Certain lobbyists shun ethics initiative

When your job is to befriend Utah legislators, you don't join causes legislators don't like.

An analysis by the Deseret News shows that while 35 former lawmakers endorse the Utahns for Ethical Government legislative ethics citizen initiative, that list is nearly void of names of lawmakers who are now registered lobbyists.

There are 30 former legislators who are now lobbyists, plus one current lawmaker who also is a registered lobbyist.

But there are only two names common to both lists, the newspaper found.

Several sources told the newspaper that lobbyists/former lawmakers don't want to anger current legislators, especially GOP leaders, and so are staying away from the initiative.

The married couple Rod and Paula Julander, who both served as Democratic lawmakers, are registered lobbyists and initiative supporters. Former Sen. Paula Julander represents a nurses' association; former Rep. Rod Julander a social workers' group.

Paula Julander said she doesn't know why more former legislator/lobbyists are not supporting the initiative. "I just believe in ethical government," she said. "And I only lobby for nurses (she used to be a nurse), the only group that I would lobby for, paid or unpaid."

Except for the Julanders, there is a clear split in opinion among former part-time legislators.

"Our business is not upsetting legislators," said one former lawmaker who is now a contract lobbyist. (A contract lobbyist doesn't work for one client or business, but carries a stable of clients.)

And it is pretty clear where most legislators are on the UEG initiative — they are against it, the lobbyist added, asking not to be named.

"I was never even contacted" by UEG and asked to support the initiative. "And I know these (UEG) guys pretty well. Maybe they just assumed (lobbyists) wouldn't support it" — an assumption that so far has turned out correct.

In fact, GOP legislative leaders have been some of the most vocal critics of the initiative, a few saying it is unconstitutional on several fronts.

A review of the 35 former lawmakers endorsing the initiative shows that many are either Democrats or were considered Republican moderates, who at times had their own disagreements with their more conservative party colleagues.