPost]
-> Sen. John McCain, who is battling brain cancer, is "talking, he's chatty and he's walking around,” according to his son-in-law. [ABC]
Got a tip? A birthday, wedding or anniversary to announce? Send us a note to cornflakes@sltrib.com.
— Courtney Tanner and Eric Baker
Follow @sltribpolitics