Ballot games
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hey call this sort of thing serendipity.
Having wasted $3.5 million on participation in a Feb. 5, 2008, presidential primary -- which was billed as being the vehicle that would increase Utah's national profile during the presidential-election cycle, when in reality it will do no such thing -- Utah's governor and Legislature may be able to turn their sow's ear of an expenditure into an attractive little purse after all.
Here's how: It appears probable that the 130,000 signatures gathered in an effort to place the school-vouchers law on an upcoming ballot will have at least the requisite 92,000 signatures certified by the April 30 deadline. If that happens, it will then be up to the Legislature to give the governor authority to pick the date for the referendum. The first statewide balloting is the Feb. 5 presidential primary, and that's the date Gov. Huntsman and lawmakers are shooting for.
We would prefer Utahns being able to cast their ballots regarding the voucher bill -- it grants $500 to $3,000 tax credits to parents who send their children to private schools -- sooner than nine months after the petition signatures have been certified.
But we don't think it would be fiscally sound to spend an additional $3.5 million organizing another statewide election between now and February, either.
This issue is further complicated by the fact that the Legislature passed a second voucher bill -- containing much the same language as the first -- which is apparently unaffected by the fate of the bill targeted by the citizen referendum.
That means the tax credits for private-school students will likely go forward this fall no matter what happens with the referendum.
Then, if voters reject the vouchers in February -- a complete unknown at this point -- it will be up to lawmakers to decide whether or not to repeal the second bill on their own.
Our elected leaders will likely make up their minds about that situation before the date arrives. Nine months ought to be enough time to figure it out.
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