Utah Republicans ready to rumble

On a local level, another resolution calls on GOP delegates to oppose SB175, a bill sponsored by a Republican state senator, passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature and signed by Republican Gov. Olene Walker. The bill repeals parts of Initiative B, a citizens initiative passed by voters several years ago, aimed at keeping law enforcement agencies from financially benefiting from confiscated property like homes and cars purchased by convicted drug dealers.

It goes on to "express disappointment with Gov. Walker" for signing the bill into law.

In contrast to all this conservative saber-rattling, one delegate is swimming against the tide. Bill Grant has an amendment to the state GOP constitution that, if passed, would reopen the now-closed Republican primary to unaffiliated voters — those who don't belong to any political party.

Grant says the closed primary was passed by the 2001 convention when only about 500 of the 3,500 delegates were left in the hall. He says it is giving the Utah Republican Party a bad name among Utahns in general and that primaries should be open to the public because they are paid for by all taxpayers and held in public buildings.

As for Allen, he says Democrats need all the help they can get in GOP-dominated Utah, and that his delegates thus won't let their platform be a Republican political target.

"We have a good platform now. It's moderate. It expresses our desire to create an environment for Utah citizens that is open and free from special interests," Allen said. "I see us largely sticking to that."

Only a few minor changes were made to the four-year-old platform in advance of the convention. Other, more controversial issues may be raised as resolutions during the convention that delegates will be able to vote up or down, Allen said.

Language supporting states rights in regard to health care and personal liberties was added to the party's platform, Allen said. It's an issue that is traditionally claimed by the GOP and one that is featured in the Republican platform.

Platforms tend to be ignored, Allen said, except by a party's opponents.

"Political platforms have mainly been used for one purpose and one purpose only, and that's for your political enemies to pick holes," Allen said. "We've learned that if largely special-interest viewpoints dominate our debate and our platform, it only ends up hurting us."

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