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After two years of warfare in the courts over reforms to Utah's nominating process, the Utah Republican Party has waved the white flag — or so it seems.

The party's central committee voted Saturday to drop its legal battle challenging SB54, the legislation that enabled candidates to gather signatures and bypass the circus sideshow that is the party nominating convention.

You might think now is the time to bind up wounds and reunite a party that has been battered and nearly bankrupted in the course of the legal battle.

Well, then you underestimate the absurdity of the folks in charge of the Utah GOP.

Nobody seemed to notice, but the party's central committee also voted Saturday to bury the land mines that are almost guaranteed to trigger another legal explosion in 2018, if not sooner.

That's because, in addition to voting to drop the lawsuit, the committee beefed up its purity oath requirement and added provisions to organization bylaws that would strip party membership of anyone who gathers signatures and that would disqualify the candidate from the ballot.

Party Chairman James Evans said that isn't the intent of the language. The party, he claims, is merely trying to ensure candidates who want the Republican nomination are, in fact, committed to the party's platform and principles.

Sounds legit.

Unless you happen to know how to read.

Under the newly adopted party bylaw (Utah Republican Party Bylaw 8.0 A&B, if you're playing at home) a candidate seeking a Republican nomination has 48 hours after the filing deadline to file a "Candidate Certification" declaring he or she will "comply with the rules and processes set forth in the Utah Republican Party Constitution and these Bylaws."

The party constitution provides that the only "processes" through which any candidate can receive the nomination are from the delegates at the party convention.

So, assume a candidate opts to forgo the convention and gather signatures — which is his or her choice under the law. That candidate can't very well promise to comply with all the rules and bylaws. Then what?

The new bylaw says candidates who don't file the certification "forfeits his or her Party membership for the current election cycle and shall be disqualified as a Republican for the current cycle."

Under SB54, a candidate has to be a member of the party to be nominated, so he or she would be ineligible to run for office.

The bylaw goes on to say that the party chairman "SHALL" contest the individual's candidacy — in essence petition the lieutenant governor to have the candidate thrown off the ballot.

This change ignores a ruling by the Utah Supreme Court that candidates for office — not the party — get to choose how they will get on the ballot.

It disregards the admonition from the federal judge that state bylaws don't trump state law. And it demonstrates a complete lack of common sense.

The Republicans probably didn't even realize it, but they have probably strengthened the Democratic Party's argument before the 10th Circuit Court that Republican efforts to deny signature-gathering candidates access to the ballot violates SB54 and the GOP should be disqualified as a recognized political party in the state.

So now the Republicans' response? Take steps to further deny signature-gathering candidates access to the ballot.

It's like the Republicans aren't satisfied just losing. They need to double down on their ridiculous gamble.

"Lemme put $100 on the Atlanta Falcons in the Super Bowl," the Republican Party declares.

Um. The game was Sunday. The Falcons lost.

"Oh," the party replies with a blank stare. "Then let's make it $200."

I'd take a piece of that action.

gehrke@sltrib.com Twitter: @RobertGehrke