There are 5 days until the Utah Republican Presidential Caucuses and primary elections, 139 days until the 2012 election and 222 days until the start of the 2013 legislative session. 

Lawmakers head back to the hill today for a Special Session. Increasing the number of liquor licenses for restaurants is the main item on the agenda [Deseret News, Cache Valley Daily].

Legislators are also set to repeal a non-binding ballot question about a sales tax hike for arts and museums [Utah Policy].

Utah's revenue projections are looking good, or maybe not as bad as they could be [Utah Policy].

A hike in the cigarette tax resulted in many Utahns heading out of state to buy their smokes [Tribune].

Ben McAdams is way ahead of Republicans Mike Winder and Mark Crockett in the money race for Salt Lake County Mayor [Tribune]. 

John Swallow has outspent Sean Reyes by about $200,000 in their primary race for Attorney General [Deseret News].

Dirty campaign tactics surface in a number of Utah County primary races [Daily Herald].

Jon Huntsman did not file to be a candidate on next week's primary ballot for president [ABC 4]. 

The Salt Lake County Council votes to not put a $123 million bond to upgrade parks on November's ballot [Tribune]. 

Democratic Gubernatorial candidate Peter Cooke says Utah needs tougher ethical standards for elected officials [Tribune]. 

Battles over the city budget has Syracuse Mayor Jamie Nagle worried a number of city employees might quit [Standard-Examiner].