Sen. John Valentine seeks vote by proxy

PROVO — Elected officials on active military duty would be allowed to choose someone to temporarily replace them under a bill a Utah lawmaker plans to introduce in the upcoming session.

The Daily Herald of Provo reports state Sen. John Valentine's vote-by-proxy proposal is drawing support from Provo Municipal Councilwoman Laura Cabanilla.

A lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves, she believes the bill is needed to protect elected officials called to active duty.

Several states already have such a system in place, including Texas where three state lawmakers have been deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan. In each case, their wives acted as their substitutes in the Legislature.

Valentine acknowledges his bill could be controversial, but says a solution is needed to help elected officials called to active duty.