April 23, 2009 (---last Huntsman transcript---)

"...in today's environment, people expect their elected officials to focus first and foremost on the more immediate needs out there. The bread and butter issues of our economy, schools, energy, transportation, and health care. And that's exactly where my time is spent." -Governor Huntsman

DAN BAMMES, KUER: Thanks for joining us today, Governor. You agreed to drop redistricting from the agenda of your commission on strengthening Utah's democracy. Does that mean that you're not going to have anything at all to say on the subject, as we get closer through the census and toward that process?

GOVERNOR HUNTSMAN: Well, it means a couple of things. It means that the Strengthen Democracy Commission has already taken a look at it initially. There is a web site, strengthendemocracy.org, where citizens can weigh in on any of the issues that are being discussed. But most importantly, I think we need to recognize the movement that the legislature has made in creating a standing committee for the purposes of looking at reviewing ethics. Now this is significant because there are only two such standing committees, one for health care, and the other for ethics. And that means you've got to meet every month, which is significant. But the other point I want to make is ultimately redistricting is in the hands of the legislature, unless you want to change the Constitution, which, you know, is both bodies and a vote of the people in the state.

DAN BAMMES, KUER: Would you want to do that?

GOVERNOR HUNTSMAN: Well, ultimately that's going to be up to the legislature. And expression of the people. Based on a discussion that I think will play out this year and next, you know, the run up to the dicennial census. But you've got to involved legislature, they've got to be invested in the process, as well. And I think we have to recognize the steps that have been taken. The two pieces of legislation that passed this year, the standing committee status which ethics has been accorded, and the strengthening democracy undertaking as well. And I think this year we'll probably have the two of them come together and review notes on kind of their respective directions. And in total, I think we're making pretty good progress. This is unprecedented movement on ethics generally, and I think that's a whole lot better than no movement at all.

DAN BAMMES, KUER: The purpose of your commission was to improve participation. You felt that somehow Utah's political process was lacking credibility for some voters. And how is it going to improve voter participation?

GOVERNOR HUNTSMAN: Well, you're looking at how people vote, the ease of voting, maybe moving toward online voting at some point, which would be great if we could be the first state to do something like that. That means looking at other things, like the primary, and nominating processes by which party nominees are produced. It means looking at campaign finance policies. We're one of, you know, only I think three states remaining that basically have open ended contribution possibilities for state candidates. One of the only other ones, by the way, is Illinois. And we see that they're typically not cited as a best practices state. So there's a lot on the agenda. There's a lot to be done. There's a lot to be done in the name of building confidence in the political system. But there's also a lot in terms of the mechanics of getting people to turn out, and the ease of voting. And that's going to be a big part of enhancing and increasing the numbers when it comes to voter turnout.

ROBERT GEHRKE, SALT LAKE TRIBUNE: Governor, you mentioned that ultimately it's the legislature's decision on redistricting. But it's also the legislature's decision on many of those other items you mentioned.

GOVERNOR HUNTSMAN: There are two things.

ROBERT GEHRKE, SALT LAKE TRIBUNE: Why not have the commission weigh in on those issues? And advise

GOVERNOR HUNTSMAN: I suspect, given the public input, that there will be some weighing in, ultimately. But the legislature has jurisdiction over two things we need to recognize, and they'll no doubt take these issues out through their standing committee, I suspect, during the course of the year. And one is redistricting, and the other is ethics within the legislative body. And the fact that they have a standing committee, now, to take a look at some of these issues, and the fact that they've already passed two pieces of legislation, is a whole lot better than no movement at all. So it may be incremental steps, but that's the way change occurs. And it's progress nonetheless.

LISA RILE ROCHE, DESERET NEWS: I'm sorry, Governor- -

GOVERNOR HUNTSMAN: It's OK- -

LISA RILE ROCHE, DESERET NEWS: Was that your intent initially when you decided to give that charge to the commission, simply to get the legislature to establish some kind of a study of its own? Or were they able to persuade you in some way that, no, this is our business and you have no business yourself as the executive branch getting involved in it?

