State Legislative Process
Episode 9

>>Welcome to State Legislative Process. I’m Rick Griffin, and today’s episode is Decision-Making Modes and Options. Our lesson points will address legislative decision-making modes,
Executive options, and the signing of the Utah Valley University Bill. 
>>[graphic]
>>Previously, we examined “debate on the floor” and the various sources of information and voting cues legislators take into account when deciding how to vote on a bill. Today we begin by examining the decision-making modes that legislators employ once they decide on how they are voting.
>>[graphic]
>>Depending on the popularity, complexity, cost, and quality of a bill, legislators may employ a variety of decision-making modes. The first, and according to Dr. Alan Rosenthal, probably the dominant mode, is acquiescence.  
>>[graphic]
>>This decision-making mode is employed when legislators agree to agree.  As long as the bill isn’t controversial and there’s no apparent personal, interest group, or constituent conflict, legislators tend to support each other’s bills. This is especially the case when there is already a great deal of support in the legislature for the bill. Overall, legislators try to avoid alienating the sponsors of bills, because they may need the support of those colleagues later on when their own bills come up for a vote. Effective legislators learn that it’s counter-productive to oppose a bill, especially a popular one, unless there’s a very good reason to do so. The second mode of decision making employed by legislators is deflection. 
>>[graphic]
>>This mode is employed when legislators believe a bill is without merit, or otherwise flawed, but can’t afford to pay the political capital needed to oppose the bill. In such circumstances, legislators work quietly within the legislative system to kill the bill. A bill can be buried in rules committee; tabled, substituted or defeated in standing committee; never placed on a calendar; substituted out or amended in such a way as to guarantee it will be voted down on the floor;
or it can be set up to be defeated in the other house of the legislature. As Dr. Rosenthal points out, “There are many ways to kill legislation without leaving fingerprints.” The third and perhaps most effective mode of decision making employed by legislators, is bargaining.
>>[graphic] 
>>This mode of decision making helps legislators to work out differences in proposed legislation. Free and democratic legislatures are creatures of compromise, if not by design, then certainly by necessity. While there are some highly-principled issues that legislators don’t feel comfortable compromising on, many, and perhaps most, issues lend themselves to compromise. Through bargaining, legislators are often able to reach an acceptable compromise that meets the needs of several interests, and frequently the compromise version is superior to initial proposals. Such was the case in 1787 at the Philadelphia Convention, when two very different plans of government were proposed. 
>>[graphic] 
>>The Virginia Plan, which called for popular sovereignty and proportional representation, was unacceptable to the confederates and generally those from smaller, less populated states, while the New Jersey Plan, which called for state sovereignty and equal representation, was unacceptable to the nationalists and generally those from the larger more populated states. After passionate debate and a few threats and insults, cooler heads prevailed, and the Connecticut Compromise was reached. The Compromise incorporated elements of popular sovereignty and proportional representation in the lower house—the House of Representatives—while also including elements of state sovereignty and equal representation in the upper house—the Senate. Through compromise, the framers not only fostered unity at the Convention, but produced a superior plan to either of the earlier proposals. Although it’s true that bargaining does not always create a better product (in fact, sometimes it can even lead to inferior, pork-saturated legislation) overall, bargaining can be an effective decision-making mode for legislators. But, as Dr. Rosenthal is quick to note, it has to be done just right. 
>>How often does bargaining go on on the floor of the legislature, where I say, “Well, my vote is kind of undecided. If I get a little extra money in the budget, or if my bill gets adopted, I will go along with it”? How common is that?
>>Well, I don’t think it goes on on the floor in that respect. I think it goes on prior to that. And I think bargaining takes place, but only on those issues where it is going to be close, where you need the votes. Most legislators vote for most things because they believe in them, because their constituents want them, because the committee has reported them, because the leaders want them. Most legislators don’t bargain on most issues. But on some close issues, there may be a few legislators who are swing votes. They are the one who do the deals. And the deals go on usually before it comes out to the floor. Again, looking at the property tax package that we settled in the Senate yesterday in New Jersey, four of the Democrats held out. And they needed twenty-one votes in the Senate, and they only had eighteen Democratic votes. Well, the Governor met with some of them, and met with Republicans, and the President of the Senate met with them, and I imagine there were some bargains that took place then. And that was in order to finally get the twenty-one votes that were necessary to pass the property tax package.
>>In Utah there is a process at some point in our forty-five day session when the leaders will get together and sort of make the big compromises that help put the budget together and kind of resolve the major issues. Is that common in the states…
>>Yes.
