As in all elections, the Utah House and Senate will see some turnover next year. Probably not as much as in 1992, but taken over a four-year period about half of the Utah Legislature will be replaced come the 1995 session.
Thursday's candidate filing deadline offered few surprises to legislative watchers since a number of legislators had already let it be known that they wouldn't seek re-election. Now it will be up to voters to decide how many of the part-time House and Senate members really get back into office.Partly because of the redrawing of legislative district boundaries following the 1990 Census, the 1992 elections saw quite a bit of turnover. Nearly 40 percent of the 75-member House was new to the 1993 Legislature. The 29-member Senate saw eight new senators last year.
Such a large turnover really couldn't be predicted from the April 1992 candidate filing deadline, however. Then, 16 House members chose to voluntarily retire, yet 28 were ultimately replaced. This year only six rep-resentatives out of 75 have chosen not to file for re-election - all Republicans. All Democratic House members are seeking re-election this year.
Those not filing for re-election include House Speaker Rob Bishop, R-Brigham City, who is retiring after 16 years; Rep. Kim Burningham, R-Bountiful, who has also served 16 years; and Reps. Phil Uipi, R-Salt Lake; Irby Arrington, R-Salt Lake; Dan Price, R-Vernal; and Jim Yardley, R-Panguitch. Uipi is running for the state Senate.
In 1992, only three senators out of 14 up for re-election decided to retire. But ultimately, eight were replaced. In addition to the three retirees, one resigned to take a Cabinet post in Gov. Mike Leavitt's new administration, one died in office and three lost their re-election bids.
This year, five senators out of 16 up for re-election ultimately decided not to run again. They include Senate President Arnold Christensen, R-Sandy, who has served 16 years in office, 10 as president; Sen. Haven Barlow, R-Layton, who has served 42 years in office, the longest in the state's history; and Sens. Winn Richards, D-Ogden; Paul Fordham, D-Tay-lors-ville; and Ron Ockey, R-Salt Lake. All but Christensen had said during the 1994 Legislature that they wouldn't run again.
While the number of new faces may not be as great come 1995 as it was in 1993, taken over a four-year time frame - the terms of state senators - nearly half of the House and Senate will be new come the 1995 session. And those numbers don't include incumbents who may be defeated in November.
Add 1994 retirements from the Senate to changes made last year and you see a bunch of new bodies over a four-year stretch. A picture taken in January 1991 of the 29-member Senate would show at least 14 gone come next January - and that doesn't include any incumbents who may lose their re-election bids this year. Fourteen is just one short of a majority. Half the Senate gone in four years.
Of 75 House members who were sworn in in January 1991, 36 will be gone for sure come next January. And that also doesn't include any who may lose re-election bids in November. Thirty-six lawmakers falls just short of the 38 that is a majority in the House - that's 48 percent gone over four years.
It makes the argument for legislative term limits less relevant, legislative leaders say.
Just as dramatic as the numbers is who won't be in charge. Gone will be Christensen from GOP Senate leadership. Also gone from the back Senate row will be Barlow, who has overseen the public education budget - at $1 billion the largest in state government - for more than 20 years. Last year, Democrats dumped their Senate minority leadership for two new leaders.
Gone from the House will be Speaker Bishop. Burningham is also a ranking Republican, a die-hard advocate for teachers and head of the economic development budget committee. Arrington was the House budget chairman for Human Services. Uipi, Yardley and Price were committee chairmen.
Leadership elections for Republicans and Democrats will be held following the Nov. 8 election.