Lack of civility mars session

Stephenson denounced "the mass media money machines. You want to talk about ethics, let's talk about some of the reporting that's been done by the media, about portraying legislators as on the take. . . . our pious media. . . . And yet we pander to the media so that we'll give them more fodder to keep crucifying the Legislature."

• On Jan. 31, Tim Wagner of the Sierra Club testified before the House Natural Resources Committee against a bill to require a bond be posted to stay an order by the Utah Board of Air Quality.

But the discussion shifted to the need for coal-fired power plants, and Wagner said other energy sources should be pursued before settling on coal-fired generation.

Dayton asked: "Am I correct in understanding then that you ARE in favor of coal-fired power plants?. . . I realize you want to look at other things, but are you in favor of coal-fired power plants?"

Wagner asked why he was being grilled on the topic.

Dayton replied, "Because you are going to be on record. You know, we're recording this meeting."

Later, Wagner said, "I thought Rep. Dayton was quite rude. . . . I wasn't trying to center a discussion about who was in favor or who wasn't in favor of coal-fired power plants. That wasn't the issue."

• One advocate who did not wish to be identified said she and another woman decided to testify together, when the committee set-up was for one to speak at a time.

Following the meeting, a legislator "came up to me afterwards and was actually kind of joking around," she said.

Commenting on the two of them appearing together at the speaker's desk, the legislator said "that we were the 'Lee twins — Ug Lee and Home Lee.' "

Members of the public were not the only ones who felt lawmakers were particularly mean-spirited this session. In an editorial published Feb. 23, House Majority Leader Jeff Alexander, R-Provo, acknowledged that lawmakers can do a better job of serving the public in a more civil and polite way.

"As leaders in the Legislature, it is time for us to lead and help legislators in the House and Senate develop a greater respect for their positions and for the people we serve," he wrote. "Consider that my pledge."

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E-mail: bau@desnews.com