GOVERNOR HUNTSMAN: The intent was to build confidence in political participation. Resulting in people turning out and voting. That's the intent. Now you can get at that all different ways. One is, you know, you heighten public trust in politics, and the institutions of politics. Two, you look at the mechanics of turning people out to vote, and the ease with which people can vote. And I think ultimately, over time, that results in more people participating in the process. As governor as with every other issue, you know, your job is to keep everybody moving in a positive direction. And that's never an easy thing to do. It means you have to recognize where boundaries have been drawn, where Constitutionally authority lies, in some cases, like redistricting, and encourage participation among different groups that might result in changes longer term. But there are so many components to this. There are just straight traditional ethics, and then there are the mechanics of voter turnout that are part of this as well. Everything's being discussed this year, and to my mind that's exactly the kind of conversation that our state ought to be having. And when you look at the results coming out of the legislative session, that's the kind of movement that I think we ought to be expecting. This is just the beginning. I think you're going to see a lot more of this. So you know, let's give it time and let's let the process play out, and see where we are, you know, a year from now or going into the next legislative session.

LISA RILE ROCHE, DESERET NEWS: But some people would say you started this process with the commission to look at these issues, with this more objective group, even though it was established by the executive branch, and as soon as there was legislative pressure you dropped two of the items from their agenda. How does that engender more confidence among voters?

GOVERNOR HUNTSMAN: I wouldn't call it legislative pressure. That's your words, no one else's, your words. I would tell you that in the spirit of keeping everybody together, moving toward a common end point, you've got to make sure that everybody plays their respective role. And when the legislature, by statute, by Constitution, is given authority over things like redistricting, they've got to determine through their standing committee process what they're going to do about it, as opposed to have another group force a set of recommendations. That's a sure fire way for a group to basically say, "thank you, but no thanks." And so by getting everybody to work together, comparing notes, and the legislature ultimately, through the standing committee process which they've set up, to take a look at something they have jurisdiction over, while you've got another group talking about another set of issues, I think is fundamentally the right direction. And I'm very comfortable with that.

ROBERT GEHRKE, SALT LAKE TRIBUNE: In the grander scheme of things, though, about the strength of democracy, is redistricting and legislative ethics more of an issue, do you think, in the public's mind, than party caucuses?

GOVERNOR HUNTSMAN: I think they're all part of it. I think, you know, you'll get a different answer based upon who you talk to. But I think they all add up to trust and confidence in political institutions and politics. But I think the ease with which people can vote, if we can ever get around to online voting, for example, I think that would probably do more for voter turnout and participation than anything. So let's let good minds kind of cogitate on these things, and see where it gets us in the run up to the next legislative session.

DAN BAMMES, KUER: Governor, Senate Bill 81, the state's new restrictions on undocumented immigrants, set to take effect on July 1st, in this forum a few months ago you said that you believed that process might be overtaken by events on the federal level by the time it took effect. That doesn't appear to be happening. Are you concerned about the effects of this new law on health care for undocumented immigrants, on the relationship between police and the immigrant community, and some of the other concerns that have been raised when this does take effect?

GOVERNOR HUNTSMAN: Well, first of all, I think my guess was that during the course of this year, you know, hopefully half way into the year we're not there yet we would see some pretty significant movement by the U.S. Congress. And I still think that's the case. And President Obama and even Senator McCain, who I believe is going to be one of the point people on it, that is still their goal. And so we're going to have to reconcile whatever is done at the federal level with whatever we're doing here locally. Now, the attorney general will meet and craft an MOU with respect to how local law enforcement agencies should be responding. Now some have said with budget cuts it becomes extremely difficult to do this kind of thing.

Ultimately the attorney general will weigh in through an MOU, and we will all do our best to comply. But what, to me, is important is getting beyond any sense that people are being targeted based upon ethnicity, that there are somehow games being played by law enforcement agencies, by singling people out. I have met with our ethnic advisory committees, I've met with the Hispanic chamber of commerce, and I have told them that if there are any examples of this kind of thing, that I want to hear about it directly. And I have told our head of public safety, along with others, that we want to make sure that if these kinds of cases arise that we deal with them promptly. So I think we're doing our best in preparing for whatever the attorney general is going to say by way of MOU in terms of law enforcement, what our local law enforcement agencies should be doing. And then that's going to have to be reconciled ultimately with the federal Department of Homeland Security and ICE agents, who will have their own authority with respect to certain tasks.

