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The Utah Legislature is back in session.
On this first day, the KSL Editorial Board offers a few suggestions as the deliberations, debate and decision-making get underway.
Suggestion One: Make wise use of the billion dollar budget surplus. Especially forego the election year temptation to overdo tax cuts. Most Utahns are less interested in getting money back than in seeing their tax dollars directed toward resolving issues related to the state’s burgeoning growth.
Suggestion Two: Have the courage to enact meaningful ethics reform. Failure to properly police yourselves leaves the door open for influence peddling and other abuses that some may not be able to resist.
Suggestion Three: Focus on issues of genuine widespread importance and don’t get sidetracked by emotional concerns that are promulgated primarily by ideological whims.
Suggestion Four: Let civility, not rancor dominate the proceedings! Establish an atmosphere of cooperation, and let there be a resurgence of the art of political compromise!
Suggestion Five: Allow openness to dominate the process, while avoiding the tendency to make decisions behind closed doors. It’s the public’s business, after all.
Those are KSL’s suggestions for what promises to be a lively and potentially significant 45-day legislative session.
