Reader comments
Demo wants committee closed to the public

Art | 5:15 a.m. Jan. 17, 2008

Putting light on government scares some to run for cover. California has two ways to protect its citizens. The 'Brown Act' requires open meetings. The 'Sunshine Law' makes government documents available for public inspection. These laws apply to state and local governments. Is there any chance of secret combinations? Yes, of course.

Jim Bob | 6:59 a.m. Jan. 17, 2008

I hear he's just a republican stooge anywho.

Isn't this the same yahoo who wants two Utahs?

Not Bob again | 7:37 a.m. Jan. 17, 2008

I would bet he is a true blue demo.

Comments continue below

To: Jim Bob | 7:45 a.m. Jan. 17, 2008

Jim Bob, you are right. This nut is a wannabe Republican and is sponsoring a bill that would create a new state within Utah with its northern boundary being the southern border of Utah County. We have a bunch of crazy people in the legislator including Hendrickson, Sandstrom, Herrod, Bramble and many others. My personal advice to these and all the other crazies who vote for them is to seek professional help.

Anonymous | 8:11 a.m. Jan. 17, 2008

Secret meetings. Secret laws. Secret government.
What else is new?

dingo | 8:51 a.m. Jan. 17, 2008

well well well. looks like the true colors of the SERVING democrats in the utah legislature is showing through. darkroom meetings, backroom deals and for what? governmental transparency is a fundamental thing. as citizens we need to know what our elected leaders have in store for us. to accept anything less is simply not acceptable. i hope the majority party sees this for what it is, an attempt by the democrats to seize power and momentum. please do not let them have it. insist on open doors and clear windows.

Jack Allen | 9:23 a.m. Jan. 17, 2008

If any of you have ever seen how the Rules Committee currently operates, you could see why this idea has come back around. There is so much "junk" legislation that makes it to subsequent committees and then to the floor that never should. (including much of the legislation that people complain and post about here). With the Rules Committee discussions open to the public, the legislators are fearful of killing it in Committee. They become fearful of media misinformation, labeling, etc. and therefore, unwilling to truly debate the merits of any proposed bill prior to it moving on. As a result, with a 45 day legislation session, a lot of time is spent "posturing" on poor legislation, rather than debating truly well concieved and written bills. I'm not sure "closed" meetings is the answer. However, anything to make the Rules Committee more effective would be an asset to the process.

private? | 9:48 a.m. Jan. 17, 2008

Tell you what....

When you get PAID by private funds.. you can have your private meetings.

until then remember who you work for.. US.

Change the rules, don't make sec | 9:56 a.m. Jan. 17, 2008

Jack Allen, if only good people could be appointed to serve on the Rules Committee instead of a crazy nut like Hendrickson then we wouldn't have worry about having private meetings but we don't want someone who is crazy enough to sponsor a bill that would create a new state within Utah to be able to conduct secret meetings with any legislator where they have the power to determine the legislative agenda in secret.

I can understand your concern but the concern that many Utahns have is that when given the ability to meet in secret that Hendrickson and the other crazies will try to create their own fiefdom in southern Utah. Our tax dollars should be spent on good legislation and not bills supported by crazy whackos like this man. The only way we can make sure that good legislation gets out of the rules committee and that insane ones are killed is to make the meetings public or to change the rules.

This may sound like a novel idea but have you considered the possibility that changing the Rules Committee responsibilities and creating a set of legislative rules that wouldn't allow them to control the agenda is better.

"Private?" is being dumb | 10:00 a.m. Jan. 17, 2008

Come on now "Private?" didn't you know that they are paid by private funds and that the little stipend that we pay them is nothing compared to the funds they are paid to pass legislation by the special interests who keep them like mistresses. Stop being dumb and get a clue. I'm glad that we have public meetings so that they and the special interests don't get to out of hand like they have in D.C.

John C | 10:08 a.m. Jan. 17, 2008

Jack Allen, get a grip on it, the only way you will ever see improvement on the amount of bills put out to the floor is to only allow two... got it 2.... bills per house and senate members per session. Since when do we need 700-1400 bills per year? Not only would this get rid of the "dumb stuff" it would give them time to review, hold hearings and put quality back into the bills introduced, you could really keep track of what they are doing good or bad. Prime example the two bills for vouchers, not only dumb but costly, regardless what side your on. One can only hope!

Anonymous | 10:13 a.m. Jan. 17, 2008

This is more clear-cut evidence that John Q. Citizen is so far out of the loop that's it's not funny (but our neocon friends think this is a great way to run things).
We have all become stooges. Or better put, enslaved to whatever our governing officals want to do or tell us.

