Your columnists just completed nine months of grueling labor protecting democracy, our sacred rights, and the American Way. (You can send effusive praise to the e-mail addresses below.)
We accomplished these noble objectives as members of the Governor's Commission on Strengthening Utah's Democracy (www.strengthendemocracy.org), affectionately called the Save Democracy Commission.
This commission was established by former Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. with the overall objective of increasing citizen involvement in the political process and reversing Utah's declining voter turnout. Huntsman originally charged the commission with several tasks, with the scope later trimmed under legislative pressure to elections procedures, lobbying regulations and campaign finance.
The commission will soon forward several important recommendations to Gov. Gary Herbert that are likely to be considered by the Legislature.
The process has generated a number of questions:
Was the outcome of the commission work worth the effort?
Pignanelli: "A committee is a cul-de-sac down which ideas are lured and then quietly strangled." — Barnett Cocks
This commission is a testament to the human spirit of overcoming challenges. Despite all the initial fanfare, the Huntsman administration stumbled in the initial rollout. The mission of increasing voter turnout was diluted among other objectives without collaboration with the Legislature. The governor refused any state funding to the commission, thereby raising questions of his commitment to the effort. Then, commission chairman Larry H. Miller passed away, leaving a void. Acting chairman Kirk Jowers (director of the Hinckley Institute of Politics) and his staff (Matthew T. Sanderson and Taylor D. Morgan) soldiered on with a number of committed volunteer members. Normally, the products of task forces and commissions make great door jams and that's about it. However, with the current focus on government ethics and transparency, the actions of the commission will receive attention.
Webb: I was a bit skeptical upon being appointed by Huntsman, but the effort grew on me as time went on. A lot of really excellent work came out of the commission, especially the in-depth papers produced by the terrific volunteer staff (a number of fine attorneys from various firms). If anyone is interested in campaign finance, elections procedures, lobbying regulations, redistricting, and ethics, several in-depth background papers can be found on the commission Web site. The final recommendations are also there.
With limited time and a broad scope of work, we certainly didn't cover every possible topic, but some solid recommendations were made. It was a pleasure to work with our fellow commissioners, a diverse group of thoughtful and knowledgeable people. Debate was feisty and strong opinions were held, but we all learned a lot and came to respect differing perspectives.
Who will benefit or suffer from the commission recommendations?
Pignanelli: Utah Democrats will suffer the most if the campaign contribution limits of the commission are enacted into law. For decades, the Democratic Party benefited from the tremendous generosity of a handful of very wealthy donors and large advocacy organizations (i.e. labor, education). Utah Republicans are blessed with many more donors, but comparatively few providing the large sums emanating from these liberal heavyweights. After consulting with legislators, the governor and others, the commission recommended a number of limits on donations. (I grew weary of explaining to my Democratic colleagues why these caps were dangerous, and eventually joined the bandwagon.) If the suggestions regarding voter registration are enacted, many Utahns will benefit.
Webb: I have been generally philosophically opposed to campaign contribution limits. But the limits suggested in the compromise proposal approved unanimously by the commission are high enough that the vast majority of current contributions will fall within what's allowed. It's a good compromise that both parties and the governor could rally around and show the public the Legislature is serious about reform.
I also believe that voting is important enough that citizens ought to be willing to put forth a little effort to register and to vote. I'm more concerned about voters being informed than I am about raw numbers. However, the commission's recommendations are reasonable and will encourage participation.
Will the commission have an impact on Utah government and elections?
Pignanelli: Notwithstanding the grandstanding by some officials, a number of elected and appointed officials are scared to death of the ethics initiative that may be on the 2010 ballot. (They have reason to fear, as we have discussed previously and will discuss in the future.) The only way to stop initiative supporters from gathering enough signatures, and from passing the initiative, is to develop an alternative that will satisfy Utahns. The commission offers a common-sense approach to dealing with ethics deliberations and other important concerns. The Legislature should consider these items, and others, in order to craft a fundamental ethics package that will enhance Utahns' confidence in their government.
Webb: Events converged, including the citizens' ethics initiative, to make the commission's work more relevant and timely than it might have been otherwise. Legislators will find the commission's recommendations to be reasonable, mainstream suggestions to strengthen Utah's democracy. Approving them may take some of the steam out of the much more draconian regulations in the ethics initiative.
After saving democracy, what can we do next?
Republican LaVarr Webb is a political consultant and lobbyist. Previously he was policy deputy to Gov. Mike Leavitt and a Deseret News managing editor. E-mail: lwebb@exoro.com. Democrat Frank Pignanelli is Salt Lake attorney, lobbyist and political adviser. Pignanelli served 10 years in the Utah House of Representatives, six as minority leader. His spouse, D'Arcy Dixon Pignanelli, is a Utah state tax commissioner. E-mail: frankp@xmission.com.