The head of Utah's Republican Party, came out over the weekend against two citizen initiatives aimed at promoting nonpartisan redistricting and comprehensive ethics reform.
On Saturday, GOP Chairman Dave Hansen told the party's 180-member state Central Committee that he strongly opposed both grass-roots efforts.
"We will not take an official position until November," Hansen said of the committee that steers Utah's dominant political party. "But if I had to guess today, I would guess the party will take a position in opposition to the measures."
A group called Fair Boundaries spearheads the redistricting initiative that would create an advisory commission to help redraw state legislative districts after the 2010 census.
Utah lawmakers would still retain the final say -- the Utah Constitution has given them that task.
"Over the years they've done a very good job of it," Hansen said, cautioning against spending additional taxpayer dollars to run a duplicative effort.
However, some believe that legislative incumbents are self-serving and choose their voters as they reshape their own districts.
Merrill Nelson, an attorney who served one term as a Republican lawmaker in the early 1990s, said that Hansen's stance on the Fair Boundaries effort comes as no surprise.
"He would take his marching orders from the legislative leaders who feel threatened by our proposal," Nelson said. "But, really, their concerns are exaggerated."
Utahns for Ethical Government (UEG) is currently hosting meetings throughout the state to inform the public about its ethics reform initiative.
Hansen believes the UEG proposal goes too far.
"It goes way beyond what the public wants and what is desirable," Hansen said. "The initiative doesn't have anything to do with ethics -- it has to do with restrictions and interference that would be put on the Legislature."
Attorney David Irvine, a Republican and UEG proponent, called Hansen's opposition disappointing.
"GOP leadership has chosen to ignore the wishes of most Utah Republicans," Irvine said. "The initiative is entirely consistent with the party's platform."
Utahns for Ethical Government is holding a public hearing on its reform initiative at the Salt Lake City Main Library, fourth floor conference room, from 7-9 p.m.
