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Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Gov. Cox taps former Utah AG records counsel as new public records director
The Capitol in Salt Lake City is pictured on Thursday, April 10, 2025. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) Utah Gov. Spencer Cox has appointed a former Utah Attorney General's Office attorney to fill a new role that will be a key decision-maker over which government records do — and don't — become public. Cox picked Lonny Pehrson, who most recently worked as records counsel for the Utah Attorney General's Office, to be the first director of the state's newly created Government Records Office. His nomination will be subject to consent from the Utah Senate. 'We look forward to the Government Records Office streamlining the appeals process and helping Utahns get timely answers to their records requests,' Cox said in a prepared statement. 'Lonny Pehrson's legal expertise and commitment to good governance make him the right person to lead this important effort.' Pehrson said he's 'honored' for Cox's nomination 'and truly appreciate the trust and responsibility it entails.' Utah lawmakers look to dissolve, replace State Records Committee. Here's why that matters 'I look forward to establishing the Government Records Office which will better facilitate access to government records in accordance with the law,' Pehrson said in a prepared statement. Earlier this year, the Utah Legislature voted to approve SB277, which dissolved and replaced the 30-year-old, seven-member State Records Committee with a single decision-maker. At the time, the bill's sponsor, Senate Majority Assistant Whip Mike McKell, R-Spanish Fork, said the change is meant to address 'inefficiencies,' cut down on wait times for records decisions, and replace the State Records Committee with someone with more 'legal experience.' Critics, including media professionals, argued the move would consolidate too much power with one person and lead to less transparency. The Society of Professional Journalists awarded the Utah Legislature its annual Black Hole award for the passage SB277, along with another, HB69, which made it difficult for people who challenge the government over public records denials to recoup their attorney fees. Pehrson, in his new role, will now decide appeals to records requests that have been denied. He'll be responsible for adjudicating records appeals hearings and supervising the Government Records Ombudsman and staff. 'He will also serve as a resource to citizens and governmental entities regarding government records management, ensuring lawful access to records and information, and leading a team that conducts statewide training in records and information management,' a news release issued Monday by the Division of Archives and Records Service said. 'Disregard for transparency': Utah Legislature's public records laws earn it a 'Black Hole' award Pehrson, in his previous role as records counsel for then-Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes, argued against releasing Reyes' calendar in response to requests from local news outlets KSL and The Salt Lake Tribune. The State Records Committee ultimately sided with reporters, and in February a judge ruled that Reyes' work calendar should be released. The same day as the judge's ruling, however, the Utah Legislature passed a bill to allow elected officials and government employees the ability to keep their calendars — including work meetings — private moving forward. Reyes didn't seek reelection last year after concerns surfaced over his past relationship with the embattled anti-trafficking nonprofit Operation Underground Railroad and its founder, Tim Ballard. Earlier this year, a legislative audit of Reyes' administration concluded that 'insufficient transparency' resulted in 'a lack of accountability for the position of the attorney general.' State leaders, however, applaud Pehrson as an expert in Utah's public records law, the Government Records Access and Management Act (GRAMA). Kenneth Williams, director of the Utah Division of Archives and Records Service and state archivist, said in a statement that his department is 'thrilled' to welcome Pehrson. 'I have worked with Lonny for several years and know that his expertise in records law and dedication to public service will be invaluable as we continue to ensure appropriate and reliable access to government records for the people of Utah,' Williams said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Utah House passes scaled back bill to require voter ID, still allow voting by mail
Senate Majority Assistant Whip Mike McKell, R-Spanish Fork, talks with reporters during a press conference with Senate leadership at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on the first day of the legislative session, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) A bill that originally would have drastically restricted voting by mail in Utah got a makeover after House and Senate legislative leaders struck a compromise — then it quickly cleared another major legislative hurdle. The House on Tuesday voted 57-15 to pass a revamped HB300. It now goes to the Senate for further consideration. Now, under a new version of the bill adopted right before the House's vote, HB300 would require Utah voters to write the last four digits of their government-issued identification card (like a driver license or another state ID) on their ballot's return envelope. