New speaker of House looks ahead after a tough year

Curtis tries to use humor in dealing with the bright glare of attention. When his daughter called him on his cell phone last spring, concerned her high school classmates were saying Curtis had been nominated as "bonehead of the week" by local rock station DJs over the vehicle issue, "I asked her if I'd won; I mean I might as well get something. There's an old saying: Friends may come an go, but enemies accumulate." And at times, Curtis said, public figures see many enemies.

That's why he personally felt so good after winning the speakership. It meant that a majority of the 56-member GOP House caucus still had faith in him.

Curtis, 44, is perhaps getting used to ups and downs in public life. In the 1990s, as West Jordan city attorney, he resigned as that municipal government fell apart amid charges of wrongdoing and special interests.

Now he sets his sights on running the Utah House over the next two-month general session.

He plans to continue "an open" administration, saying the House Rules Committee will be open to the public, as will most House GOP caucuses.

"All Republican caucuses will be open unless closed" by a vote of the GOP representatives. "We only close a few caucuses each session, mainly to take budget positions" in fights over spending with the governor and/or Senate, he said.

He has few regrets over positions or actions during his 10 years serving Sandy city's east bench area. "I personally may have been a little harsh in dealing with legislative colleagues or others. I'm a passionate guy. I can get angry. But I try to take a deep breath, calm down a little."

Politics should not be personal, he says. "I can be blunt and forceful," and sometimes that may have been misinterpreted by others as hardheadedness. "But I'm always willing to listen."

Curtis is a Salt Lake County boy, educated in local public schools. He earned an undergraduate degree from Brigham Young University and then graduated from the University of Utah law school. After working in a local firm, he joined West Jordan city as an assistant city prosecutor and saw the ground floor of the criminal justice system by handling misdemeanor cases. He later became city attorney.

After leaving the city, he did a variety of legal work, mainly regarding development issues, before joining Workman's administration after her 2000 victory.

Curtis announced several weeks ago he's joining the newly created law firm of Hutchings, Baird & Jones and will work part time for them doing residential development law. The three partners have a history of being tough on local governments in residential development zoning fights, representing some of the state's largest homebuilders.

The speakership, for which Curtis is paid an extra $2,500 a year in addition to lawmakers' regular pay, will take the rest of his work time, he said.

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E-mail: bbjr@desnews.com