Readers' forum: Taking power from the people

Published: Sunday, March 20 2011 12:00 a.m. MDT

Summary

When Gov. Gary Herbert put his signature on HB477, the bill that will allow legislators to conduct the people's business in secret, he showed us he is not for the people. Instead he joined that gang of Republican leaders in the House and Senate who are determined to steal power from the people and concentrate it in their own cabal.

This is how citizens lose their representative democracy. These guys think a republic works by giving the legislators all the political power and the people none. Another thing they don't understand is that you don't pass a bill without debate, have it signed into law and then declare it's time for debating the bill. The lawmakers have agreed to extend the time of debate until July to allow public input. But you can be assured that there will not be any amendments of any consequence, and after July, HB447 will be mainly intact.

Bob Van Velkinburgh

Syracuse

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Roland Kayser

Cottonwood Heights, UT

Don't worry, I'm sure the legislative leadership will tell us if they're doing anything we should know about.

9:18 a.m. March 20, 2011
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Hutterite

American Fork, UT

We should punish them next election by voting them all in again.

9:53 a.m. March 20, 2011
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John C. C.

Payson, UT

Governor Herbert may actually have done us favor by signing the bill and giving us time to reconsider it. Without his signature it may have passed with a veto-proof majority and gone into effect immediately. Give him a little more time to show his More..

8:34 a.m. March 21, 2011
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