Utah Legislature: Lawmaker wants to rate senators

SALT LAKE CITY — Should Republicans and Democrats in the Utah Legislature give a formal opinion on who should be a U.S. senator from the Beehive State, or how the current two senators are doing their jobs?

State Sen. Howard Stephenson says yes, and he's introducing legislation to build a road toward that objective.

In the real world of Utah GOP politics, Stephenson's SJR17 could lead to embarrassment for U.S. Sens. Bob Bennett and Orrin Hatch, both R-Utah, who may be called on the carpet by their party's legislators for the pair's U.S. Senate votes, or even see a GOP challenger get the legislative nod over one of them.

Bennett seeks a fourth, six-year term this year and already has several formidable GOP challengers. Hatch says as of now he will seek a seventh term in 2012.

"We mandate nothing," said Stephenson, who has tried before to make Utah's U.S. senators somehow more accountable to the Legislature.

Under his plan, Stephenson says, should the Utah Republican Party desire it, Republicans in the state House and Senate would meet, discuss GOP U.S. Senate candidates and/or current officeholders, "and give a report, orally or written," to party leaders and delegates.

That could include an endorsement of the current senator, or one of his challengers, or criticisms and direction on states' rights issues.

The GOP legislative caucuses could also call the candidates/officeholders in to ask them questions or hear complaints.

Democrats could do the same thing for Democratic U.S. Senate candidates and officeholders, although there has not been a sitting Democratic U.S. senator from Utah since 1975.

Bennett addressed an open House GOP caucus last week, where he was told by one conservative representative that he held some responsibility for burying the nation in debt and that he shouldn't have voted for several federal entitlement programs. That could be just a taste of things to come, should Stephenson's resolution pass.

Bennett did not respond immediately to calls for comments on Stephenson's bill.

Hatch said the Legislature is free to discuss any issue it deems necessary.

"While I have not seen the language on this resolution, I always welcome ongoing communications between myself, and our state elected officials, particularly regarding the work I am doing in Washington for the people who elected me," he said. "I greatly appreciate feedback from our state legislators and I am proud of the work we accomplish together."