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Spring Must be Coming
My, how time flies. At midnight tonight the 2007 Legislature adjourns sine die (at least until a special session is called). It has been an historic session with a great deal accomplished. See all the links to the right. And the nice thing is, if the Legislature is over, spring must be around the corner.
In-Depth Profile
Greg Curtis: Hard-Working Power Broker
By LaVarr Webb
(One in a series of in-depth profiles of Utah political leaders)
 Utah House Speaker Greg Curtis never had any grand plan or burning ambition to become a politician. When he ran for the Legislature in 1994, his interest in politics was relatively recent, the result of working as a government attorney and prosecuting misdemeanors. He could see that some laws needed to be changed, so he decided to run. He defeated a conservative Republican that year for the GOP nomination and won the general election.
The novice lawmaker quickly learned to enjoy the legislative process, but he didn’t instantly figure out how to develop power and wield influence.
“I started off thinking it was like the judicial process, where you used words and persuasive argument to win cases and cross-examine witnesses,” Curtis said. “Early in my legislative career I remember standing up on the floor during debate on a bill and cross-examining a fellow House member on the finer points of the law, basically embarrassing the person. I remember John Valentine coming up to me afterwards and saying, ‘Nice cross-examination, counselor. And if you’re smart you’ll never do that again.’”
Curtis learned the lesson well. While not discounting the importance of logic and facts, he says, “The way to be successful and persuasive in the Legislature isn’t through eloquent floor speeches, but through personal relationships, spending time in private discussions, knowing your allies and your opponents and what they want -- bringing people together. I’ve usually made it a habit of knowing if I have the votes before my bills ever hit the floor.”
Curtis notes that as Speaker he has only one vote, just like anyone else. But the truth is that today, after 13 years in the Legislature, Curtis has emerged as the consummate legislative insider and power broker. He has mastered the legislative process. He knows how to work the levers and gears of state government. He knows his caucus and how to use his leadership position. His instincts and timing are impeccable.
In addition, Curtis is a numbers guy who knows the details and intricacies of the state budget about as well as anyone alive. “I’ve learned that the appropriations process is the most effective way to make policy,” Curtis said. “We drive policy by what we fund.”
The session that concludes today is perhaps Curtis’ finest performance ever. While no politician ever gets everything he or she wants, Curtis will leave his mark on the Real soccer stadium, education voucher scholarships, historic levels of education and transportation funding, and reductions in the sales tax on food. (Read the entire article)
McCain Fundraiser Tomorrow
Sen. John McCain holds a fundraising luncheon tomorrow, noon, at the home of David and Melinda Simmons. For information, contact Paige Marriott, 202.549.2558, paige@marriottgroup.com. Cost is $1,000 per person or to join the Host Committee, $5,000 per PAC or $2,300 per person.
Co-chairs of McCain’s Utah Finance Committee include Gov. Jon Huntsman and First Lady Mary Kaye Huntsman; Attorney General Mark Shurtleff and M’Liss Shurtleff; Steven Price; David and Melinda Simmons, Dr. Ragula Bhaskar and Sanchaita Datta; Chis and Wendy Roybal; Jeff Wright and Vanessa Di Palma; Brad Call; and Doug Foxley.
Washington Watch
Cannon Named to Task Force
Rep. Chris Cannon says of his appointment to the House Judiciary Committee Anti-Trust Task Force: "From XM and Sirius, to the airline industry, mergers and acquisitions dominate business headlines and the specter regulation rises. However, as Milton Friedman said, 'Many people want the government to protect the consumer. A much more urgent problem is to protect the consumer from the government.' I am excited to be a part of this task force to ensure that consumers are protected against both corporate abuse and government meddling."
Matheson Pushes GI Benefits
Rep. Jim Matheson reintroduces legislation "that would give returning Guard and Reservists Montgomery GI bill benefits to resume their education. ... [T]he bill is a response to concerns from soldiers returning from Iraq who learned that despite their lengthy deployment, they were ineligible for the financial assistance" (see press release); Matheson's congressional website wins the Congressional Management Association's "Bronze Mouse Award" (press release).
National Politics
History-Making Election
In his NationalJournal.com column, political guru Charlie Cook says: “History will be made, or at least long-standing patterns will be altered, almost no matter what happens in this (presidential) election. … this election is shaping up to be much different from past years. With so many different and complex moving parts, it is almost inevitable that many traditional yardsticks and rules of thumb won't apply. But at the same time, not all of them will be irrelevant.”
Today in Political History
Feb. 28, 1854: About 50 slavery opponents met in Ripon, Wis., to call for creation of a new political group, which became the Republican Party. (Source: NBC5.com)
Feb. 28, 1989: Richard M. Daley, son of former Mayor Richard J. Daley, defeats acting Mayor Eugene Sawyer in Chicago’s Democratic mayoral primary on his way to winning the first of five terms. (Source: National Journal 2007 Calendar of American Politics)
Wise Words
“Principle—particularly moral principle—can never be a weathervane, spinning around this way and that with the shifting winds of expediency. Moral principle is a compass forever fixed and forever true.”
—Edward R. Lyman (Source: Patriot Post)
SUWA Opposes HB 425
The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance is urging its members to oppose HB 425, "which would allow ATVs (4-wheelers) to travel on any and all state highways (excluding SL County). Current state law allows cities and towns to designate certain roads 'open' to ATVs, and certain cities have chosen to do so. But HB 425 forces cities and counties throughout the state to allow ATV's on their city streets. Not only is this a major threat to public safety it is also a backdoor attempt to bring the State of Utah into litigation surrounding rights of way on public lands." For more info, click here.
Blog Watch
Rep. Steve Urquhart says: "No budget is perfect. But this one is pretty forward looking and is getting some praise. All of the praise needs to go to the taxpayers of this state. Thanks for the hard work! We'll use some of your hard-earned money to educate children, improve transportation, boost our economy, ease the tax burden on you, help our institutions of higher education, fund critical health and human services needs, and do much more. I truly hope that most of you like what we're doing with your money. I just want you to know that I remember that it is your money we're dealing with and that the things that money funds are the product of your hard work" (for more Legislature-related posts, see Political Mavens, The Senate Site, Under The Dome, Paul Rolly, UAC Blog, COL Takashi, KVNU's For The People, Red Pills, and Anderson Development Blog).... Reach Upward says of profligate government spending: "[T]he government is us. We are doing this to ourselves. Or at least we are allowing it to happen. If we want government to be properly managed, it needs to be reduced to a manageable size. Unfortunately I don't see many at the state or federal level that are serious about this. Although some give it lip service, actions show that most of our elected officials from both major parties actually believe quite the opposite. And by extension, that means that most of the electorate believes quite the opposite as well."
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