JEFF ROBINSON, KCPW: Governor, the Salt Lake City police chief, Chris Burbank, has already said, he's decided he's not going to cross deputize his officers. He thinks it'll lead to things like racial profiling. Do you think he's making the right call?

GOVERNOR HUNTSMAN: I think that there is merit to what he is saying, because I've heard the same thing from the highway patrol, that it becomes a very difficult thing for them to do, given their task at hand already. And with budget cut backs, as well. And again, the attorney general ultimately is going to have to make that determination through his MOU. But the profiling part is something that I'm very concerned about, and when I say that I've gone out and I've talked to members of individual communities about examples of profiling, and if we have these examples, that they need to be reported immediately, and we need to deal with them. If there is heightened sensitivity to that kind of thing, that, I think, is going to cause people to maybe rest a little easier. But the cross deputization issue is one that ultimately is going to be made clear through the attorney general's MOU, and then will be further impacted by whatever federal legislation is done on immigration. And then, you know, toward the end of the year we'll have to somehow reconcile all of that. So to my mind this is still playing out in real time, and it will for at least several months. And we've got limited resources, we have tasks that are priorities for our law enforcement agencies, and to ask people to go above and beyond that is going to be a challenge, there's no question about it.

RICHARD PIATT, KSL-TV: In your view is advancing Senate Bill 81, in the big picture, a good thing, in spite of what may or may not happen with the federal government?

GOVERNOR HUNTSMAN: Well, I've always believed that if you've got a patchwork of state by state approaches to enforcing immigration, ultimately it's going to be a very confusing thing, on several different levels. This is a federal issue, and it always has been a federal issue, and immigration, legal and illegal, will be part of our makeup for many years to come. It's just a very difficult, complex set of issues. So the sooner the federal government can get their house in order on this, and get legislation passed, the better off we're going to be. And I think we need to respect what the federal government does, because ultimately it is their issue, and they're the driving authority behind it. And the fact that they haven't done anything is the reason that so many states basically have tried to fill that void. So my own sense is we need to defer as long as we can on many of these calls until such time as legislation is passed federally. And since it is a priority and it's been stated recently that it is a priority for this President, I think something's going to get done. And let's wait and see what that is and then let's reconcile whatever discrepancies we have on the local level with whatever is being done federally, and if there are still gaps and holes then we can address those later. But it can become a very, very confusing makeup of rules and directives and regulations, both state and federal, with respect to immigration policy, unless we put it in the hands of the federal government.

JEFF ROBINSON, KCPW: Governor, a proposed nuclear power plant in Emery County continues to raise eyebrows when it comes to issues like water usage and potential conflict of interest being proposed by Transition Power Development, whose CEO is Aaron Tilton, a former state law maker. Has this raised any eyebrows for your office? Do you want to see nuclear power come to Utah in the next decade?

GOVERNOR HUNTSMAN: I haven't followed this particular case, because we don't grant the authority, necessarily, for nuclear power plants. Moreover, whatever authority is granted will be done so well after I'm out of office. And probably the person after me. It'll be probably a 20 year process that will play out. Nuclear power, at some level, will have to be an option, longer term, for the United States. As it has been in France, you know, with kind of a 70 30 split. 70 percent nuclear power, we're kind of the opposite here. There are many reactors that are in use throughout the world. There are real issues that we have to be cognizant of. We've got to be cognizant of costs, which you know on average are $2 billion for a plant. I don't think that's lost on anybody in today's environment. Water use and environmental permitting, those are going to be extremely important issues. Ultimately you've got to deal with the waste component, which we have said no to, because we don't use that form of energy, and we're not going to take the waste from others who do.

So the sooner that we can get to on site reprocessing which I know some countries are already experimenting with, that will be, you know, considered, in part, a solution. And then you've got the whole proliferation matter beyond that, that I think for a lot of people is a concern. So you've got many questions out there that need to be answered, and I suspect that the science is going to catch up with the commercial need over the next 10 or 20 years to where you'll have on site reprocessing, you'll probably have costs that will be taken down considerably from, on averages $2 billion a plant, somewhere south of that. So you know, in the next 20 40 years you'll probably find that nuclear power is more of an option than people might think today. But how you get to a world in which you've got a growing economy, and you've got such a need for power, and clean power, where emissions increasingly become a concern, and completely rule the nuclear option out, I just, I don't know how you do that.

