Utahns overwhelmingly say they want legislators to get on the stick and start passing government reform bills, a new poll shows.
But while lawmakers are moving forward bills that "reform" executive branch activities, they are killing bills that, in some cases, would apply the same standards to themselves.
In a new survey for the Deseret Morning News and KSL-TV, pollster Dan Jones & Associates found at least 75 percent support for seven different reform measures that are before lawmakers this session — but only those that apply to the executive branch of government are making any headway.
For example, already approved by the Senate is a constitutional amendment, asked for by Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., that would limit the terms of Utah governors to two four-year stints in office.
Several years ago, legislators repealed a 12-year term limit law that applied to them even before the law forced anyone from office.
Tuesday, a House committee approved a bill that would ban state employees from taking any gift valued at more than $25, if the employee was getting it because of that person's state position.
Yet already this session, legislators have killed bills that would have:Curtailed lawmakers from giving their own campaign funds to themselves.
Banned most gifts to legislators from lobbyists.
Allowed lawmakers to continue taking lobbyists' gifts but make public more legislators' names who take those gifts.
"It's a curious thing," said Tony Musci, chairman of Utah Common Cause, a government watchdog group. "It's almost mind-boggling that (legislators) don't see the hypocrisy" in restricting what the governor, top state executives and/or rank-and-file state workers may do, but don't apply the same standards to themselves.
True, Huntsman asked for the restrictions placed on himself and his top aides — like not allowing a future governor or Cabinet member to become a paid lobbyist for one year after leaving office. (Legislators routinely kill a bill each session that would stop legislators from immediately becoming paid lobbyists upon leaving office. All but one retiring speaker of the House in the last decade have become lobbyists upon leaving office.)
A bill limiting campaign contributions in gubernatorial races is also on tap this year at Huntsman's request.
Huntsman promised executive branch reform as part of his campaign last year but has been careful not to say he expects legislators to follow his ethical path.
Still, hoping to get some of that gubernatorial glow, Sen. Greg Bell, R-Fruit Heights, earlier this session ran a bill that would have lowered the threshold in naming lawmakers who take lobbyists' gifts from $50 to $10. But a Senate committee refused to advance it, and Bell now says even that "small step" couldn't pass the 29-member body.
Besides the bills wanted by Huntsman, some reform bills are part of minority Democrats' better-government package. Some others are bills suggested by individual GOP lawmakers who just want to solve actual or perceived problems in state government.
For example, Rep. John Dougall, R-Highland, says HB282 (which passed a committee Tuesday) is needed because he's heard disturbing reports of some individual state workers, or groups of workers, seeking gifts or other favors from companies doing business with the state.
His bill, as amended in committee, would ban all gifts valued at more than $25 to state employees, defined as workers who are not either elected or appointed.
"You hear that a state agency may be hitting up a company" to contribute gifts or cash to agency Christmas parties and the like, Dougall said.
His bill would clearly say, both to employees and private businesses, that such actions are inappropriate, Dougall said.
Is there irony in the fact that lawmakers may ban gifts to rank-and-file workers from people who seek their good will, but not ban lobbyists' gifts to themselves?
No, said Dougall. Lawmakers are a different animal.
"We're elected, before the public all the time, with the news media gladly reporting" from lobbyist disclosure forms what legislators may be taking from those trying to influence them. "Personally, I'd be more than willing to look at banning gifts to legislators," but HB282 tries to get at a specific problem, Dougall said.
"It's a standard for state workers" who are not elected by the public every two years, not in the media's searchlight, he said.
In a new poll of 406 adults, with a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percent, Jones found:80 percent favor limiting governors to two terms.
85 percent favor top state executives not lobbying for a year after leaving office.
75 percent favor lowering the threshold from $50 to $10 in naming lawmakers who take lobbyists' gifts.
81 percent favor banning all gifts to legislators.
79 percent favor prohibiting legislators from becoming lobbyists for two years after leaving office.
77 percent favor independent commissions overseeing legislative ethics investigations, legislative redistricting and running the State Elections Office.
76 percent favor banning legislators from spending their campaign funds on themselves.
Common Cause's Musci said it's hard to explain why legislators continually refuse to change how they conduct their own activities when year after year so many Utahns want reforms.
"It's a complicated answer. Part of it is that power corrupts — not that these people are lawbreakers. They aren't. But controlling power is the underlying theme" in resistance to change, he said.
"There's also the sense that something is owed them."
The part-time legislators have little pay, and perks of office are one way of justifying the sacrifices they make. Undervaluing a public official's work is always a dangerous thing, said Musci, as recent scandals in local government have shown.
"Finally, they don't want to change a system that nurtured them into office, nurtured them while in office," he said.
Contributing: Wendy Leonard
E-mail: bbjr@desnews.com