>>where there will be a certain critical week, or even a day?
>>Well, basically the big issue in every state, and it is predictable, and it is regular, is the budget. That is the big issue. And the budget bill usually is decided at the end of the session. But a lot of other legislation is held back. And it is not until the budget passes and they get the votes for the budget that the other bills go through quickly in those closing days and closing hours of the session. Yes, it is the budget on which there is the most…It is the money to run programs, to run the state. And that is where first of all you have partisan differences, you have regional differences, you have district differences. And that is the toughest thing to put together. That is where the deals have got to be made, and that is where pork get involved, or earmarks, or projects for the district. Some legislators, in order to vote for the budget, want a little bit more up to their district. Well, they are representing their district. They are trying to get whatever they can for their district. So that is what goes on. And if that means kind of holding out their votes on the budget, they do it. But it is a very ticklish business. You can’t go too far, but you want to go far enough.
>>Your price has to be reasonable. 
>>Your price has to be reasonable. You can’t do it on every issue. And you have got to do it with a smile.
>>Fighting it out is the last decision-making mode discussed by our author, and usually the last resort of effective legislators.
>>[graphic] 
>>Occasionally, legislators will use this decision-making mode to try to drum up support to either pass a bill or vote it down. After all, not all controversial aspects of legislation can be deflected or negotiated away. Thus, on more controversial social, moral, and partisan issues, legislators may be encouraged by interests groups, constituents, or their own personal beliefs to stand their ground and fight it out. However, this is tricky business! 
>>[graphic]
>>The old legal adage: “lose your head and lose your case” is just as applicable to the legislature as the judiciary. Although strong-worded, passionate, lengthy debates may help to pick up a few points with supporters, or on occasion even a vote or two on the floor, legislators are reminded by their colleagues that fighting it out with long-winded speeches is an approach best used sparingly. As one state legislator put it:
>>[graphic]
>>This now brings us to lesson point number two: Executive options. 
>>[graphic]
>>Once a bill passes both houses of the state legislature, it’s signed by the presiding officer of each house, and is prepared in its official form for the governor’s review. The powers of the governor are outlined in state constitutions and statutes and can vary from state to state. But typically, a governor has three options when he or she reviews a bill. The first option is to do nothing and ignore the bill.
>>[graphic]
>>If the governor chooses this option, the bill will become law without his signature, usually about ten days or so after he receives the bill (as mandated by state law). Governors often use this option when they do not support a bill, but fear their veto may be overridden by the state legislature. To avoid being politically embarrassed, governors will instead announce their opposition to the bill in the media, publicly “washing their hands of the bill,” while at the same time avoiding a political showdown with the legislature that they cannot win. The second option a governor has is to veto the bill.  
>>[graphic] 
>>The term veto is Latin for “I forbid.” A veto is an executive power used by both the president and state governors to reject proposed legislation. Once a governor vetoes a bill, it’s returned to the legislature with his reasons for rejecting it, and unless the legislature can muster a large majority, typically a two-thirds vote to override the veto, the bill does not become law. 
Speaking of the veto power, Political Scientists William Keefe and Morris Ogul state:
>>[graphic]
>>Two variations of the veto power are pocket vetoes and line-item vetoes. A pocket veto occurs when the governor receives a bill, but the legislature adjourns before the allotted days for the governor’s review of the bill have expired. 
>>[graphic]
>>In such circumstances, the governor may choose to simply ignore the bill, in effect vetoing the bill without any further consideration by the legislature. A line-item veto is the power of the governor to approve a bill, while striking specific lines or items in the bill. 
>>[graphic]
>>The U.S. Supreme Court has held that presidential line-item vetoes are unconstitutional under the U.S. Constitution. However, many states, such as Utah, have chosen to grant their chief executive this power in their state constitutions. Some political scientists and government officials herald the line-item veto as a way to cut down on pork, or in other words, unnecessary funding projects for legislators’ home districts, which are drafted or amended into bills. Others, however, see line-item vetoes as a threat to the doctrine of separation of powers. They fear line-item vetoes tip the sensitive balance of power between the branches of government towards the executive branch. The third option the governor has during his or her review of a bill is to sign the proposed legislation into law.
>>[graphic]
>>To learn about the governor’s review of bills in the last Utah legislative session, we turn to Mike Mower, Deputy Chief of Staff for Governor Huntsman.
