DEMOCRACY was a winner today!
A few minutes ago, the Utah Supreme Court UNANIMOUSLY decided to uphold Utah voters' constitutional right to an authentic referendum process. In an unusually expedited verdict, the court upheld 4-0 that the VOTERS will have the final say on whether to enact a poorly regulated and controversial private school voucher program. The court stated in CRYSTAL CLEAR terms what the rest of us already knew - that HB174 is connected to HB148 and that it cannot stand alone. By voting 'NO' to HB148, citizens can be assured that their vote against private school entitlements will count!
Congratulations to the State Board of Education for showing wisdom and foresight and for standing up to powerful political interests, including an authoritarian Attorney General bent on imposing his will. Congratulations to Carol Lear and Jean Hill at the USOE for providing such excellent legal advice and for advising caution and restraint. You are both a class act and we're lucky to have you around fighting for Utah schoolchildren.
Thank you to both Republican and Democratic lawmakers who weren't afraid to speak the truth in the face of political game-playing from House and Senate leadership. The false and unfounded remarks coming from the PCE propaganda machine withered into insignificance when compared to the power of citizens speaking the truth.
And, most of all, thanks to DEMOCRACY! It worked!!! How cool is that?
Now let the campaign begin! You ready?
3 comments:
While this is a clear victory for the idea of democracy it sure is sad that we even had to go through all of this. PCE got more than their money's worth from their politicians who seem willing to go to any lengths to force vouchers down our throats.
Congratulations and thanks to all those who worked to give me and the rest of Utah's voters a real say whether or not our tax dollars are used to subsidize private schools!
It is the right result. Clarity is what we wanted and clarity is what we have.
I would have rather seen a special session and the recent Urquhart "HB1001" idea pushed through, but unfortunately Urquhart pushed along with the lawsuit solution crowd first, and the HB1001 idea last.
Sometimes you get what you ask for, even if you didn't want what you get.
Long live green jello. Welcome back!
My concern with the HB1001 proposal was simple - a referendum should not be an opinion poll.
Talk soon...Craig.
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