More than a year ahead of the Feb. 3, 2020 presidential caucuses that could see historic turnout — powered by a sprawling field of candidates and a boiling anti-Trump sentiment — Iowa Democrats are racing to implement changes to the event. The party is searching for larger facilities, investing in new technology and pushing individual campaigns to create their own voter registration programs. “The floors are going to buckle,” said David Yepsen, a former longtime Des Moines Register political reporter, on the crowd sizes he anticipates. [Politico]
Happy Thursday.
Topping the news: Marty Stephens, the principal lobbyist for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said Wednesday that the church is not opposed to legislative attempts to strengthen Utah’s hate crime law nor to extending the law to protect all targeted groups normally covered by such legislation. [Trib] [DNews]
-> A new state audit found that Tracy Kay Mellor, the town clerk for Fayette in Sanpete County who pleaded guilty to three felony counts of misuse of public funds, embezzled more than twice the amount originally thought from the small town’s budget. [Trib] [Fox13] [ABC4]
-> With construction on the new South Salt Lake homeless resource center finally underway, the downtown Road Home shelter plans to close its doors by mid-September rather than the Legislature’s deadline of June 30. In the meantime, the shelter will draw down its population by transitioning residents to the two smaller resource centers that will open July 1. [Trib] [DNews]
Tweets of the day: From @gopTODD: “On the topic of immigration, a women in the audience just told Mitt Romney that Utah is experiencing “a Lamanite invasion”. #utpol"
-> @slcmayor “#FunFact: we just realized that with Mayor Biskupski out of town on business & with the vacancy left by @BenMcAdams, husband & wife team David and Erin Litvack are acting mayors of #SLC and SL County respectively. #RelationshipGoals #PowerCouple.”
Happy Birthday: To state Rep. John Knotwell, House Majority Assistant Whip Jeff Hartley, Former U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz’s daughter Ellis and to Utah GOP Finance Director Sarah Nitta.
Trib Talk: On this week’s episode, Tribune reporter Jessica Miller and Houston Chronicle reporter Alex Stuckey — formerly of The Tribune — join Benjamin Wood to discuss the case of former Utah State University football player Torrey Green, including the initial reporting that broke the story, it’s impact on the state’s approach to campus sexual assault and the courtroom testimony as Green’s victims, and Green himself, took the stand. [Trib]
In other news: The new Utah Transit Authority board adopted a policy designed to increase transparency in the organization’s choice of development partners. The policy comes after audits have found some of the agency’s deals benefited developers rather than Utah taxpayers. [Trib]
-> A conservative lawmaker defended Wednesday a proposal that would block Utahns from changing the sex listed on their birth certificates — a move LGBT advocates have called “an egregious attack on the transgender community." [Trib]
-> Attorneys for the state have found that a bill proposed by Utah Rep. Cheryl Acton that would ban most abortions after 15 weeks would likely be unconstitutional. [Trib]
-> After U.S. Rep. Ben McAdams D-Utah, signed a letter urging House and Senate leaders to reach a compromise to effectively end the government shutdown, his spokesperson said an “additional border barrier” could be part of that compromise. [DNews]
-> San Juan County in Southern Utah reached a historic milestone this month when a Native American majority took control of its county commission. Now, the commission’s challenge is how to navigate a landscape that’s simmering with racial tension. [KUER]
-> Pat Bagley illustrates the challenges states like Utah, California, Arizona and Nevada will likely face due to Western water politics. [Trib]
Nationally: President Donald Trump has conceded to delay his State of the Union speech in the House chamber until the government shutdown ends after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Wednesday she would not sign a resolution authorizing the address. [NYTimes] [WaPost]
-> Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, has postponed his testimony before the House Oversight Committee — originally scheduled for Feb. 7 — to an undetermined later date, citing safety concerns because of threats on himself and his family. [NYTimes] [WaPost] [Politico]
-> In continuing negotiations with the Trump administration, Democrats say they are willing to increase the budget for border security, perhaps even up to his requested amount of $5.7 billion. However, they said they will not approve funding for the construction of a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border. [NYTimes] [Politico]
-> A contract obtained by the New York Times found former Vice President Joe Biden was compensated $200,000 for a speaking engagement in Michigan, during which he offered praise for Republican Rep. Fred Upton a mere three weeks before Upton faced a tough race in the November election. [NYTimes]
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-- Taylor Stevens and Christina Giardinelli