The group, called The Informed Voter Project, will work independently of Parents For Choice in Education, the main pro-voucher advocacy group, and give lawmakers more control over the voucher sales job.
The project is spearheaded by Rep. Greg Hughes, R-Draper, and Sen. Margaret Dayton, R-Orem, and will be run by Jeff Hartley, the former executive director of the Utah Republican Party. Hartley will file paperwork with the lieutenant governor today creating the organization, called a political issues committee under state law.
"We have a lot of lawmakers who have made votes of conscience and feel we owe it to our constituents to explain what vouchers are, what they do and what they don't do," said Hughes, head of the Legislature's conservative caucus. "People are going to make a choice, and they ought to do it on accurate information."
The strategy envisions holding meetings in the district of each House and Senate member who voted for vouchers where the member will explain his or her view of the issue to voters. The group may also run TV ads in the month leading up to the Nov. 6 vote.
The hope, Hughes said, is that the town hall-meeting format will allow the legislators to make their case more fully, beyond the slogans and television ads that typify most political campaigns.
Pat Rusk, a fourth-grade teacher and committeewoman for Utahns for Public Schools, which is opposing the voucher vote, said that normally issue groups are formed by citizens who want to inform legislators, but this one seems backward.
"Legislators already have the bully pulpit. They can already call meetings in their districts whenever they want," Rusk said. "I can understand why citizen groups would do these kinds of things to have a voice. I don't understand why legislators . . . would need to form a [political issues committee] to defend their legislation."
"Perhaps they don't want to be associated with Parents for Choice in Education, so this is their way to distance themselves from that group," Rusk said.
Utahns For Public Schools has already formed a political issues committee but, according to the lieutenant governor's Web site, had not reported raising or spending any money.
Carter Livingston, a political consultant, said legislators have a voice in the debate and the committee will help them focus their energy.
"I think that's probably a wise strategy in any case to try to get their point of view out in an effective and uncluttered atmosphere," he said.
The group's initial target is raising $300,000 for mailers and town hall meetings. It hopes to raise the money inside the state, but will take funds from other interested groups.
"This isn't meant to rival Parents For Choice. It's only meant to complement the dialogue and debate," Hughes said.
The committee's board of directors will include House Speaker Greg Curtis, R-Sandy; House Majority Leader Dave Clark, R-Santa Clara; Rep. Steve Urquhart, R-St. George; Senate President John Valentine, R-Orem; and Senate Majority Leader Curt Bramble, R-Provo.
