Voucher discord: voters vs. the Hill?

How did you vote last November on the private school voucher referendum?

Do you believe your Utah House or Senate member should reflect his constituents' will on such a controversial matter?

A number of Republican legislators in Salt Lake County probably want you to forget about your voucher vote; or if you remember it, at least give them a pass on that one.

And at least one powerful lawmaker who supported vouchers says he promises there will be no recurrence of vouchers for at least two years.

Utah House Speaker Greg Curtis, R-Sandy, says should he win re-election (his district voted 62-38 against vouchers) there will be no comprehensive voucher bill passing the Legislature in either 2009 or 2010. GOP leaders promised no voucher bill in the 2008 Legislature, on the heels of the anti-voucher referendum vote statewide, and there wasn't one.

An analysis by the Deseret News, using Utah Education Association voucher vote tallies, shows that the three Salt Lake County GOP senators up for election this year were significantly out of step with their constituents' voucher desires, as were nine Republican House members in the county.

Sens. Carlene Walker, R-Cottonwood Heights; Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan; and Michael Waddoups, R-Taylorsville; all voted for the main voucher bill, HB148, in 2007. Eight months later, Walker's constituents voted against vouchers, 66-34 percent; Buttars', 61-39 percent; and Waddoups', 66-34 percent. Walker has said that her constituents have spoken and she will "never again" vote for a voucher bill.

Walker is in a tough re-election battle with Utah House Rep. Karen Morgan, D-Cottonwood Heights, who voted against vouchers, as did every other Democrat in the Legislature. "She ignored the people of our district," charged Morgan.

Seven GOP Salt Lake County House members still in their races this year voted for vouchers while their constituents voted against them — Reps. Eric Hutchings, R-Kearns (his constituents voted 67-33 percent against); Rep. Todd Kiser, R-Sandy (62-38 percent against); Rep. Wayne Harper, R-West Jordan (67-33 percent against); Rep. Merlynn Newbold, R-South Jordan (61-39 percent against); Rep. Greg Hughes, R-Draper (56-44 percent against); Rep. Carl Wimmer, R-Herriman (61-39 percent against); and Curtis.

"It is going to be our job to remind voters (in the county) about" the pro-voucher votes, says state Democratic Party executive director Todd Taylor, who has specialized to legislative campaigns for nearly 20 years.