GOP legislators team up outside the House

Politics can make strange bedfellows, the saying goes. But it can also bring new business partners.

Two groups of Republican House members recently have gone into business together, and in some cases those partnerships have also brought combined conflicts of interest.

House Speaker Greg Curtis, R-Sandy, works for a law firm whose main client is one of the larger development firms in the state — Anderson Development. Developers have a number of bills they're supporting this session, including a bill by Sen. Al Mansell, R-Sandy, that would severely restricted city zoning powers but is now being rewritten.

Anderson Development is redeveloping Utah County's old Geneva Steel property. While Curtis says he has no direct work on that large project, he is the attorney for another House member, Rep. Wayne Harper, R-West Jordan, on a new land development project in growing Washington County.

In addition, one of the registered lobbyists for Anderson Development is the office manager for Curtis' law firm — Hutchings, Baird & Jones. Curtis said he's disclosed those conflicts as he should.

Meanwhile, Reps. Jim Ferrin, R-Orem, and Mike Morley, R-Spanish Fork, have joined with former representative Glenn Way to finance, design and build several charter schools.

And along the way, both sitting House members have sponsored bills that may deal in some way with their businesses. (Ferrin and Morley have, at times, verbally acknowledge their conflicts during floor and committee debates.)

Ferrin sees his work for the charter schools more of an act of love — he says he has made little or no money on his financing work.

"I assume the other partners" have and are making some money on the projects, says Ferrin.

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