GOP killing Democrats' reform bills

GOP majorities in the Utah Legislature are starting to kill so-called legislative reform bills, many sponsored by Democrats.

The actions come, ironically, as those same Republicans are passing along GOP Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.'s executive branch reform bills aimed at term-limiting governors, limiting individual contributions to gubernatorial campaigns and restricting top state executives from becoming lobbyists for one year after quitting state government.

Stuck in a Senate committee is an effort by GOP Sen. Greg Bell to publicly list more lawmakers and other state officials who accept gifts from lobbyists. Bell's bill could get a Senate floor vote if Democratic Sen. Gene Davis would vote for it. But Bell, R-Fruit Heights, says he doesn't expect to get Davis' vote "and there's not enough support in the whole (Senate) to pass this anyway."

Even though Republicans are killing Democrats' legislative reform measures — run as a package by House and Senate Democratic leaders — Republicans might yet see another lobbyist gift bill from a party colleague.

Rep. Jim Ferrin, R-Orem, says he plans to introduce a bill that would ban outright large "intangible gifts" to lawmakers and other top state executives. His HB369 has not yet been drafted. But Ferrin says he wants to ban gifts that cost more than $50.

"It's aimed at stopping some of the very expensive trips that I've heard some people have taken" and are not being reported now, Ferrin said.

Only registered lobbyists must file reports detailing how much money they spend entertaining legislators and other top state officials.

A legislator can accept an "intangible gift" — like a event ticket, meal or trip — from a non-lobbyist, and the gift would not be reported.

Ferrin said he doesn't know personally of any such expensive trips and has seen no wrongdoing. But, he adds, it is best to close what some see as a loophole in gift-taking by top state officials by clearly banning such gifts in the future.

Years ago it was common knowledge that some legislative leaders had taken extended trips provided by non-lobbyists. One Senate leader, while serving in a national legislative association, took a two-week trip to Alaska paid for by a big oil company that did not lobby in Utah, displaying on his office wall a large, stuffed fish he caught during part of the trip.

Wednesday, the House Rules Committee refused to let House Minority Leader Ralph Becker's legislative gift ban bill (HB144) be heard in a committee — effectively killing it. Previous Becker gift-ban bills also died without a hearing.