Lawmakers raise funds for hosting duties

Utah lawmakers will set up their own nonprofit entity to raise money for, and host, a national convention next year.

And while rules governing such a nonprofit organization will prohibit the free spending of any leftover funds — not the case with past legislative fund raising for large conventions — it is still unclear exactly how lawmakers will go about raising $800,000 to $1 million from local and national corporations.

Next summer, the Utah Legislature will host the meeting of the National Conference of State Legislatures, the main association and research group for the 50 state lawmaking bodies. Coincidentally, Utah House Speaker Marty Stephens, R-Farr West, was just elected president of NCSL, a term he'll give up next July at the national convention.

A lot is riding on a successful NCSL conference and in raising upward of $1 million to pay for it.

Stephens is looking at the governor's race next year. And while the presidency of NCSL is a feather in his political cap, in recent years two host legislatures failed to raise what was spent on the national NCSL convention. The local legislatures had to pay the deficits — one hit more than $380,000. Candidate Stephens certainly doesn't want that hanging on his gubernatorial campaign.

Utah lawmakers have not appropriated any monies directly for the convention. However, in the 2003 Legislature they did set up a special NCSL host committee of legislators and members of legislative staff. Salaries for those planning meetings will run around $30,000 this year and will come from taxpayer funds.

Convention planners also received assistance from Salt Palace managers, who have waived the rental fee for the facility, saving the organizers approximately $68,000. Such waivers are typical, however, especially for conventions which come during slower times because the exhibitors still pay for phone lines, computer access and utility costs, said Allyson Jackson, director of marketing and sales for managing company SMG.

But host committee members, meeting recently, again pledged they will raise upward of $1 million from Utah and national corporate sources to pay for the four-day convention itself, and Utah taxpayers will not get stuck with any bills.

The NCSL meeting is estimated to bring 6,000 legislators, legislative staffers and guests to Salt Lake City next summer. Legislative staffers estimate the meeting will pump $7 million into the local economy.