Utah Senate 16 Debate

Last Night I had the opportunity to attend a Meet the Candidates Night for Republican Candidates at the home of John and Sue Curtis (He C.O.O. at Action Target and her Provo School Board Member). The night was for 2 races Utah Senate District 16 (Incumbent Curt Bramble, Jackie de Gaston, James O’Neal) and Utah House District 62 (Incumbent Chris Herrod, David Starling). The Curtis’s had the House race upstairs and the Senate race downstairs so I was not able to attend both. So as I am a delegate in the Senate District I chose to attend the downstairs portion.

Approximately 60 people attended the downstairs portion and I would estimate another 40 or more were staying upstairs.

I took a rough transcript of the questions and responses of the candidates, which is below. As this comes from my notes, I welcome any of the candidates to clarify or expound on my notes so the readers can better understand their positions.

Overall the debate/meeting went well and I think most attendees learned more about the candidates. If my informal discussions have any bearing on reality while several have concerns over Bramble’s record they didn’t seem to be willing to support the others. My prediction Bramble avoids a Primary.

OPENING STATEMENTS approximately 7:15pm

De Gaston: Focus on Divorce Laws, child welfare. She is half-Hispanic but against illegal immigration and for legal immigration.

Bramble: Today is 30th Anniversary with wife (she is at Republican Executive Committee meeting so showed up later). Discussed the fact that Utah has been rated the best managed state in several magazines and polls, took partial credit as he has been Senator and Senate Majority Leader

O’Neal: (Arrived later because of prior commitment, see below)

QUESTION: Attorney General Mark Shurtleff has admonished the Legislature on open Meeting laws, please comment on what you think about that.

Bramble: Caucus by definition is closed meeting, supports that concept. Wants the Senate Caucus to be closed so they can discuss sense of Caucus without media present
De Gaston: It’s the appearance of evil, related the concept to School Boards are not allowed to do that. It looks bad & looks like we decide legislation behind closed doors. “It’s exploiting numerical advantage.” She said it would be fine if rule states less than a Senate Majority can be in the caucus (Republicans are 2/3s of Senate)

QUESTION: The good economy has helped our state and area with improvements in transportation and airport funds, what should we cut if economy goes bad?

De Gaston: Most people want Education at bottom of cuts lists, but if Ed must be cut it should come from Administration not Teachers. If it gets bad enough everybody gets cuts.
Bramble: 1st to be cut will be Capital projects like state buildings, then transportation. State has set aside rainy day funds to protect us in downturns also. Commented that the School Boards decide what Administration money should be not legislature.

QUESTION: What is your 1st priority core belief?

Bramble: Preserving individual freedom/Family rights, sanctity of family first
De Gaston: “We agree” but we should hear from constituents and let people run their lives as much as possible

O’Neal arrived around 7:44pm

O’Neal Opening Statement: talked about family and BYU ties to Provo, was in sporting goods business and named many retailers (never heard of most of them, I’m not originally from Provo), he disagrees with Bramble on Nuclear Power and its big “wedge” issue (he seems very quiet)

QUESTION: What’s your stance on Limited Government?

O’Neal: welfare state is bad, lived back East and saw moms with multiple kids to get more welfare
De Gaston: Government can’t be given too much power as it hurts us, we need to back off funding school breakfasts and all day kindergarten, try harder to keep kids in homes not in foster care, Health care is a major problem, over utilization of government healthcare causes problems, so no MediGap etc
Bramble: Just Say No to government programs, we have an addiction on relying on Government. Should we privatize State Hospital? No but several programs there can be privatized that government doesn’t need to do. Wants to limit political subdivisions (Cities, etc) from getting into too many private programs

CITIZEN QUESTION: Provo High School has 30% Hispanic and many are dropping out Pregnant what will you do about this? (Editor’s note: Can’t we ask questions without referring it to race?)

Bramble: It comes down to family values and helping with self-sufficiency, which are the underlying problems
O’Neal: In black housing projects this was a serious problem back East, we should shut off money to them
De Gaston: Sex Ed makes problems worse, only good ones are abstinence programs. Homes need to be working on the problem

CITIZEN QUESTION: What should legislature do about city programs like iProvo that are failing and compete with Private Enterprise?

O’Neal: I like iProvo, thinks it's a great program for future, relates it to municipal power and utilities
Bramble: Government closest to people expansive, careful about what iProvo and cities do, but try not to interfere too much
De Gaston: Congratulated Steve Turley (Provo City Councilman) on voting against iProvo, Turley is only non-Socialist on Council, but we shouldn’t tell Provo what to do

MARY MOSTERT QUESTION: There is a lot of Socialism in Provo, define what you think Limited Government means?

Bramble: Legislature have privatization task force, government shouldn’t compete where private sector already is
De Gaston: We are doing too much Socialistic stuff in government
O’Neal: Stay away from telling other government entities what to do

QUESTIONS FROM CANDIDATES TO EACH OTHER

O’Neal QUESTION: Bramble told him he was going to France and wants to know if that trip is Energy/Nuclear related?

