Dedicated people will have to stand in front of malls, pen and paper in hand. Volunteers will carry petitions door to door. The effort must evolve neighborhood by neighborhood, one person at a time.
If Utahns want to remove all guns from schools, it's not going to happen in the Utah Legislature but through a citizen initiative, Gov. Mike Leavitt, legislative Democrats and others believe after House Republicans slammed the door late Wednesday on a special session on gun violence and school safety.The special session's fate was sealed when the 54 House Republicans met behind closed doors for 3 1/2 hours. They came out to say no special session in October -- not on guns, not on Utah's tobacco settlement monies, not on anything.
Speaking Thursday morning at his monthly KUED-TV Channel 7 press conference, Leavitt said he's shutting the door on a special session this year. "One chapter is closed (on the gun debate). But a new chapter opens."
Leavitt met with the Republicans for more than an hour Wednesday night, coming out to say he still hoped they would agree to a special session on some gun items -- such as keeping those who are found mentally ill from having guns -- and to "make basic policy decisions" on spending Utah's tobacco settlement.
But it was not to be.
House Speaker Marty Stephens, in a 10 p.m. press conference, said "by far" most of the Republicans didn't want a special session, that to do so is not good public policy, not responsible work.
GOP House leaders detailed reason after reason why it's wise to wait for a general session next year. As a new Deseret News poll published Sunday shows, the issue has become politicized.
And in the final analysis, some House Republicans got their backs up and simply didn't want a special session on guns defined by Democrats and Leavitt.
Stephens said Thursday morning that a number of House Republicans wanted to take after Democrats Wednesday. And, indeed, some documents and other items were prepared for such an attack. But a decision was made not to do that.
"We've been the ones receiving the (public) arrows on this (gun violence and school safety), not the ones shooting," Stephens said. "And Republicans haven't been in the attack mode, historically, and we decided to stay with that approach."
Wednesday night, Stephens summed up the caucus's reasons: "We refuse to be rushed into action that will not solve the problems of this state simply to make the citizens of this state think we are doing something for them when we're not."
Ultimately, the House Republicans' decision wasn't a surprise.
Dee Rowland, head of government services for the Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City, said it seemed evident about six weeks ago that the Legislature was not going to act on this issue. That was motivation for a group of church, hospital and community leaders to turn to a citizen initiative.
"The legislative aspect of democracy doesn't seem to be working," Rowland said Thursday.
The coalition is finalizing a proposal to ask voters in 2000 to ban all guns, including legally permitted concealed weapons, from public schools.
"I am disappointed because the country is going to be looking at Utah again -- as the only state with liberalized concealed-weapons laws that still allow guns in school," she said. "It shows us in a negative way."
Stephens said the proposed citizen referendum was discussed in the closed caucus. The general feeling was that it's best to let citizens run any referendum they want, he said, but that it wasn't wise for lawmakers to set up their own ballot referendum. "The people didn't elect us to pass the buck back" to them on controversial issues, Stephens said.
Speaking Thursday, Leavitt bristled at reporters' questions on whether he'd expend more effort in favor of the citizen referendum. "I don't know how much more I can be out there (in support of getting guns out of schools). The public knows where I am on this. How I interact with the initiative is a matter I'll take up at a later time."
Is Republican leadership in the Legislature out of step with Utahns on guns? Leavitt said he couldn't answer that question.
Why didn't he just call a special session and force moderate Republicans to vote with or against Democrats on guns? Maybe some bills would pass, he was asked. Leavitt said he understands the political dynamics on guns, and GOP lawmakers had to maintain party discipline.
Did GOP House members rebuke Leavitt in their vote? "No, I just lost on this issue again," the governor said.
Stephens promised various gun violence and school safety issues will be pursued through the rest of the interim study days. Republicans will travel the state to hold regional public meetings on the issues, and it's likely some action will be taken during January and February's general legislative session. Stephens said even though three legislative committees have studied issues for 90 days, bills specifically dealing with a number of issues were only heard Wednesday. And there hasn't been enough time to adequately study matters.
Democrats and groups seeking some gun control, however, say that's bunk.
House Minority Leader Dave Jones says he's had bills prepared for three months and that until Wednesday Republicans wouldn't let him present any of them.
Earlier Wednesday, Leavitt told the Deseret News that while he feels strongly about gun issues he was not going to twist arms to get either a special session or get his bills through a special session or general session.
"We've spent enough time" on guns, Leavitt said. "We need to make a decision (on a special session) and move on. We have budget items (for the 2000 session) and other work."
In essence, Leavitt said enough talk, take some action.
But Republicans apparently don't agree.