Hippo | 10:40 a.m. Jan. 17, 2008

Democrats? Oh, they do everything important in the dark! Lets make antelope island a new state and put all the demos out there!

Hippo and Anonymous | 11:07 a.m. Jan. 17, 2008

I agree. What are the democrats trying to hide?

willie | 11:38 a.m. Jan. 17, 2008

Utah Publicans have always had closed-secret meetings. Plus the members were all Mormons. What does that say about Utah politics.

Anonymous | 12:06 p.m. Jan. 17, 2008

Here's what it says:
The religion and politics is best left underground where it belongs.

Iceman | 12:13 p.m. Jan. 17, 2008

It's time we vote out these slimeballs who have no other purpose other than to seek personal gain and glory. Utahns continue to vote in wolves in sheep clothing such as Huntsman, Hatch, Bennett, Cannon, Bramble, etc just to name a few. Let's actually vote in conservatives who will remain true to the standards and values that REAL CONSERVATIVES stand for!

Steamboat Sam | 12:18 p.m. Jan. 17, 2008

In this case it was another Demo who wants more closed-secret meetings. What are they trying to hide. Both of them could just meet at the bar.

Anonymous | 12:35 p.m. Jan. 17, 2008

Re: Iceman 12:13
There was probably a time when conservatives actually set out to conserve something.
Today, however, all they are accomplishing is a severely divided United States with no room for the examination of grey areas in the issues.

I'm afraid they have taken their "Right is right"
ideology way too far.

Hendrickson ran as Democrat but | 1:37 p.m. Jan. 17, 2008

Don't blame Utah Mormons for the Publicans in our Church. There are also Sadducees and Pharisees in the Church but they don't speak for all of us even though they do tend to get people elected but that is because they tend to control the Republican Party nomination process and good people can't stop them from nominating their own.

Look at the wannabe Republican Hendrickson as a perfect example. The bill to create a new state within Utah is only something a conservative would want to do.

When you think about it Democrats are accused of being in "favor of big government." How does this bill even come close to fitting into this accusation? The answer to that question is that it doesn't. And even worst we are accused of wanting a "one world government" because we support the UN.

Hendrickson is a wannabe Republican who probably got himself elected in his district and was probably put up to it by his Republican collegues in his district who felt they would lose to the Democrats so they would have one of their own run as one in the hope of winning the Democratic nomination for a Republican.

Anonymous | 1:53 p.m. Jan. 17, 2008

Rampant Cronyism and Corruption
Religion and Government are Intertwined
Controlled Mass Media (secret meeting, etc.)

The above are amongst the 12 indicators of a fascist regime in a government.

Fascism in Utah. What else is new?

Open Gov't. | 4:13 p.m. Jan. 17, 2008

We the citizens insist that the government that we pay for be open to us. As it is in the legislature, many decisions are made in the Republican Caucus meetings which are closed. The Democrats don't have the numbers to effect what gets done so they don't count. OPEN all meetings to the public!

Anonymous | 4:28 p.m. Jan. 17, 2008

Democrats, Republicans, whatever ...
all of this is completely out of our hands.
All we can do is declare our personal independence and move on.

Whatever... | 5:56 p.m. Jan. 17, 2008

Okay, first of all, to "Open Gov't" not all gov't meetings are open to the public. SEcond of all... can anyone notice how obvious the bias in the article? Talking about how the democrats are hypocrites giving the other side more attention.... Geez, and people claim the Deseret News is too liberal! hmph!

Even the Democrats are crazy | 6:18 p.m. Jan. 17, 2008

I'm disappointed . I was hoping (wishing) that there were some legislators that were useful. Apparently I was wrong.

Not Fooled | 6:39 p.m. Jan. 17, 2008

Rules meetings are not public. If we want to end the nonsense going on, the solution is not to close the meetings to non members, but to make them public. Totally public.

WE have a right to know who is pushing the junk, and who isn't. Even in Rules.

Anonymous | 8:41 p.m. Jan. 17, 2008

You ARE just joking, "Not Fooled" ... aren't you?
And just how are you going to force these meetings to go public ... hold your breath?

RangerGordon | 11:59 p.m. Jan. 17, 2008

Since most of Utah's official business takes place out of the public eye in closed Republican "caucus" meetings, why should House Rules be any different?

Isn't that this legislator's entire point?

Still, I wonder if it was a wise move. As a Democrat, most Utahns will unthinkingly ascribe the basest of motivations to anything he does.

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