>>What we want to talk about right now is the end of the process a little bit. The Governor, this time period, is looking at bills that have passed, saying, “Do I sign them? Do I veto them?” What are the options that are before the Governor?
>>The Governor has three basic options when the Legislature has sent over a piece of legislation. One is to sign it, one is to veto it, and one is it let it go into law without his signature. Only one time in his administration has he let a bill go into law without his signature.
>>And this was just this session. 
>>Just this session there was a bill involving Energy Solutions. He chose to allow it to go into law without his signature. He was focused on wanting to keep nuclear waste out of the State, but felt there was another route he could take, which he then took, to help reduce the amount of waste coming into the State.
>>So why didn’t he…it seems like a little bit of a wimpy thing to do, just to say, “Well, I’ll let it become a law without my signature.” What advantage was there in not signing it?
>>Well, on the surface, some folks thought that. But if you look at the strategy behind it, and there was a strategy behind it, to have signed the bill would have been to acquiesce to it. Part of it was to take the Legislature and the Governor out of the process. To have vetoed it likely would have resulted in a veto override, which would have been a difficult position, because the goal was, at the end of the day, to keep waste out of the state. So he allowed the bill to become law without his signature, and then was going to send a letter to the Northwest Compact prohibiting more waste from coming through, because that is something that he can do and has the authority to do as Governor. So it was more challenging to explain, but more impressive in result because [unclear]
>>To what extent does politics play in that, when you look at those options? Either sign, not sign, let it become law without the signature?
>>It does. What happens at the end of the session, in fact, even before the end of the session bills start coming over here. And if the Governor receives a bill before the eleven days out at the end of the session, he has to sign or veto that bill within ten days. 
>>So if the bill passes right at the end of the session, or during it, he has to sign it immediately.
>>Well, if the bill passes within the final ten days of the session, and is sent to the office, then he has to sign it or veto it. So for example this year the vouchers bill was sent to the Governor early on. Senate Bill 155, the Energy Solutions Bill, was sent early on. He had to make a decision on those during the session. The other bills he has the opportunity to study for twenty days and then sign or veto them. This year the Legislature passed 422 bills and about seventeen resolutions. The Governor didn’t need to sign those resolutions, but the Governor and staff reviewed each of the 422 bills to decide whether or not to sign them.
>>Now how do you do that? Four hundred some bills, do you divvy them up among the staff?
>>Yes. Well, some of us on the staff read every single bill—at least read the analysis on every single bill. When they first arrive at our office, we send them over to the Governor’s office of planning and budget. And over there, staff members who are assigned to that specific area of government, for example, Representative Steve Clark from Provo did a bill on the Utah Lake Authority. Well, that would go to our long-term planner. He would check with any government cabinets that have oversight of this area to see if they were comfortable with the bill.
>>So you solicit input from a variety of different sources.
>>Yes. And then in addition, the budget Office will take a look at it, and then it will work its way to around eight or nine senior staffers who will review the legislation. And we also get a lot of input from the public.
>>Out of that 422 bills, there have to be some that are kind of likely to be vetoed. Do you work hard to make sure that you don’t have any to veto?
>>We work hard throughout the session to make certain that sometimes the most onerous bills don’t make it here to the Governor’s desk. However, if they do, our office will take a look at them, and the Governor will decide whether or not to veto them. This is the first time in years that a legislative session has ended without a veto of any type, but this was a year that was highlighted by a terrific working relationship between the branches of government and the Governor’s office, and a lot of historic things took place, including Utah Valley State College becoming a university.
>>We were glad the Governor did not veto that bill. That was good. Are these rules set by constitution? The twenty days that you have?
>>Yes. Yes, all of that is set in the state statues, and so that is certainly what we follow.
>>There are a couple of political scientist that rated Utah as being a legislatively dominated state, compared to an executively dominated state. What is your reflection on that?
>>I would disagree with that. I think the Governor clearly sets the agenda. I think he does that with the State of the State. I think if you look at what took place this year, certainly we worked very closely with the legislature, but the Governor sent our a clarion call for tax reform, for support for economic development, for higher funding for education—a lot of these are goals that are shared by both the Legislature and the Executive. The Governor tends to give voice to them through the State of the State and through other kinds of announcements.
>>And you have to be careful that he doesn’t have a proposal that is so far out of the realm of possibilities. 
>>Right. Right.
>>I was surprised in this legislative session that you ended up getting the all-day kindergarten bill. Talking to legislators early on, it seemed to me no way was this going to go. But yet you pulled it out of the hat at the end. How did you do that?
