He studies the 217-year-old document word by word. He reads books about the 55 delegates who drafted it, such as James Madison, known as the "Father of the Constitution." And he daydreams about being a part of the group that debated for months and created the foundation of the U.S. government and law.

"I love it with all my heart," says Donnelson, R-North Ogden. "I would defend it with my life. I love this land."

As a six-year veteran on Capitol Hill, Donnelson pushes legislation using the Constitution as a shield, mostly to crack down on undocumented residents in the Beehive state.

His most successful measure in the 2006 Legislative Session so far is HB7, which would repeal a three-year-old law that allows undocumented high school graduates to pay in-state tuition at Utah colleges and universities. The bill is waiting for a vote on the House floor.

Some Utahns call Donnelson a hero, saying he's one of the few lawmakers who have the courage to speak out on the issue of illegal immigration. Others say Donnelson has a reputation as a mean-spirited, anti-immigrant legislator.

Donnelson, 67, says his anti-illegal immigration bills are not personal, he just doesn't want people breaking the law.

He still wishes that two other bills he sponsored would have passed this session, but both failed in committee. HB64 would have eliminated Utah driving privilege cards for undocumented residents. HB179 would have asked employers to verify employee Social Security numbers.

Donnelson calls himself a conservative constitutionalist, saying he wants people to respect the law.

"I believe in obeying, honoring and sustaining the laws of the land," he says.

Donnelson is adamant that he has nothing against Latinos or immigrants, as long as they have U.S. resident papers.

"I know it's not true, so it doesn't bother me," he says of being called a racist. "People don't understand me."

Some community leaders say Donnelson is out to hurt the Latino community, which includes many of the state's estimated 65,000 to more than 100,000 undocumented residents.

"He can say it's not personal, but it's a very personal attack on the Latino community. We can feel it," says Tony Yapias, a community activist and former state Hispanic Affairs director. "His mission is to get the undocumented people." Marco Diaz, Utah Republican Hispanic Assembly chairman, says he has met with Donnelson and has nothing against the lawmaker but doesn't understand why he continues to serve as "a poster child" for anti-illegal immigration groups. According to his bills, Donnelson wants to have thousands of people driving without licenses and car insurance and take away educational opportunities for undocumented students, Diaz says.

"These bills do not help Utah, they solely are intended to send a message - repeal anything to benefit undocumented people, even if it hurts Utah," Diaz says.

Other Utahns say they support Donnelson's every move at the state Capitol and admire him for not being afraid of trying to pass immigration legislation, since the federal government isn't doing its job.

Dave Morgan, a 47-year-old engineer who lives in Donnelson's district, says sometimes people are afraid to speak up about the subject because they don't want to be called racist.

"He's not worried about the stereotypes, he's worried about following the actual laws," says Morgan, a member of the Utah Minuteman Project, an anti-undocumented immigration group. "He's a man of dignity and character."

For Donnelson, running for public office was never part of his family legacy or life plan - until about a decade ago.

He grew up as the eldest of four siblings on an Iowa farm, where he helped his father milk cows by hand. His family moved to Ogden when he was in grade school. His father was a custodian and his mother a homemaker.

He met Carol, his future wife, at a local ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while they were in high school. The couple married in 1957 and have five children.

Donnelson attended Weber State University in hopes of becoming a dentist, but he had to quit after a few years.

"We just started raising a family, and it got tough economically," says Carol Donnelson, a Utah native and lifetime homemaker.

The family moved from town to town in the Weber County area until they settled in their North Ogden home on more than an acre of land in 1990. Donnelson later retired as a physical facilities manager after 22 years with Deseret Industries in Ogden.

Donnelson says he's been involved in the Republican Party for about three decades, but it wasn't until about 15 years ago that he started playing with the idea of running for office.

In the early 1990s, he organized the Constitutional Forum, a group focused on studying the constitution and learning about constitutional issues, such as U.S. citizen rights.

In 1994, he says he ran for a county commissioner seat because he wanted to represent taxpayers.

"I felt that they weren't spending my money too wisely," Donnelson says.

But he lost that election by 31 votes.

In 2000, Donnelson ran and won the House District 7 seat, a two-year term.

He has won two more elections to serve three consecutive terms. District 7 is made up of mostly North Ogden, which is 94 percent white, according to the U.S. Census.

Donnelson says his biggest achievement as a legislator so far is a bill he sponsored his first year in office. The law allows people who carry a concealed firearm from another state to carry it in Utah. It's been the only bill he's managed to turn into a law so far.

Donnelson says he's never carried a concealed weapon, but it was about giving citizens a constitutional right to bear arms.

Since then, he has tried to tackle other issues. For three years, he failed to get a bill passed that would prevent certain substances from being added to drinking water.

Now, for the third consecutive year, Donnelson's is working to gain the votes to ensure HB7, the in-state tuition repeal, passes.

Rep. Curtis Oda, R-Clearfield, says the two don't agree on every issue, but Donnelson has his vote for HB7.

"He looks at the best possible way to do things - not what's the warm and fuzzy thing to do," Oda says.

Oda describes Donnelson as "a good conservative."

"He's quiet, but he states his mind if there's something he doesn't agree with," Oda says.

For Donnelson, illegal immigration is a top issue he'll continue to fight as a legislator.

He plans to run for his fourth term this year.

"I'll run until I can't drive to Salt Lake," Donnelson jokes, referring to his hourlong drive from his house to the Capitol.

jsanchez@sltrib.com

Rep. Glenn Donnelson

North Ogden Republican, District 7

Age: 67

Elected: 2000, 2002, 2004 and running again this year.

Birthplace: Woodbine, Iowa. Moved to Ogden at age 8.

Education: Attended Weber State University.

Occupation: Retired. Former manager at Deseret Industries in Ogden for 25 years.

Family: Married to Carol for 48 years; five grown children; 17 grandchildren.

Hobbies: Gardening, fishing, backpacking, camping, playing paint ball and reading political and religious books.

Favorite snack: Homemade popcorn.

To contact him: Call 782-2640 or e-mail Gdonnelson@utah.gov.