The fundamental purpose of our work is to maintain open and transparent government by keeping the electorate informed. Though some find it hard to believe, our state is home to a diverse population of backgrounds and perspectives. Utah citizens put a great deal of trust in local government to ensure that everyone is represented equally.
When elected government officials abuse that trust, whether by acting in accordance with their personal beliefs instead of the law, accepting “gifts” in exchange for political favors, indulging the influence of outside groups or by making important decisions in closed caucus meetings, ABU is there to speak out.
Follow the PAC Money: Hatch & Lee
Political Action Committees, or PACs, can have a significant influence on the outcome of an election. In this regular blog series, I look at local PACs–where they get their money and where they are sending their money. In today’s post, I look at the Leadership PACs of Orrin Hatch and …
Legislature: Do as I say, not as I do
The Better UTAH Beat airs Tuesday afternoons on KVNU’s For the People. Podcasts of previous episodes are available here. —– Do as I say, not as I do. It is a phrase many of us heard growing up as a sort of catch-all for parental behavior that didn’t quite match up with …
Speaker Lockhart Hijacks Utah Public Education
Speaker Lockhart has officially hijacked Utah’s public education in what is being played out like a daytime hit soap opera. There’s been audience, drama, betrayal and suspense. Audience. All of Utah has watched this masquerade unfold. Drama. With Utah ranked last in the nation in per-pupil spending and second highest …
Constitutional accountability falls by wayside in bill that eliminates legislative review
Salt Lake City–The Legislature’s self-appointed constitutional expert, Rep. Ken Ivory, wants to make it more difficult for legislators to know whether or not their laws will pass constitutional muster. Ivory’s HJR7, Joint Rules Resolution on Legislative Review, which would eliminate what are often referred to as constitutional review notes, quietly …
Accountability problems do damage to democratic processes
In a representative democracy like ours, accountability occurs on two fronts. On the first front,voters are accountable to themselves. They are responsible for making good decisions about who they elect, and they are responsible for many of the choices they make in their own lives. The second front, our elected …
Dropping Swallow complaints shows Utah State Bar needs retooling
The Utah Bar Association responded today to an op-ed last week by Better UTAH board member David Irvine and Russell Fericks, former co-chair of the Utah State Bar’s ethics committee. In their earlier op-ed, Irvine and Fericks argued that the Bar’s lack of action on a Better UTAH bar complaint into …
Fact Checking HB131, the Public Education Modernization Act
In recent interviews and committee hearings, House Speaker Becky Lockhart and HB131’s sponsor, Rep. Francis Gibson, have declared their massive education-technology expansion plan the future of Utah education. According to the two, it’s the one-size-fits-all solution. Since education-technology expansion is not a new concept–it’s been around for over a decade–I …
Good government groups speak out on legislation that weakens petition process
Salt Lake City–The constitutional right of the people of Utah to petition their leaders has come under increasing attack as the visibility, and potential success, of Count My Vote increases. Good government groups Alliance for a Better UTAH and Utahns for Ethical Government have issued the following statement in response …