News Highlights

Gov. Huntsman signs the USTAR initiative into law (Deseret Morning News and Salt Lake Tribune).

Salt Lake County holding two open houses this week to gather public input on new west-bench development (Morning News).

Iron County Commission to discuss possibility of Cedar Breaks National Monument becoming a National Park today (Spectrum).

911 emergency call centers in Utah lack the ability trace locations of cell phone calls (Tribune).

Paid For by Jana Truman For Davis County Commission

Quote of the Day

“My gut reaction after watching the much-hyped Sunday premiere of HBO's peek into Utah polygamy, 'Big Love,' is 'big bore.;"

-- Holly Mullen in her Tribune column on how HBO's new show about polygamy will affect Utah's image

(Note: Due to technical difficulties, today's UPD is somewhat abbreviated. Look for Part II on the TV revolution in tomorrow's Media Watch section.)

Washington Watch

Hatch: Nostalgic Supply-Sider?

Columnist says Sen. Orrin Hatch, who, if reelected, is likely to become chairman of the Senate Finance Committee in 2009, has been quietly hosting free-market economists and writers to talk about leading the country on another foray into supply-side economics (Bloomberg News); Hatch announces list of successful Utah nominees to U.S. military academies (see press release).

Blog Watch

The Senate Site blog has a post by Sen. Al Mansell on USTAR... Reach Upward discusses the possibility of legalized polygamy (see also here)... Draper is Home points to some financial info. that illustrates why cities depend so heavily on sales tax revenue... The Good in Ogden responds to this op-ed by Sen. Curtis Bramble... The Utah Amicus spotlights Senate candidate Pete Ashdown (see also here and here)... Making a Mockery says Utah's new state slogan should be something controversial and attention-grabbing, like "Utah Damn Hot" (see also here).

Local Watch

"Alternatives to Incarceration" White Paper

The Salt Lake County Mayor's Office has posted a PDF file of its latest white paper, which looks at alternatives to incarceration for offenders with drug abuse and mental illness problems. To read it, click here.

The Deseret Greens

The Nationally Affiliated Green Party of Utah announces its official certification as a Utah political party under the registered ballot name "Deseret Greens" (see press release).

Elected Officials Birthday List

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National Headlines

Conservative columnist says the creators of HBO's new series Big Love "clearly intend their show to challenge and change America's way of thinking about the family" (National Review).  

Including illegal immigrants in the 2000 census count may have cost nine states, including Utah, an additional seat in the U.S. House (Gannett News Service).

So far in 2006 20 states, including Utah, have introduced nearly 60 pieces of eminent domain legislation (Mortgage News Daily).  

Arizona and the six other Colorado River Basin states hope to launch the first phase of a regional cloud-seeding program to create more snowfall in the Upper Rockies to feed the Colorado River and its tributaries (Associated Press).  

Insurers assoc. rep. says, "Utah legislators -- and especially Sen. Carlene Walker -- showed great leadership in approving measures that provide strong protection for consumers from illegal access to their personal information without needlessly interfering in relationships between consumers and the businesses that serve them" (Insurance Journal). 

Local Headlines

Deseret Morning News

- Huntsman hails USTAR

- State spending is surging

- Retiring benefits — District's action may trigger a teacher exodus

- Lobbyists' favorite tool was food

- Smart plugs bill to tighten checks on child abusers

- Input is sought on west bench

- Hatch makes nominations for academies

- Lots of opportunities for job seekers

- Editorial: School breakfast is a boon

Standard-Examiner

- Editorial: Station envy

St. George Spectrum

- Cedar Breaks considers National Park plans

- Editorial: Cough up the details

Daily Herald

- Gov. Hunstman making his way through '06 bills

- Local officials visit D.C. to discuss Utah needs

- USTAR bill signed into law

- Utah Green parties compete for namesake

- Editorial: Overconfident on nuclear waste

BYU NewsNet

- Provo prepares for precinct caucuses

- Video game legislation hot topic in U.S.

- Libertarians want more representative elections

Salt Lake Tribune

- Governor signs bill to lure research and technology

- S.L. County poised to tack on fee for Corridor land

- Utah slow on 911 tracing

- New mercury rules too soft?

- Lawsuit seeks records on Legacy Parkway dealings

- Mullen: Another quirky view of our state

- Board of Regents directs administrators to make agreement

- Mayor, clerk resign in polygamous Arizona town

- Latino mall seeks city loan

- Editorial: Nuke dump rules: Base classifications of nuclear waste on risk

- Editorial: Interior logic: Norton's departure a chance for a change

Please submit calendar items to Daily@UtahPolicy.com

- Mar 7-17: 2006 election candidate filing period.
- Mar 14: Midday Metro on KCPW 88.3 FM at 10 a.m.: Mike Jerman, VP Utah Taxpayers Association, on issues raised in the group's March newsletter, including state government spending, special session priorities, tax cuts present and future, and a legislative master study list. 10:25 a.m.: An excerpt from the Stegner Center's 11th Annual Symposium on Global Warming. Speaker: Lana Pollack, president of the Michigan Environmental Council, on "Global Warming Under the Dome -- Overcoming the Politics of Denial."
- Mar 14: Pete Ashdown, Democratic candidate for US Senate, to speak to the Cedar City Rotary Club, 12:15 p.m., Sullivan's Steak House, 301 S. Main Street, Cedar City. For more information contact Brett Garner at brett@pashdown.org.
- Mar 14: Utah Olympians to meet Gov. Huntsman, 3:30 p.m., Governor's Office. Included are 2006 Winter Olympic speed skaters Chad Hedrick, Derek Parra, and KC Boutiette.
- Mar 14: Gov Huntsman to visit Sunrise Elementary School, 6:30 p.m., 1520 East 11265 South, Sandy.
- Mar 14: Town Hall Meeting with Rep. Karen Morgan, 7 p.m., Whitmore Library, 2197 East Ft. Union Blvd. (7200 South), Cottonwood Heights City.
- Mar 15: United Way of Salt Lake 1st Annual Report to the Community Breakfast, 7:30 a.m., Salt Lake City Marriott Downtown, 75 S West Temple. Learn about United Way of Salt Lake’s public policy success during the 2006 Legislative Session and receive a comprehensive overview on current initiatives and their impact on the community. For more information, please contact Jennifer Andrs at 801-736-7787 or jennifer@uw.org.
- Mar 15: Gov. Huntsman to attend Retirement Reception for Larry Anderson, 3:15 p.m., Division of Natural Resources, 1594 W. North Temple, Salt Lake City.

- See the entire calendar