"When we've asked for gift bans or ethics laws, that's when I've taken the worst heat — you go in with shield and armor if you ask them to give up gifts. They don't get it — they think gifts are part of serving."

Some of the measures supported by Utahns in the poll have either been voted down before by majority Republicans or would never be supported because it would take power away from the majority party and give it to an independent commission.

GOP leaders have flatly said they are not going to turn over internal ethics investigations of legislators to an independent commission (81 percent of Utahns favor the commission); won't give up the power of the House and Senate to redraw legislative districts after each 10-year census (66 percent favor a commission to do that;) or turn the State Elections Office, now under the partisan-elected lieutenant governor, over to an independent commission (64 percent of Utahns favor that.)

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E-mail: bbjr@desnews.com