>>And that one was interesting. A lot of people said it was tied to politics. No, what it was is we identified different areas throughout the state, found the school board members, found the superintendents who are in these schools, and had them start working their legislators. So whether it was in Cache Valley or San Pete County, they were getting the word out on how important it is to have this all-day option available. It was a key priority for the Governor, and Governor Huntsman put a lot effort behind it. But in the end, very seldom do ideas go through if there is not a great deal of merit behind them.
>>As you are in this role longer, do you find yourself having more of that knowledge base by districts? You mentioned Representative Clark’s bill recently on Utah Lake. Would you be able to in time say, “Well, these are the people who can get to Representative Clark and talk some reason into him about some issue”? 
>>Oh, Representative Clark is a very reasonable person, so it is not an issue of having to talk reason to him.
>>I didn’t mean to sound that way.
>>What you are looking for is people who can share information with him. And what you will find is that a lot of people self-identify, and contact our office. We are anxious to get involved in an issue. We want to move an issue. 
>>How can we help you.
>>What do we do? We say, “Contact Representative So-and-so,” whether he is a committee chair or she is the local representative.
>>Do you still enjoy doing this?
>>It is wonderful, yes. And this year, in particular, it has just been a fantastic year to be involved in state government.
>>A politician’s dream come true, because there is enough money to spend and cut taxes.
>>This is an incredible year. We gave education the highest amount of percentage increase in state history, and we also gave the largest tax cut in state history. And we did significant events for different areas across the state, as I referred to earlier. For example, in Utah County we had the resources this year to elevate the status of Utah Valley State College. So it was a great year across the board, and a lot of that was due to tax payers and a very strong economy. 
>>We saw so many bills pass with hardly any dissent. This year had to be a little different that the normal legislative year.
>>It is interesting. A lot of the bills are just kind of given. If you are making some changes to plumbing licensing or cosmetology licensing, I would guess half the bills that the governor signed had been passed unanimously. And I think when people share common goals, it can happen. And you saw that with the UVSC bill. People put aside their parochial interests. And whether you represented the north or the south end of the state, everyone came together. Tax reform: another unanimous vote. So if you can build a vision and outline a vision, it can happen.
>>A lot of states have done term limits or other things that kind of weaken the legislature. In the give and take between the Governor and the Legislature, is the Governor right now the most powerful institution, relative to the Legislature?
>>I won’t say that. I will say we have a strong Executive; we have a strong Legislature…
>>And you are working together to make life better for everybody.
>>And we are working together very well.
>>We will leave that for you political science professors.
>>And the last question, what is the chucking of power that the veto process is all about? And your sense is that, to put it in my words, the issue is working ahead of the game and during the game, so that you don’t have to chuck that power at the end?
>>Yes. It is a process. We get involved in the process early. If there are bills we have problems with, we try to notify the sponsors. And in the end it works out well. We had 422 bills become laws, and as we looked at them, they all had merit. 
>>The average in Michigan, with a full-time Legislature, was 300 and some. So in forty-five days, more bills were passed.
>>The session lasts forty-five days, but the work of the Legislature goes on year round. And so much of the heavy lifting has been done, even before the session starts.
>>Have you started that process of working for next year already?
>>Yes. Yes. We have started getting together what our goals are for next year, what did the Governor say he was going to do when he first campaigned for office, what do we need to be doing early on legislatively, working to get the bills drafted, formulate the interest groups.
>>Here is a prediction for you. It is just really clairvoyant on my part. I think education, taxes, and transportation may well be issues next year. 
>>It was funny doing a historical analysis of the state. And I went back and reviewed a lot of the earlier state history, and what do you think the issues were in the mid 50s? Education, transportation, and taxes. And when Utah became a state, public education, transportation, taxes. 
>>So stay tuned for the next chapter.
>>Yes. Stay tuned. Those will always be key issues.
>>Mike Mower, thank you so much for joining us.
>>Thank you, President Sederburg.
>>Lesson point three examines the end goal of every legislator and governor, a successful and popular bill signing. Although simple acts (all that’s required is the governor’s signature), bill signings are important political ceremonies. They are the crowning expression of months or even years of hard work, negotiation, compromise, and personal and professional sacrifice and commitment. Thus, bill signings tend to be grand events, where the governor, legislative sponsors, and community supporters are recognized for their efforts. The signing of a bill into law is indeed the crowing act of the legislative process. To learn more about bill signings, we turn to the signing of Senate Bill 70, which changes the name of Utah Valley State College to Utah Valley University
>>[drums beating, applause]
>>? Singers, awake and arise. Lift up your voices as the waves of the sea. Singers, awake and arise. Lift up your voices as the waves of the sea. Sing a mighty song, a mighty song. [singing continues in Latin]
>>[applause]
>>Thank you. What an exciting day for Utah Valley State College! Let’s hear it! 