Now I've recently been down to Milford Flats, which was quite a sight. If you would have been there, Milford High, where these students were running their go carts around the track here in this town of 1100 people, you know, founded in 1873, first by Union Pacific Railroad, then by the copper miners, and later by the cattle ranchers, and now it's the renewable energy people who are making that whole valley come to life. It's the most unbelievable thing I've seen. You've got First Wind out there, building their largest project in the country. That'll have ultimately 300 megawatts of electricity, all wind. And then you go just south of that and you've got geothermal, Razor Technology, which is taking, you know, 280, 300 degree water from underground, and taking the steam from that and powering turbines. And they're already selling energy to the likes of Anaheim and Phoenix.

So you've got a lot of very exciting projects in the name of renewable energy which, you know, our state is going to be, I think, over the next two to three years, probably the premier destination for these kinds of projects. You've got that moving in real time, which is very, very exciting, and then you're going to have to continue to add new forms of energy, as well, beyond just simply the traditional renewables. Because that's just I mean any expert will tell you, of which I'm not one but I listen to the experts, that, over time, even if we move, you know, in double step with solar and wind and geothermal, we're just not going to be able to meet the needs that this country has over the next many years. So it's going to be a shared solution, a multiplicity of sources that we're going to have to draw from that focus, first and foremost, on new technologies on emissions, and on cost. Those are going to be the primary drivers for energy going forward.

DAN BAMMES, KUER: Governor, Razor and First Wind are selling their power out of state, primarily because of renewable portfolio standards that are mandatory in places like California, and here in Utah they're a suggestion in our state law based on whether they are cost effective. Is Utah losing out on the availability of this renewable power for our economy because of that loop hole in the renewable portfolio standard?

GOVERNOR HUNTSMAN: Well, if it were a suggestion we wouldn't have twelve companies now knocking on our door looking to come in. We, over time, and I say over the next two to three years, will be the premier renewable energy destination. Not only for projects, but for people who want to manufacture the capital componentry. And what we've done is passed legislation, I mean just take a look at two bills that just passed at the last legislative session, that create an authority, that will enhance our infrastructure, which today goes one way to California, and will allow, you know, that direct current line to give us a little more flexibility so that we can use it here in the state.

That's a terribly exciting step, not to mention the fact that we've got incentives that are very, very attractive to the solar and the wind and the geothermal people that ultimately will bring them here. So are we on the map in terms of renewables? Absolutely we are, and this is a very, very exciting time, and will continue to be. But we've got a renewable portfolio initiative, that is being respected. And people look at that as something that is very real. Whether you want to call it a standard, or whether they want to call it an initiative, it is something that is getting people focused on renewable energy. And I would put my money on where Utah's going to be versus any state in the surrounding region in terms of what the years ahead hold for renewable energy.

RICHARD PIATT, KSL-TV: Governor, recently you were quoted in a column by New York Times columnist Frank Rich, who addressed the same sex issue, theorizing that the ultra right, anti same sex marriage movement has now peaked and is now declining. You were quoted because of your position that you took during the legislature on civil unions for same sex marriage, given the past power of the ultra right on this issue, do you regret coming out on your position on civil unions?

GOVERNOR HUNTSMAN: Well the words that you just attributed to me are Frank Rich's words. I didn't make that comment at all. He just was referring to my position on civil unions, which, to my mind, and in the minds of a lot of Utahns, equate to equal rights for all people. And I stand by that, and I'll continue to stand by that for my next three years in office. And I think the discussion that ensues about equal rights when it comes to the work place, when it comes to housing, when it comes to reciprocal beneficiaries, beneficiary rights, insurance and visitation rights, I think that's a very important discussion for the state to be having.

ROBERT GEHRKE, SALT LAKE TRIBUNE: You met this week with members of Equality Utah. Did you reach any sort of path forward in trying to advance some legislative protections for these rights you mentioned?

