Huntsman: Utahns demand a better system

Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. said Friday he expects to see ethics reforms passed by the 2009 Legislature "because people are demanding it" in the wake of recent scandals involving lawmakers.

Huntsman told the Deseret News he plans to push a number of restrictions on lawmakers this coming session, including limiting the amount of money they can take from a specal interest group and a ban on gifts.

He also said that as soon as the Nov. 4 election is over, he'll announce the formation of a new, bipartisan group that will look at not just ethics reforms but also overhauling the election process, including creating an independent commission to oversee redistricting.

"These are all very real questions that speak to voter turnout and belief in the system," the governor said. The group will be "looking at enhancing the credibility of our political system and ensuring there is greater confidence."

Huntsman, a Republican like the majority of the state's elected officials, said the issues shouldn't be seen as partisan. "Not if you believe in the power of democracy and the power of the people to determine their destiny," he said.

Besides, the governor said, more and more Utahns are declaring themselves independent of either major party. "I think all Utahns want a system that works and a system they can believe in," he said, especially now that so many feel disenfranchised from the parties.

Utah Democrats have pressed for an independent, bipartisan commission to redraw legislative and congressional district boundaries following a new census every 10 years. Not surprisingly, GOP lawmakers have shown little interest.

The governor also wants his new group to look at whether changes need to be made to how political parties select candidates, now done through local and state conventions rather than at the ballot. That's also an unpopular idea.

But, as Huntsman pointed out, there's new focus on how the Legislature handles such issues because of two ethics-related investigations that have received plenty of media attention.

The first involves former GOP Rep. Mark Walker. Walker is expected to plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge in connection with allegations he offered his primary opponent a substantial raise to drop out of the race. That case is expected to go to a grand jury.