>>[applause, cheering]
>>Today has come about because of an absolutely incredible collaboration here in Utah, a collaboration between academics, between politicians, between the average citizen, between the power brokers of the state. This group has come together to advance higher education, and to advance UVSC to Utah Valley University. 
>>[applause, cheering]
>>This exercise is all about academics. Moving UVSC to university status is a statement about the academic quality of the institution. It is the result of work by Brad Cook who has left us for a more important job overseas, Lucille Stottard, who is here on stage with us, Carl Worthington, Vice President of Academic Affairs currently, all the Deans, the Department Chairs, the faculty that have spent hours upon hours putting together proposals for degrees and working through the process. So we start out, very appropriately, by recognizing Steve Clark, President of the Academic Senate. Steve.
>>[applause, cheering]
>>Thank you, President Sederburg. I just want to say as the Senate President, on behalf of the faculty, we are very excited about this day. This is the culmination of something that was an idea and an effort that predates my time at this institution. When I was hired here there was discussion that one day, one day we will be a university. The faculty is very excited about what this means for us and the students, what it means that we can have an additional $8,000,000 that we can use to hire additional faculty and support for the academics of this institution. And I want to tell you that in our Faculty Senate meetings, every time we have a meeting the President gives an update and a report on initiatives that he has been working on. And in our last Faculty Senate meeting, the President talked about the legislative session, and he talked about SB 70 and its approval in the Senate and the House. And he thanked the Faculty Senate for the support of this initiative. Several faculty thanked the President for his leadership and his hard work, and all the time he had put into it. And then something happened that doesn’t happen very often in Faculty Senate. There were several compliments towards the President, and then there was a very long round of applause. And the faculty was very appreciative of President Sederburg and his efforts. 
>>[applause, cheering]
>>I am delighted to see the greater investment in higher education. We have seen some name changes for institutions in this state. This one carries with it $10,000,000, which is an incredible investment in this institution and in higher education in the state of Utah. I am very pleased with that. I also think it is so important, and I was pleased to hear Steve Clark’s comments, I think the whole process that has been involved here—I used the term along the way that was not altogether popular, but I thought was good, and that is Utah Valley State College emerging as an authentic university. I think you can lay claim to that, and I think all of your preparation and all of the work that has gone into this puts the nay-sayers to the side. And I think this has now emerged, and certainly will over the next few years, as an authentic university in the system of higher education.
>>I think everyone on this stand knows the importance of education to the economic development of the state, the stability of the state. But we also know the importance, the critical importance, of education to students and their families in order for them to be successful and stable in their lives. We have a dedicated group of leaders in this state. We have excellent faculty, administrators, and staff here at this institution. But there isn’t any group of people who are more affected today by the events of this bill signing than our students. And I would just like to say to our students, this is your time to prepare. This is the place to prepare. You have a place, you have the opportunity, and now you will have the credentials. We celebrate with you this great opportunity, and wish you well in those endeavors.
>>[applause]
>>I am really honored for the opportunity to represent the students. The first thing that we would like to do as students is thank all the people who had so much to do with this. Different administrators, different people who are sitting up here, and different people who are out there, who helped this bill come along and built the foundation to make UVSC a university. This is something the students have really been looking forward to for a long time. There is a buzz around campus the like of which I have never seen before. We were out handing out t-shirts in the back, so a lot of you probably saw it as you came in. It was just a madhouse. I actually had a Utah Valley University t-shirt that I got when I went up to the Capitol when the bill was passed. And every time I wear it on campus, I am stopped by countless student who want to know about UVSC becoming a university, when does it happen, how is this going to effect me. And the students are excited. There is a swelling of pride here for UVSC. This is just incredible to watch. I think it is great to be able to be up here representing the students. UVSC gives the students more of a voice than any other school that I know of, in speaking to a lot of other schools. I think the students are an amazing asset that we have here. I think that we have a wonderful student body.