GOVERNOR HUNTSMAN: Well, you look at 90 percent of fortune 500 companies that basically have such rights in place. I think if it equates to equal rights for all of our citizens, it's a conversation we need to have, and I told Equality Utah this is a conversation we need to have. And it's not that it's starting out. We've been having this conversation for some time. And where it goes, I'm not quite sure, because it's a shared conversation among a lot of people. But you know, we put forward reciprocal beneficiary rights legislation my first year in office, and it wasn't to be. The Common Ground initiative then was introduced this last legislative session, and I stated my position, and people have interpreted it any number of ways. That doesn't equate to support for gay marriage. It's civil unions, and I think that's an important debate for our state to have, and probably every other state in America.

BROCK VERGAKIS, ASSOCIATED PRESS: Do you support repealing the Constitutional ban on domestic unions?

GOVERNOR HUNTSMAN: The what ban?

BROCK VERGAKIS, ASSOCIATED PRESS: The Constitutional ban on domestic unions, will you support a repeal of that?

GOVERNOR HUNTSMAN: Which ban are you talking about?

BROCK VERGAKIS, ASSOCIATED PRESS: The Amendment 3.

GOVERNOR HUNTSMAN: Well, I don't know that that bans it specifically. I think that ultimately could be a court case, and that might be adjudicated in court over time if it ever gets to that level. But that wasn't clear. I mean that spoke to marriage. And anything, anything subordinate to marriage, I think, would probably be adjudicated in a court of law, would be my guess.

LISA RILEY ROCHE, DESERET NEWS: Governor, what about that campaign that Frank Rich spoke about in his column, and actually used you as an example of opposition to, in essence, the gathering storm ad from the national organization for marriage, a group that's involved a couple of fairly prominent members of your own church, the LDS church. Do you support that campaign that seems to be suggesting there's an increasing threat to the American way of life by people seeking equal rights for gay citizens?

GOVERNOR HUNTSMAN: I haven't given that a second's thought. My concern has been the economy in the state, health care reform, energy, and when asked about Common Ground, I gave an answer. That doesn't make me an expert in the field, nor does it mean that I spend all of my waking hours thinking about this particular issue.

LISA RILEY ROCHE, DESERET NEWS: Have you seen the ad, though? Do you support that concept in the ad?

GOVERNOR HUNTSMAN: I don't even know the ad that you're talking about. It must not run on whatever- -

RICHARD PIATT, KSL-TV: That's part of what Mr. Rich was addressing, though, too. Is that the general public, including some people who considered themselves otherwise conservative, are more concerned about the economy and jobs and what's happening, you know, in the world at large, and less concerned these days about what's happening in their neighbor's bedroom, for example.

GOVERNOR HUNTSMAN: And that part I would agree with. I think that in today's environment, people expect their elected officials to focus first and foremost on the more immediate needs out there. The bread and butter issues of our economy, schools, energy, transportation, and health care. And that's exactly where my time is spent. And that was in line with a conversation that I had with this particular reporter, was where I'm spending my time and where people probably, where citizens want us to spend our time, and I do agree with that basic premise.

ROBERT GEHRKE, SALT LAKE TRIBUNE: Can I ask the obligatory presidential ambition question? Have you had any- -

GOVERNOR HUNTSMAN: But you'll get the obligatory answer.

ROBERT GEHRKE, SALT LAKE TRIBUNE: Have you had any conversations or discussions about what this would take in a practical sense, to mount a presidential campaign?

GOVERNOR HUNTSMAN: What it would take?

ROBERT GEHRKE, SALT LAKE TRIBUNE: What it would take, what the blueprint for a presidential campaign would be from your position?

GOVERNOR HUNTSMAN: Well since I don't seem to be headed to that position, why would I have any such conversation?

ROBERT GEHRKE, SALT LAKE TRIBUNE: Maybe you're heading that direction.

GOVERNOR HUNTSMAN: No, this is a good example of where the Republican party needs to let, you know, a thousand flowers bloom, and get all the different issues out there, and different perspectives, different approaches to problem solving on the issues, where pre-eminence basically stands taller than partisanship, and see where that takes us ultimately.

DAN BAMMES, KUER: Thank you very much, Governor, we appreciate your time today.

GOVERNOR HUNTSMAN: Glad to be with you.

DAN BAMMES, KUER: The transcript and audio recordings, video recordings of the Governor's News Conference are available on the Utah Education Network web site. You can get there at www.uen.org. And those are archived back for several years. So if you want to research what the Governor might have said at any point in the past you're welcome to do that.

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