The two candidates seeking the Republican nomination in state Senate District 15 seem to have much in common on the surface.
Parley Hellewell and Greg Soter are long-time Orem residents, strong family men and small-business owners. They're both politically conservative and are campaigning to lower taxes, cut spending and reduce government waste.Soter has tried to distinguish himself by saying he, not Hellewell, has the communication, persuasion and creative thinking skills to make an effective senator. Hellewell counters with "that's all a bunch of baloney" and says no one will stand stronger in the Senate. Soter says he's more moderate than Hellewell, who has the support of the ultraconservative Utah Republican Assembly.
The two candidates diverge slightly on several issues lawmakers might grapple with next year.
Hellewell and Soter are trying to replace retiring Sen. LeRay McAllister. McAllister has not publicly endorsed either candidate. The primary election winner will join Democrat Robert "Bob" Davis and Independent American Mike Maloney on the November ballot.
Senate District 15 covers south and central Orem, northwest Provo and Vineyard. More specifically: northwest Provo, generally west of 500 West and north of Center Street, plus an area east to the Provo River between Moon River Drive and about 2500 North; the district's northern boundary in Orem is 1600 North west of I-15, 800 North between I-15 and State Street, 400 North between State Street and 1000 East, and Center Street east of 1000 East.
Parley Hellewell (R)
Age: 48
Address: 492 S. 1000 West, Orem.
Occupation: Owns PPM, a plumbing, heating and air conditioning service company.
Political experience: Ran two unsuccessful congressional campaigns.
Personal: 25-year resident of Provo-Orem area, wife Marilynn, four children; business management degree from Utah Technical College.
Should state law be changed to allow certain entities to ban all weapons, including legally permitted concealed weapons, from their premises? Hellewell said the law doesn't need to be changed to ban weapons from churches, public schools, college and universities or public and private businesses.
Do you favor or oppose eliminating sales tax on food? Hellewell said he favors eliminating sales tax on food. The revenue could be made up by eliminating government waste, he said.
Should state or local tax dollars be used to preserve open spaces from development? Hellewell would not leave the decision on how to manage open space and development to the state. "It should be up to the county or the city to decide," he said.
Do you favor or oppose class size reduction funds for junior high schools? "I favor directing funds toward class size reduction, but the school districts should decide where it is needed most," he said.
Do you favor or oppose the Goshute Indian plan to put high-level nuclear waste in Tooele County? Hellewell opposes nuclear waste in Tooele County or anywhere else in the state. "Utah should not be the dumping ground for someone to make a profit," he said.
Do you favor or oppose the state's new CHIP program - providing low-income children without health insurance access to basic health insurance coverage? "I would have joined with the other Utah County legislators and voted against that bill," Hellewell said.
Greg Soter (R)
Age: 51
Address: 1728 S. 290 East, Orem.
Occupation: Owns Soter Associates, an advertising firm.
Political experience: Worked on numerous political campaigns through his business.
Personal: 28-year Orem resident; wife Kate, six children; advertising degree from BYU.
Should state law be changed to allow certain entities to ban all weapons, including legally permitted concealed weapons, from their premises? The law doesn't need to be changed to ban weapons from churches, public schools, college and universities or public and private businesses, Soter said.
Do you favor or oppose eliminating sales tax on food? Soter favors eliminating the sales tax on food just as he favors reducing or eliminating any other tax. "Remember, however, we must also reduce spending in the state by an equal amount," he said.
Should state or local tax dollars be used to preserve open spaces from development? "I don't believe government has the right to tell private property owners they have to leave their land unused," he said.
Do you favor or oppose class size reduction funds for junior high schools? Soter favors funds for class-size reduction given several provisions. Local school districts, not the state, should decide which classes will benefit, he said. Funds must not be absorbed in administrative costs and those hired in schools must spend more time teaching, Soter said.
Do you favor or oppose the Goshute Indian plan to put high-level nuclear waste in Tooele County? "The Goshute Indians should be able to use their land however they want as long as the nuclear waste can be transported safely to the site," Soter said.
Do you favor or oppose the state's new CHIP program - providing low-income children without health insurance access to basic health insurance coverage? Soter said he opposes CHIP because it is largely funded with federal money that has strings attached and a hospital head tax.