Politics is heating up both in Washington and in Utah. Our observations:
The Utah Legislature begins its 45-day session tomorrow. Will this session have an overriding theme?
Pignanelli: "A forty years' experience of popular assemblies has taught me that you must give them time for every step you take. If too hard pushed, they balk, and the machine retrogrades." — Thomas Jefferson
The dynamics driving the session will be "Herbert, Health and Highways" (cheesy alliteration hides my lack of substance). Without the fog of major elections, the 2015 session will test the governor’s ability to influence legislative policy and implement his various programs (i.e. Medicaid expansion). He faces a new unified House Republican leadership willing to push back. Senators may be more receptive but only after concessions.
Lawmakers will hand-wring over increased funding for transportation through a gasoline or sales tax boost or restructuring. The Salt Lake Valley will be plagued by another “session inversion,” so expect releases of hot air from the Capitol in discussing solutions.
Webb: A pretty good theme for this session would be, “Let’s stop kicking the can down the road.” I’ve heard more than one legislative leader use that phrase recently as they’ve pledged to boost transportation funding. It’s time to prevent the gas tax from losing more purchasing power and to give local governments more flexibility to raise money for roads and public transit.
We also need to apply that theme to education funding. It’s time for Utah to achieve global education excellence to ensure a bright future for our children and grandchildren. Spending the least amount per pupil in the nation simply won’t get us there.
Anything in President Obama’s State of the Union speech last Tuesday of particular interest to Utahns?
Pignanelli: These January speeches have evolved into show business events with little impact. But politicos agree Obama is not sulking after a midterm election that slapped him hard. The president laid down a marker which will dominate deliberations in both parties — the stagnating middle class and new approaches to eliminate poverty. His proposed remedies (tax increases and free community college education) will have little traction beyond this week, but they do force Republicans to articulate their own solutions.
The economic rebound in Utah is dependent upon a strong middle class. So how Congress and our well-placed delegation responds and crafts resolutions demands attention.
Webb: The speech is best simply forgotten. Obama taunted Republicans by reminding them he was elected twice. But his policies were also repudiated twice by voters, in 2010 and 2012. The chamber in which he spoke contained 80 more Republicans than when he started in 2009. It was disappointing to hear him spike the ball and take victory laps on the economic recovery and in the fight against terrorism. Such boasting was surreal and hardly deserved.
The Republican Congress needs to acknowledge that Obama is president for two more years. Republicans won’t be able to pursue their vision for America until he is gone. So they ought to establish modest goals, avoid furious confrontations and brinkmanship, and pursue a mainstream agenda. The big problems facing this nation won’t be addressed until someone else occupies the White House.
Pignanelli & Webb: Like all Utahns, we were shocked and saddened at the death of Becky Lockhart. Her legacy is more than the first female speaker of the House of Representatives. For Lockhart, "conservatism" was beyond a political philosophy, it was a way of life. She fiercely believed in the free market of products and ideas without interference from government or large corporations. She was frugal with her financial resources and those of Utah taxpayers.
"Becky," as a lawmaker with a nursing background, refused to be intimidated when demanding common-sense answers and crafting solutions to problems. For some, her forceful advocacy was an irritant. But to others — including us — her fearless dedication was a delightful and much-needed addition. Indeed, it was in this column where the young legislator from Orem was first identified as a future "Iron Lady" — reminiscent of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
Lockhart was a wonderful mother and wife. She was never indifferent to those in need, and she respected opponents with differing opinions. Some of Lockhart’s greatest admirers are Democrats grateful for her openness and fairness.
Lockhart (and her peers) are partially responsible for the honors our state continually receives for good management and economic success. But her greatest contribution is unwavering leadership through the greatest ethical crisis state government has faced — the Shurtleff/Swallow scandal. She organized a House Investigations Committee to conduct exhaustive research into the controversy and ensured the results were available to the media and the public. She restored Utahns’ confidence in their leaders.
Speaker Lockhart was a heroic public servant. A tough conservative with a humane spirit who happened to be the first woman speaker of the House. We miss her.
Republican LaVarr Webb is a political consultant and lobbyist. Previously he was policy deputy to Gov. Mike Leavitt and Deseret News managing editor. Email: lwebb@exoro.com. Democrat Frank Pignanelli is a Salt Lake attorney, lobbyist and political adviser. Pignanelli served 10 years in the Utah House of Representatives, six years as minority leader. His spouse, D'Arcy Dixon Pignanelli, is a state tax commissioner. Email: frankp@xmission.com.