While he still does not support the initiative, he sees a need to change to a direct primary system because the extremists who control the caucuses have hurt education.
“I see so many reasonable Republican legislators who realize our education system is in a catastrophic situation,” says Dabakis. “They say I would like to do something for education, my constituents want me to do something about education, but the delegates are ideologues and they don’t want me to do anything about education. the 30-year decline of our educational system is a direct result of the craziness of the Republican delegate base.”
Recently, Gov. Gary Herbert said doing nothing on Medicaid expansion was “not an option” for the state of Utah.
Dabakis welcomed that news. “The Governor did the right thing. For that he deserves applause from every single reasonable Utahn.”
Dabakis says he knows the Amendment 3 ruling will be a factor during the 2014 legislature, but he hopes the discussion will remain civil.
“The legal process is gonna be the legal process here,” says Dabakis. “I want to have a civil, reasonable dialogue over the next couple of years and let the courts go where they may.”
