Lobbyists scarce on lawmaker trip

Lawmakers' first-ever visit to St. George and Cedar City saw then-Utah Public Employees Association lobbyists offering to buy tickets for lawmakers and their spouses to the Utah Shakespearian Festival. And some legislators gulped when Southern Utah University officials meticulously listed more than $30,000 in costs the school waived when the Legislature spent the day on campus.

The state pays for legislators' housing, their daily salary and per diem on the trips. But local businesses (with some help from lobbyists) were expected to pick up the cost of tours, meals and so on.

Some of the visits had expensive sidelights, like a horseback riding tour of Bryce Canyon that would have normally cost visitors more than $100.

A visit to the Uinta Basin saw a morning breakfast meeting where there were more lobbyists present than legislators (who may have decided to sleep in).>

Finally, there was the 1999 fund-raising boo-boo.

As the trip became more and more of a summer event, its costs began to rise. In preparing to host lawmakers in Summit, Morgan and Wasatch counties, legislators who represented those areas sent out an ill-advised fund-raising letter to lobbyists and Utah firms who historically have given to legislative causes and campaigns. The letter, signed by half a dozen legislators, asked for contributions of up to $5,000 each to help pay for the trip.

News stories about the letter led to legislative leaders' disclaimers and lobbyists were told they didn't really have to contribute.

In the early 2000s the state hit an economic downturn, and faced with cutting back state programs, limiting employee pay raises and other revenue problems, lawmakers cut out the summer trip all together.

But with record tax surpluses now flowing into state coffers, leaders decided it was a good idea to reinstate the trip this summer. August interim meetings were canceled and the 104-member Legislature spent two days in Box Elder, Cache and Rich counties last week conducting tours and holding town meetings.

"I was responsible for raising the money for one lunch," Wyatt said. An attorney, Wyatt asked the Utah State Bar for help. "They picked up the cost. A letter on each table said who the sponsor was, but the Bar didn't even send up someone to meet people or give opening remarks. I don't remember a lobbyists saying a word" to assembled legislators during the visit, he added.

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E-mail: bbjr@desnews.com; jloftin@desnews.com