Last week the Utah House beat back an attempt to kill the “Count My Vote” compromise reached by lawmakers in the 2014 session.
Our “Political Insiders” say lawmakers won’t make any changes at all to the agreement, also known as SB54, which established a dual route to the primary ballot for candidates. The failed change in the House would have allowed political parties to pick which route candidates can take to the ballot, which would have gutted the framework established by SB54. The Utah GOP is suing the state for that very reason.
A majority of all the groups in our survey think the Utah Legislature will not make drastic changes to SB54 this year. A little more than a third of our Republican Insiders (36%) think lawmakers may make some changes to SB54, but nothing significant. 28% of our Democrats and 34% of our readers agree.
Selected anonymous comments:
“The initiative is too popular among Utah residents for enough legislators to get behind any changes before it’s put into practice in at least one election cycle or the Utah Supreme Court weighs in.”
“There are so many problems and unanswered questions with SB54. Rather than a complete repeal, they should clean it up.”
“It was tough enough to secure the compromise. There is little desire to mess with it in 2016.”
“While it passes a lot of bills each session, the State Legislature repeatedly delays action on big issues like Medicaid expansion. It’s more likely that this issue will be settled in the courts so that the Utah GOP, Governor’s Office, and State Legislature can shift responsibility that direction if the outcome doesn’t line up with their interests–stated or otherwise.”
“This is getting old. CMV sure has tried to screw up a good party. People should be pissed at them not those that were not in causing this problem in the first place.”
“If they did change SB54, it would be immensely dishonest!”
“It’s up to the courts now. The legislature needs to stand down.”
“The irony is that the Tea Party wing of the Party hangs everything on the sanctity of the Constitution, which by its very nature depends upon the rule of law, and then they turn around and seek to bypass every law and agreement they don’t agree with. These folks are hell-bent on bypassing and thwarting the law as contained in SB54 in any way they can — honest or dishonest — to protect their power. So much for the rule of law.”
“It is dishonorable to subvert a petition drive and then not stand by the agreements your electeds made. They really MUST follow it at least through one process. I don’t understand why our legislators have to be dragged kicking and screaming into the 20th century–let alone the 21st!”
“I am hopeful it doesn’t change this year. The elections will perhaps be support for the change. They could also further antagonize the Republicans, and then the battle will be back next year. Also, I wonder how the key leaders of the CMV initiative feel and what plan they have in the wings in case their efforts are thwarted.”
“ANY change will reactivate Count My Vote – and this time, there will be no accommodations with the Republican Party. They have demonstrated that they cannot be trusted to keep their part of a bargain.”
“GOP wants repeal, but there are enough ‘honest’ legislators who voted for SB54 two years ago that they won’t repeal nor make major changes. But watch out for 2017 — all bets off then.”
“They want to change it but are just afraid enough of the public outcry to leave it pretty much alone. Give them time, though, they’ll end up getting what they want.”
