Utah Legislature: Session is leaning to right, far right

SALT LAKE CITY — It's the year of the conservative in the Utah Legislature.

An interesting tone has pervaded the first two weeks of the 45-day general session: Democrats are keeping a low profile; moderate Republicans are either agreeing with their party's right wing, or just keeping quiet; and almost any arch-conservative idea is getting the nod.

Terms like "progressive" or "moderate" are avoided like the swine flu.

"It's a good place to be if you are a conservative," said Rep. Carl Wimmer, R-Herriman, the leader of the Patrick Henry Caucus, a states' rights group. "It's because conservatives have the answers to America's problems. We have a principled core reflecting citizens' values."

But legislative Democrats say they won't remain quiet for the whole 45-day general session.

"We won't be silent. We will try to stop some of the clearly unconstitutional bills," said House Minority Leader David Litvack, D-Salt Lake. "But we also know we don't have the votes to do that."

Sen. Margaret Dayton, R-Orem, said legislators are simply reflecting the mood of residents, who she says want to reassert local control.

"It's turning out to be the year that the people want their government back," she said. "Everybody seems to have one common denominator, and that is quit having the federal government in our lives."

"It starts out as irritating and then becomes invasive."

Some examples of the right-leaning Legislature so far:

Only one Democrat spoke out against, or voted against, a House resolution that basically says global warming is a hoax.

Democrats like GOP Gov. Gary Herbert's budget recommendation, and Herbert considers himself a fiscal conservative.

Democrats and moderate Republicans jumped on board the GOP ethics reform measures, with Democrats thanking the majority party for letting one of their own sponsor an ethics bill. The bills flew through the House with near unanimous votes and little debate — bills that likely would have been killed in legislatures past — a reflection that lawmakers are concerned about how the public perceives them.

In a House GOP caucus, moderate Republicans thanked Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, for his service, while conservatives bluntly told Bennett he is part of the problem in Washington, guilty of burying the nation in debt.

A dozen states' rights bills and resolutions are flying through the process, even though a few carry staff legal opinions saying the bills are likely unconstitutional.

Herbert, a Republican who seeks his party's gubernatorial nomination this year, says he agrees with some of the sentiments concerning "an overreaching federal government."