UtahGrassroots issues 2019 Leglislative Report Card.

By Ed Wallace / Publisher at UtahStandardNews.com / August 2, 2019

UtahGrassroots.org has released their annual 2019 Legislative Report Card  on the Utah Legislature. UtahGrassRoots is an all-volunteer, non-partisan organization and has been issuing an annual legislative report card since 1992. The Constitutions of the nation and state are the guides which GrassRoots uses in picking issues for its report.

This rigorous analysis scrutinizes the voting patterns of every Utah lawmaker in detail to assess whether lawmakers are standing up for Constitutional Conservative principles —- ultimately to determine, based on the actual votes they cast, to what degree each Representative and Senator is standing firmly in defense of truly Constitutional Conservative principles on behalf of the people they represent. The report serves as a reliable 3rd party validation of their actions

UtahGrassroots.org did not announce beforehand the rubric for how they would score the lawmakers, so no legislator could “game the system “. Bills are picked without regard to any individual and they have no paid staff. The group is committed to “Promoting the Principles of Limited Government, the Constitution, Representative Government, Participatory Republic, Free Market Economy, Family, and Separation of Powers.”

The House received an average score of 45% compared to the lifetime score of 43%. Adam Robertson (R-UT) received the top score on this year’s GrassRoots report. Other top House members were: Travis Seegmiller (R-WA), Kim Coleman (R-SL), Marc Roberts (R-UT), Mark Strong (R-SL), Brad Daw (R-UT), John Knotwell (R-UT), and Phil Lyman (R-SJ)

The Senate averaged a 38% which is below the Senators average of 46%. Dan McKay (R-SL) received the top score in the Senate (79%)

Governor Herbert received a 40% compared to his lifetime average of 42%.

The report reveals a massive statistical inconsistency in what the largely Republicican lawmakers say they stand for and what they actually do. This is significant because the UTGOP platform is built entirely on conservative principles. Most Republican politicians claim to be “conservative” and are going to defend and implement those principles. That one word, “conservative”, acts as a magic wand to be elected by their truly conservative constituents, but, as soon as the elections are over, the Constitution that they swore an oath to protect and defend is largely ignored and mocked.

The proof of this is evident in the growth of our already bloated government, the increase of taxes with impunity, more regulations, bureaucracy and entitlements, and the continuous assault on our liberty and freedom. The proper role of government is ignored. State rights are signed away. Crony capitalism and corruption are beyond anyone’s ability to discern. Ethics and standards give way to greed and power as long as the money is green. All of this shows a lack of adherence to Constitutional values where Most People Treat the Constitution Like it’s Only a Suggestion.

Related story: The 2019 Locust & Seagull Awards

Travis Seegmiller (HD62-WashCo), an award-winning conservative Professor of the U.S. Constitution & Leadership at Dixie State University, who tied for First Place ranking in the “Top 25 Representatives Lifetime” category and took 2nd out of 75 Representatives in the 2019 rating, told UtahStandardNews.com:

“I am proud of these results on behalf of the citizens I represent. This is the state’s Constitutional Conservative barometer, and I am very happy to rank at the top again of this important Legislative Scorecard. I’m pleased at these results, not because of the comparison to other lawmakers noted here, but because this stellar result is proof that for yet another legislative cycle, there is no inconsistency between what I say I will do, what I always promised the voters I would do, and the results I’m achieving.”

Seegmiller continued: “The voters of House District 62 in Washington County explicitly sent me to the Capitol to stand firmly in defense of our Constitutional liberties, and our traditional Conservative values, especially fiscal conservatism. Like me, District 62 voters largely desire a small, frugal, state government, that strongly resists the urge to constantly raise taxes in order to spend more of the people’s money. This analysis by Utah GrassRoots is the state’s most reputable benchmark for assessing whether I am doing what I promised to do, and that is why I’m happy with the results. This analysis shows that I AM doing exactly what the people have sent me to do —- and for that, I am very pleased, and pledge to continue our unwavering defense of the values we hold most dear.”

So, what are conservative values? The following is from Conservapedia:

A conservative is someone who promotes moral and economic values beneficial to all. A conservative is willing to learn and advocate the insights of economics for the benefit of everyone else. A conservative typically adheres to principles of personal responsibility, moral values, and limited government, agreeing with George Washington‘s Farewell Address that “religion and morality are indispensable supports” to political prosperity. Religious conservatism is a big driver of social conservatism and is growing in the world and is affecting politics

Phil Crane, the leading conservative congressmen in the House from 1969 to 2005, urged people to make the world a better place than where they found it, and quoted frequently from the Bible in pursuit of that goal. Former President Ronald Reagan said, “The basis of conservatism is a desire for less government interference or less centralized authority or more individual freedom.” Calvin Coolidge, the 30th President of the United Statesand  a conservative said, “Don’t expect to build up the weak by pulling down the strong.”

Conservative values recognize the adversarial nature of politics, and much in life. As a result of their ability to deal with adversity,  Conservatives are generally more happier than liberals, and one study gives a reason: conservatives do not insist upon a mindless equality.

Conservative values are also helpful in recognizing and combating deceit and is often not surprised by the deception that fools others. A conservative understands the many incentives by others to engage in deceit, and the political power that can result from such deceit.

Click here for a breakdown of what it means to be Conservative


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