Bramble: Was invited by Governor Huntsman as part of Economic Development, then Tajikistan(?) to train them on legislative process. He then referred to conversation with O’Neal and that while in France could test truthfulness of assertion France is going away from Nuclear Power

Bramble QUESTION: Would you support the Renewable Energy consensus we came to in Legislature with Environmentalists and Energy Companies? LINK to Bill

De Gaston: Renewable Energy is important but problems with each, wind power great but what if no wind, we need to expand renewable energy
O’Neal: Spoke against it at legislature, it's because it's all about what Rocky Mountain Power wants and they wrote bill. He said most Environmentalists didn’t see through the bill but he did.
Bramble: Sponsored the bill, Rocky Mountain Power drafted original but it was changed a lot over time, RMP didn’t get what they wanted but it was a compromise, worked with all stake holders including Environmentalists

De Gaston QUESTION: What would O’Neal do differently with the above bill?

O’Neal: It just wasn’t good enough environmentally

CITIZEN QUESTION: Are you in favor of Nuclear Power?

Bramble: YES
O’Neal: No its not renewable
De Gaston: Yes but only our waste should be stored not others’

CITIZEN QUESTION: On FLDS situation in Texas

De Gaston: It’s a slippery slope with Religious Rights and Parental Rights
O’Neal: (Couldn’t hear response)
Bramble: Representative Fowlke had a great bill on this and you need to draw the line

BILL FILLMORE QUESTION: Public Health and Safety are important factors, what will they do about sexual abuse of women and children? Why aren’t we at forefront with severe penalties?

Bramble: Jessica’s Law by Wimmer LINK is great way, our judges typically do stronger sentences than what O’Reilly (Fox News) claims because they don’t do minimums but more through out
O’Neal: Can’t legislate morality. He’s not up on code to know what should be changed in this arena, but sanctity of womanhood very important
De Gaston: Continue stiff penalties of “raping and all.” But we need to teach our girls not to provoke men with the way they dress and act and how they do things. We also need to keep a balance and be skeptical of such claims

(EDITOR’S NOTE: If she really means that girl’s who wear immodest clothing or have immodest actions cause men to rape, that’s deeply troubling to me)

KIP JENSEN QUESTION: What two issues for Precinct 16 are most important in your mind?

Bramble: Transportation and Education, I-15, Geneva Rd, reduce class sizes
De Gaston: Education, make sure we give Parental Choice, do it within Public also
O’Neal: That we don’t become repository for Radioactive Waste for Europe and rest of Nation. More Mass Transit, and TRAX (Light Rail) into Utah County.

LINDSEY WIBLIN QUESTION: What will they do about Illegal Immigration?

O’Neal: There are stumbling blocks to legal immigration but Illegal is still wrong
De Gaston: Raise quotas for legal immigrants, discourage illegals, a 20 ft fence will just bring 21 ft ladders, fence isn’t best idea. Doesn’t support incentives like Driving Privilege Cards
Bramble: Federal issue mainly, must deport those who commit crimes. Should cross deputize police to ICE to help. Elect people at Federal Level

ANGIE CARTER PR27 QUESTION: This is the first time the legislature has done Omnibus bills, what’s the rationale, especially when previously vetoed items were included?

O’Neal: Avoid it as much as possible. Quoted Bismark saying “Public should not see the making of Laws or the making of sausage”
De Gaston: Not in favor of Omnibus bills if bill was already voted down
Bramble: Omnibus bills have been done before as in 2003 also, the legislature learned a lesson though and it won’t be repeated in short term

ROB EASTMAN QUESTION: Proponent of Free Enterprise, why not limit legislative terms and have line item vetoes?

Bramble: State Constitution doesn’t say term limits should happen, average tenure of a state Senator is 5.1 years so not long, public is doing term limits now
O’Neal: Best term limits is voting people out, Line Item Veto he’s not sure
De Gaston: Legislature is volunteer, shouldn’t do it over and over, 8 years is enough, we need fresh faces, they learn how to manipulate which is bad, Line Item Veto is bad because it disrupts legislative process

ISACC PAXMAN QUESTION: Legislature chips away at judicial independence what should we do about it?

De Gaston: If indeed it's happening we shouldn’t
O’Neal: We need a balancing act and must watch and be careful
Bramble: Judicial Activism is the flip side of this discussion and is a problem also, thinks the compromise with the Supreme Court of Utah has resolved the issue for the foreseeable future

SUMMATION

Bramble: appreciate everyone, he’s effective, it’s critical to have experience, and we are best-managed state
De Gaston: Thanks, honesty, integrity, openness and fairness are needed. We need system for that, we have opportunity to be open and forthright. Who’s paying for the legislation?
O’Neal: He’s amateur and enjoying asking for support

The Debate ended about 9:15pm