Utah candidates comply with new law on disclosing conflicts of interest

SALT LAKE CITY — Want to learn a bit more about your candidates for state offices than you would have known in previous years?

This election you can go online and immediately find out a candidate's job, spouse's name and occupation, what boards or commissions the candidate sits on, even some basic personal financial information — all because the last Legislature decided to require that candidates disclose possible conflicts of interest.

And while the sitting 104 lawmakers file public forms about conflicts as part of their official duties, the new candidate conflict-of-interest requirements are proving to be more informative, a review by the Deseret News finds.

Part of the government/ethics reform measures in the 2010 general session was a bill that mandates candidates for all statewide offices — like governor, Legislature and State School Board — fill out several questions on possible conflicts of interests as part of their formal candidate filing.

House and Senate members, who adjourned March 11, passed the new law by a two-thirds vote so that it would take effect immediately.

The new forms were on hand when candidates filed two weeks ago. (You can find the candidates' forms at: elections.utah.gov/2010Candidates.htm. Click on a candidate's name and the form comes up. You have to be able to read the candidate's handwriting — not always easy.)

Chet Loftis is a first-time candidate, challenging Rep. Becky Edwards, R-Bountiful, for the GOP nomination in House District 20. Loftis said he had no problem answering the conflict of interest questions. "I'm a new guy on the (election) block, so it seemed like a natural thing to do. I didn't feel (the questions were) inappropriate" or intrusive into his private life, he said.

Loftis is an attorney/lobbyist for Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah — a job he disclosed on his form. He is also a board member of six civic/professional groups — background that may not have been known to many District 20 voters.

In the current legislative conflict of interest forms filed by lawmakers, only a handful of the 104 legislators list the occupation of their spouses.

But that question is specifically asked on the candidate filing form. Thus, one can now find spousal connections between current lawmakers and influential organizations in the state.