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Currently, Utah automatically sends all active registered voters ballots through the mail. The previous version of HB300 would have limited that dramatically by requiring voters to apply for permission to vote by mail. Unless they received that permission, most voters would have been required to drop their ballots off in-person at a polling place or at a drop box manned by at least two poll workers — where they would need to show their ID. Now, HB300 does not include those requirements for ballots to be dropped off in person. Instead, the bill requires clerks to use state ID numbers to confirm identities of voters who vote using a by-mail ballot — in addition to signature verification, which clerks currently use to verify by-mail voter identities. The bill now also takes a slower approach to moving away from automatically allowing all registered voters to receive by-mail ballots. The new version of HB300 would require voters to opt in to receiving a ballot by mail — but not until Jan. 1, 2028. But after they opt in, they would be able to continue receiving by-mail ballots for eight years, as long as they continue to be an active voter. As Utah lawmakers weigh election changes, poll shows what could help — or hurt — voter confidence The new version of HB300 now also allows voters to opt in to voting by mail while applying for or renewing their driver's license or state ID card. The new bill would also allow Utahns who are older than 18, have not been issued a Utah driver license, and are 'indigent' to receive a state ID card free of charge if they're eligible to register to vote. There are still some provisions of the previous version of HB300 in the bill, including tightening up which by-mail ballots clerks would be able to count in the election. Currently, Utah law requires by-mail ballots to be counted as long as they're postmarked the day before Election Day and received before the canvass. But if HB300 passes, it would require ballots to be received by an election officer on or before 8 p.m. on Election Day. The lengthy compromise legislation became public Tuesday afternoon, hours before the House vote. But for days, the bill's Senate sponsor, Senate Majority Assistant Whip Mike McKell, R-Spanish Fork, was hinting it was coming in daily Sentate media availabilities with reporters. 'We want voting as easy as possible without cheating, but we also wanted to make sure that we enhanced security,' McKell said of the new version of the bill. McKell said that the bill voter ID requirements create a new layer of security — something Republican legislators have advocated for this year after a contentious 2024 election that focused more scrutiny on voting in Utah than ever — but he argued it still preserves voting by mail with ease. 'I think we've really got it to a good place,' McKell said. Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, applauded McKell and the House's top Republican leader, House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, for reaching a compromise on the bill. Utah bill to limit voting by mail, require voter ID backed by House speaker 'I think he's landed it,' Adams said of McKell, calling the new version of HB300 'brilliant.' While the previous version of HB300 was favored by Schultz, the House speaker recently acknowledged that House lawmakers would likely need to give up on its restrictive provisions in order for the bill to survive the Senate, which was more inclined to more widely allow voting by mail. While praising the bill, Adams predicted it will be 'copied by other states.' He also acknowledged, however, that lawmakers will have three years before phasing out automatic mail-in voting, so in future legislative sessions lawmakers can address any 'hiccups.' Burton, while presenting the bill in the House chamber, said lawmakers listened to Utahns concerned about doing away with voting by mail. 'Our voters have spoken. … We know that vote by mail is popular,' Burton said. 'But this bill simply allows us to improve the security of our elections so that there is more voter confidence in the process.' He also argued giving clerks another tool to verify voter identities, with a voter ID number, will help clerks release election results quicker. 'HB300 strengthens Utah's elections while preserving the convenience of vote-by-mail, making our elections more transparent, accessible, and secure,' Burton said in a prepared statement. 'Utahns' voices, votes, and trust in democracy are not negotiable.' The bill passed the House mostly along party lines. Democrats — who have previously expressed concerns about restricting voting by mail and bringing sweeping changes to a system that audits have shown functions largely well — voted against it, along with one Republican, Rep. Jim Dunnigan, R-Taylorsville. Schultz, in a prepared statement issued after the vote, applauded HB300. 'Right now, Utah is one of few states that doesn't require any form of voter ID when casting a ballot. H.B. 300 changes that,' Schultz said. 'Utahns deserve to feel certain that their elections are secure, their votes are counted accurately, and their voices truly matter. We can keep the elements of our elections that Utahns love while bolstering election security, transparency, and integrity.' Currently, Utah already requires a form of ID and proof of residence to register to vote, but does not always require an ID when casting a vote. Today, the vast majority of Utahns use by-mail ballots to vote, which election workers verify by matching signatures county clerks have on file for each voter. The state does, however, already require ID to vote in person. In the Senate, the bill may still hit some pushback from Democrats, who question why Republicans are changing a system that's functioned well. 'There's no evidence of widespread voter fraud,' Senate Minority Whip Karen Kwan, D-Taylorsville, told reporters Tuesday, arguing Utah's voting system was 'already working.' While the new version of HB300 appears to be an improvement, Kwan said her caucus will be looking at the bill closely as it progresses through the Senate. The bill now heads to a Senate committee for another yet-to-be scheduled public hearing. The clock is ticking, however. The 2025 Utah Legislature's general session must end by midnight March 7. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
