In 2004, two influential senators from his own party — Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper; and Sen. Al Mansell, R-Sandy — both opposed Hogue's re-election. Stephenson is president of the Utah Taxpayers Association, a group that often speaks for manufacturers, and Mansell is president of the National Realtor Association.

The Utah Manufacturers Association PAC and other business groups gave hundreds of dollars to Hogue's GOP challenger in 2004, George Holling, while the Utah Association of Realtors gave $1,000 to defeat Hogue.

But Hogue's complaint is not against those contributions since they are listed on Holling's campaign reports. Rather, says Hogue, groups are running so-called "independent" campaigns for or against this or that legislative and/or local candidate and the spending is not publicly connected to the targeted races.

"I'm looking for a way to put in (Utah's legal) code what they spend in a race, so citizens know what is going on," says Hogue.

Bell says he realizes most, if not all, Utah legislators serve at a financial liability.

Legislators now make $120 a day, get a per diem of $39 a day and a hotel allotment of $79 a day. They also get mileage, depending on how far they drive, and they get good medical and life insurance coverage, as well.

Legislative budgeters have reported in the past that the average legislator probably makes between $15,000 and $20,000 a year, depending on how many out-of-session meetings they are paid to attend.

All legislators get pay, per diem and mileage for 45 calendar days for the January-to-early-March general session.

But since much of legislators' pay comes through per diem, controlled by legislators themselves, citizens don't see that income as they do the $120-a-day regular pay, says Bell.

His reform package of bills would "overall make a statement to the public that we are their servants; that we want government to be transparent; and we aren't afraid of the light of day."

Says Bell: "It will let everyone see what we do, what we receive and what we spend."

---

E-mail: bbjr@desnews.com