December 19, 2011 (Utah Pulse) - Is Utah out of step in the critical process of picking political candidates, or is our unique caucus/convention system something to be treasured and maintained?
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December 19, 2011 (Deseret News) - Eyebrows raise when you hear about any interest rate on credit more than 30 percent. If you\’re discussing payday or title lending, the implied interest rates (in annual percentage rate) can be above 500 percent. Put in those terms, short-term consumer lending markets sound immoral and predatory.
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December 16, 2011 (Utah Pulse) - A group of Utahns have decided not to run a citizen initiative in 2012 that could have provided an alternative route for a candidate to his party’s primary ballot.\r\n
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December 15, 2011 (KCPW) - A simmering debate over how political candidates are nominated in Utah is bubbling over into editorial pages, the blogosphere and now the radio waves. Do you think the state’s current caucus system is working?
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December 15, 2011 (Salt Lake Tribune) - A push to change Utah’s nominating process backed by several prominent politicos, including former Gov. Mike Leavitt, is being put on hold for now, but backers say it could be back in 2014.\r\n \r\n Kirk Jowers, director of the Hinckley Institute of Politics at the University of Utah, said his group remains convinced that something needs to be done to boost Utah’s voter participation, and that changing Utah’s unique convention system for nominating candidates could … Continued
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December 15, 2011 (RadioWest) - According to a recent report, Utah’s unique caucus system gives more power to convention delegates than any other state. Another report showed that caucus delegates don’t represent mainstream Utah voters. A newly formed group of politicos is fed up with the system and they want to change the way Utahns pick their candidates. A diverse panel of guests will join Doug on Thursday to discuss the state’s nominating system, how it does or doesn’t work, … Continued
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December 07, 2011 (Salt Lake Tribune) - Gov. Jon Huntsman’s Commission on Strengthening Utah’s Democracy worked diligently to determine why Utah’s voter participation had tanked from leading the nation in voter turnout to a ranking that is now a miserable 50 percent. According to Commission Chair and Hinckley Institute of Politics Director Kirk Jowers, “The 800-pound gorilla of our democratic malaise is the caucus-and-convention system.”
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December 01, 2011 (Deseret News) - Utah’s No. 1 education challenge unquestionably is funding. Utah’s revenues are slowly improving. Forbes Magazine has again named Utah as the best state for business. It’s time for the Legislature to reinvest in the future and the students if we are to maintain that status.
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November 25, 2011 (The Examiner) - Utah’s system of caucuses and conventions allows a small number of delegates -3,500 republicans and 2,700 democrats – to decide how we vote. If you are a delegate, you have power. If you are in a political minority or not a delegate, in Utah, you are dead in the water. Former Republican Governor Mike Leavitt thinks it’s time for a change.
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November 23, 2011 (Deseret News) - A small group of Republicans looking to change the state’s unique system of nominating candidates is expected to decide in mid-December whether to take their case directly to voters through an initiative petition drive.
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November 21, 2011 (Daily Herald) - If Rep. Chris Herrod, R-Provo, or Sen. Dan Liljenquist, R-Bountiful, want to knock off Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, in the 2012 elections, their easiest — and cheapest — route to winning the election will be knocking off Hatch in the state Republican Convention.
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November 20, 2011 (Real Clear Politics) - Utah\’s unique caucus system could push candidates and elected officials to cater policies to a small group of delegates instead of the general populous, a research group suggests in a new report.
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November 19, 2011 (Deseret News) - Being out of touch with the rest of the nation isn\’t necessarily a bad thing. Good public policy should be based on more than just following trends. But the way Utah\’s major political parties nominate candidates isn\’t only unique, it discourages people from participating in the political process and may be contributing to disturbingly low voter turnout.
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November 18, 2011 (Utah Pulse) - Two items of interest this week, first, a new research report on Utah’s unique convention/primary candidate nomination process is out.\r\n \r\n The Utah Foundation, a non-partisan public policy research organization, published this week an important historical/analytical paper on Utah’s convention/primary system.
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November 18, 2011 (Ballot Access News) - The Utah Foundation has just published a study of Utah’s unique primary system. Utah is the only state in which no one can get on a primary ballot for any non-presidential office unless the candidate has high support at a party nominating convention first.
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November 17, 2011 (Utah Data Points) - Do Utah’s election laws and practices allow “full opportunity” for people to become candidates and for “voters to express their choice?”
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November 17, 2011 (Salt Lake Tribune) - A group of prominent politicos, including former Gov. Mike Leavitt, is lining up financial backers and nearing a decision whether to launch a ballot initiative that could reshape Utah politics by wresting control of the candidate-nominating process from relatively small groups of devout party faithful.
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November 17, 2011 (Deseret News) - The Utah Foundation is trying to spark discussion about the state\’s unique system of nominating political candidates.\r\n \r\n The research group has just released a report on the caucus and convention system and will host a debate featuring Utah Republican and Democratic leaders next month.
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November 04, 2011 (KSL) - Amid the festivities existed an undercurrent of fear as people questioned whether future generations would have access to enough food and clean water, shelter and opportunities for education. And in Utah, home to a fraction of the world\’s population, similar concerns apply.
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November 04, 2011 (Utah Policy) - A recent study by the Utah Foundation found that higher education was ranked by Utahns among the most important factors for a high quality of life. This isn’t surprising. Utahns have always taken pride in being well educated people. In fact, for several generations Utah has risen above the national average for educational attainment. Sadly, however, this is no longer the case.
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October 17, 2011 (KSL News) - Poor results and crumbling schools contribute to a perception many Utahns have that the state\’s public schools are under-performing, according to Canyons Superintendent David Doty.\r\n \r\n Speaking about a Utah Foundation report on quality of life Wednesday morning, Doty said public schools are not performing as well as they should be, and residents aren\’t happy about it.
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October 16, 2011 (Deseret News) - This past week, Gov. Gary Herbert made a live address to Utah\’s high school students emphasizing the importance of obtaining higher education, and Utah State Superintendent Larry Shumway spoke directly to the state of Utah\’s schools.
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October 16, 2011 (The Daily Herald) - Another study has slammed Utah for its funding of education. But at the same time, other developments show that Utah need not be left behind in the race to teach the next generation.\r\n \r\n Recently the Utah Foundation and Intermountain Health Care released a study of how Utahns view their quality of life. An important area of concern: public education.\r\n
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October 13, 2011 (Utah Pulse) - Utahns, in general, really like their quality of life here in the Beehive State. That much we know from any number of studies and/or anecdotal observations. But Utah does have problems – as well as many great opportunities. And it is going to take considerable effort and common determination to fix the “bad” things and keep the “good” things.
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October 11, 2011 (Deseret News) - The state superintendent of public schools is calling on the governor and other Utah lawmakers to throw their political might and checkbook behind education — outlining a host of budget priorities that include funding all-day kindergarten and new investments in technology.
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