Legislators Have Duty to 'Oversee' Not 'Overlook'

Summary

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Sometimes, the Utah Legislature reminds me of the legend about the Chicano poet who went to the mountains to fast for his people, and when he descended days later, he had gained weight. Similarly, some of our legislators tout themselves as champions of "conservative" principles -- less government, more local control, integrity and accountability.

But we now have more government, less local control, less accountability and a diminished sense of integrity. Any effort at ethics reform never sees the light of day. We have a Legislature that seems more responsive to lobbyists than to citizens and their local elected officials. My good friend and Republican, the late Alex Hurtado, used to remind me about the Golden Rule, "He who has the gold makes the rules." Some legislators have no qualms about using their power to pass laws best left to local elected officials.

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Legislators Have Duty to 'Oversee' Not 'Overlook'

Each legislative session we see hundreds of bills passed, primarily drafted by lobbyists, and there is little, if any, concern given to how they create more g...

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