Will Utah legislators outlaw taking gifts from lobbyists?

Will they just name more lawmakers who take the less expensive gifts?

Or will the 2005 Legislature do nothing about that issue and other so-called "government reform" measures?

Democratic leaders say the minority party will bring forward a package of reform bills this session.

They join a handful of the majority Republicans who are also saying it's time to revisit issues that have been a thorn in the side of some legislators for a decade.

"The public is saying we should ban gifts. And maybe we should," said newly installed House Speaker Greg Curtis, R-Sandy.

But how that is done, if done at all, will be a matter of some debate, Curtis believes.

House Democrats outlined their government reform ideas in their Tuesday night response to GOP Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.'s State of the State address.

Some Democratic goals — such as getting independent commissions to redraw legislative district boundaries every 10 years or overseeing legislative ethics and campaigns — have little or no chance, Curtis said.

Tony Musci of Utah Common Cause, a government watchdog group, says: "Gifts should be banned. Keep it simple. There's no reason for them to take any gifts. In general, we like all these ideas (of ethical reform)."

Democrats aren't acting alone. Several Republicans also want changes in lobbyist reporting and conflict-of-interest rules.

A bill that would require representatives to verbally declare conflicts of interest before debating a bill passed the House Rules Committee Wednesday night. The bill's sponsor, Rep. Dave Ure, R-Kamas, said: "All I'm asking is that we be open and honest with our colleagues."

This morning, Sen. Greg Bell, R-Fruit Heights, will see his SB102 go before a Senate committee. The bill would lower from $50 to $10 the naming threshold for a lawmaker who takes a lobbyist gift. In other words, accept a $10 gift from a registered lobbyist and your name shows up on his report.

Both Curtis and Senate President John Valentine, R-Orem, think Bell's bill — with some fine tuning — might make it. But they're not big on some of the Democrats' ideas.

"We like Bell's bill," Musci said. "It's not a great improvement in the process, but it helps shed light" on who is taking what.

"There's no way now of knowing if any of these will pass," said House Minority Leader Ralph Becker, D-Salt Lake, who has seen previous attempts at government reform die in House and Senate Rules Committees without even a public hearing.

"But this is the first time in years that a governor has made ethics reform an issue," said Becker, speaking of Huntsman's pledge to take various steps at ethical changes in the executive branch of government.