Press Release – BETTER UTAH DENOUNCES VOTE TO UNBALANCE PARTISAN BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS

Salt Lake City, UT – This afternoon, the House Government Operations Committee voted to favorably recommend HB 11 State Boards and Commissions Amendments. This bill, sponsored by Rep. Norm Thurston (R – Provo) would remove “the political party affiliation requirement for certain boards and commissions” on 29 of 74 boards and commissions that currently have such a requirement.

Last year, Better Utah called out Rep. LaVar Christensen’s HB 220, which similarly injected partisan politics into the legislative session and upset the equal balance of Republican and Democrat representation on the Legislative Management Committee and the Legislative Audit Subcommittee.

Better Utah’s Policy and Advocacy Counsel, Chase Thomas, issued the following statement:

“We are only two days in and partisanship has already reared its ugly head. They may have a supermajority in both houses of the legislature, but it is shameful Republicans continue efforts that could effectively silence minority party voices in our state. Do we really want the possibility that members of only one party will be making vital decisions about alcohol, air quality, and labor, among so many other policy areas? Members from all parties have made significant contributions to these areas over the years, and they should be able to continue contributing to the balance we deserve in our politics and governance.”

 

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