Kirk Jowers, director of the U’s Hinckley Institute of Politics, is alarmed by the results of the 2008 election.
Not that he is unhappy with any of the winning candidates.
Instead, he is worried about the low voter turnout numbers Utah had last November, which he said could have been impacted by voters being turned off by political scandals in the state and country.
Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. appointed Jowers, a Republican, to head an ethics commission to address issues such as this.
According to statistics assembled by the U. S. Elections Project at George Mason University, just 53.8 percent of eligible Utahns voted. This is down from four years ago when 58.9 percent voted.
Jowers speculated that there are many reasons why voter numbers were lower than the national average of 61.6 percent. He said political lethargy and frustration with Utah politics and politicians are possible explanations, but he hopes the ethics commission that he will be heading will turn Utah’s numbers around.
The commission was announced by Gov. Huntsman in December and will be fully created within the month, said Lisa Roskelley, a spokeswoman for the governor.
“Utah has declining voter participation rates,” Jowers said. “Nothing excuses people’s apathy or laziness from voting, but we also have to acknowledge that certain laws, or lack of laws, can impact people’s ability and desire to vote.”
Jowers said that Utah, along with the rest of the country, has faced a series of political scandals that might have influenced Utah voters to wane in their political participation.
Jowers said he hopes the commission will make recommendations in areas such as campaign finance laws, lobbying rules and party nomination systems, among many others.
“Our vision is not simply about ethics,” Jowers said. “But about the whole fabric of public participation in government and politics and democracy.”
Roskelley said Huntsman is concerned about people’s willingness to participate in the political process, mentioning that ethic
and campaign finance issues have possibly created some doubt and discomfort in the democratic process for some voters.
Jeffrey Novak, chairman of the Utah-based Coalition for Ethics and Accountability in Government, said the commission Jowers will be heading is exactly the start Utah needs to reform its public image.
“People have lost faith in the ability of politicians to accurately represent them,” he said.
Novak believes reform is specifically needed at the party level and needs to be overseen by a group independent of any political body.
“To have the elected officials police themselves is akin to telling professional basketball players to call their own fouls. It just doesn’t work,” he said. “Anything less than a separate commission, acting autonomous from the Legislature is not in the best interest of the people.”
However, the ethics commission will not have any type of political power, Jowers said. Instead, it will make recommendations to both the Utah Legislature and to the governor for types of reform.
Although the commission will be fully created in a matter of weeks, Jowers does not expect any recommendations to come out for at least six months.
“My goal would be to get the findings out in sufficient time prior to the legislative session to allow the press and public to vet them so they can hit the ground running in the 2010 legislature,” he said.
However, Novak is not sure how members of the Legislature will react to recommendations that are given.
“I believe it will be welcomed with lukewarm applause. Many in government do not buy into the premise that Gov. Huntsman has initiated with this commission,” Novak said. “They want to reform ethics themselves.”
But, he said, others might see the commission as a relief.
Regardless, both he and Roskelley said they have tremendous confidence Jowers will be able to lead the commission and show results.
“Kirk is a bright and articulate man that will be able to move this commission forward in helping people have confidence in the system we have in place,” Roskelley said.
Kirk Jowers