State GOP readies for convention

Every year, you'll usually find several conservative resolutions presented in the state Republican Party Convention. Sure enough, this year's gathering on Saturday will see statements about returning to the gold/silver monetary standard, states' rights and the use of God-given natural resources.

In some recent GOP conventions, resolutions were never even heard because too many delegates left early, and they lost the quorum.

But GOP Vice Chairman Todd Weiler, who seeks re-election to that post in the upcoming convention, said because there are five chairman candidates and three vice-chairman candidates, it's likely there will be multiple rounds of balloting. And since the resolutions, which can be introduced by any delegates, will be debated and voted on between breaks in voting, "I believe there's a good chance we'll get to them" in this year's meeting.

The delegates' main business isn't policy discussions but electing a new state party chairman, vice chairman, secretary and treasurer.

Longtime GOP consultant/activist Dave Hansen and former Salt Lake City and County officeholder Steve Harmsen are considered frontrunners to succeed one-term chairman Stan Lockhart, who is not running again for the two-year, volunteer post to lead Utah's largest party.

Around 45 percent of Utahns consider themselves Republicans, recent polls show. And internal Republican politics is important, since in many areas of the state, the Republican candidate on the ballot goes on to win the office.

In off-year conventions, approximately 700 to 900 delegates, out of the 3,500 elected by their neighbors in precinct caucuses, typically attend the party-officer election meeting, this year held in the Davis County Convention Center.

The resolutions submitted for delegate consideration include:

Expanded use of Utah's "rich" natural resources, like oil, gas, minerals and water, to create jobs and fund public education. "All these blessings come from a creator who has provided these things for our use," it says.

Repeal of the Federal Reserve Act, abolishment of reserve banking and a return to a commodity-backed currency. The resolution reads in part: "The Republican Party of Utah calls for immediate legislation of competing currencies … (and) using alternative currencies, such as gold and silver."

Two resolutions say that the state should fight for state's rights and battle against federal control. One is submitted by delegate Cherilyn Bacon Eagar, who is considering running for the U.S. Senate against Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, next year.

The "Utah Republican Party rejects the escalating encroachment of the national government into state affairs," one says. And Republican officeholders who don't abide by a states-rights approach should be held accountable "at the ballot box."

The Utah GOP must change its internal rules so that no Republican officeholders or their immediate families may be national GOP delegates, or endorse any national candidates. The resolution comes after most of the Utah 2008 national delegates (many of them officeholders) failed to vote for Mitt Romney, like 90 percent of Utah GOP presidential-primary voters wanted, and instead "were forced" by party insiders to vote for Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who by the September national convention had wrapped up the nomination.

The resolution says: "Public officials, or their immediate family members, who disregard these rules (should) be stripped of delegate status and barred from state party conventions for two years."

E-MAIL: bbjr@desnews.com