>>I feel very honored this morning to be here with all these great people that I love so dearly. It means so much to our state, for my adopted state of Utah. [unclear] said, “Now, don’t forget where you were born. Well, I said, “Well, I love Utah, too.” I want you to know this morning I got up, got ready, and it was already 77 degrees in Phoenix. We got on the plane and got one engine started, and the other engine wouldn’t kick over. I looked at my watch, and I said, “I am not going to be able to make it.” So I asked them if they could they bring another plane in for me, and the closest plane was in Las Vegas. So the little airport that was next door, which was Cutter Aviation, they had a plane in there. And they said, “We were just going to work on it. The jet was going out for maintenance, but we will put it back together.” You know…
>>[laughter]
>>So they brought it out, it had this flap up on the side. I said, “Well, don’t worry. Just don’t leave any ridges in there.” But we made it. We are up here. And I feel very, very honored and privileged to be involved, and excited to make this state college a university. And what excites me more than anything else is what it is going to do for the students, this great community of ours, and this Utah Valley. I think having two universities here is going to make this valley just shine even more so. Because with Brigham Young, for what it accomplished and does here, and for what this university, as a state university, will be able to accomplish, with them working together, it is just going to make something really special. I have sitting there in the front row Margaret and Bill Pole, dear friends of mine. I love them. Thank you for being here. And I have to be careful who I name, because I would have to name everybody. Because I love everybody. And I love this college. I love your President. Justin is quite a young man. And what happened is I got involved in the university. I thought when Val Hill joined the team here and I got to know the President, he can get your arm behind you and twist it, he says, “It’s no pressure.” 
>>[laughter]
>>And I gave him a challenge. I said, “Well, let’s see how well you can raise money. Get together with each department, each dean and make a goal. But you have got to make your goal.” And when they came back with the figures, I told Val Hill, “You are a little too high. You are a little too aggressive. Go back and tell them if they don’t make their goal, I am not going to match it.” Well, their first goal was, I think, $320,000. And they ended up raising $512,000. And because of that, I matched the whole amount.
>>[applause, cheering]
>>Thank you very much. I bring you the greetings of President Gordon B. Hinckley, President James E. Faust. President Hinckley and I were here when the Institute of Religion was dedicated, one of the largest and finest in our entire system. You see, we knew this would be a university. We had to build for the future. I have a little tendency to love this part of the State of Utah. I was almost born in Utah County. We have house in Vivian Park, Provo Canyon. We have had it all these years. So many of my friends from boyhood on came from this part of the state. We all trooped the Provo Rover together. We all learned to swim there together. We all learned to fish the Provo River. And often I repeat things to my wife, and every time we drive from our cabin back, and take the highway back to Salt Lake City, I will say to her, “Francis, I was there when we broke ground for the first building for this great institution.” She doesn’t say much. She acknowledges it. And she hears that so frequently. 
>>{laughter]
>>And one time I forgot to mention it. And as we made the turn to get on the freeway, she said, “Aren’t you going to tell me that this where you were present for the groundbreaking of this great institution?” I said, “I was. I present right there.” 
>>[laughter]
>>So our wives know how to get the best of us. I started getting a lot of memories when the dancers came in here. My, they have a lot of movements, don’t they?
>>[laughter]
>>It took me back to my Navy days. Careful…
>>[laughter]
>>Flag semaphores, you know. We had to be able to communicate by flags. Able, Baker, Charlie, Dog, Ethan, Fox…
>>[laughter]
>>That is what they were doing. Yeah.
>>[laughter, applause, cheering]
>>Everywhere I go in the Church, it seems like I meet people who have children serving here and studying here. They ask me to look after them. I said, “I will do my best.” But they are so proud their children are here. And I am very pleased that we have what we have here. And it is only the beginning. I was a member of the State Board of Regents when this project was approved. And I was here with Wilson Sorenson, of course, when we had the dedication by the Governor of the State of Utah. I watched every step of the growth. I continue to say, to whom ever is in the car with me, “I was here at the beginning when we broke ground for this great institution.” It is wonderful to have a great beginning. It is wonderful to have these exemplary people who come bring it to reality. I won’t name them by name. I know them all. They are very generous with their talents and their time. And I see great things, a bright future, for this institution. Wherever you go when you graduate, you will be a spokesman for your alma mater. You will encourage other members of your family and others with whom you meet, that this is the place. It is the place. I am happy now it is called Utah Valley University. God bless you. May the spirit of this institution be reflected in your conduct, your lives. May you remember that each one of you is known of our Heavenly Father. If you trust Him, he will guide and direct you in all that you do. Then not only will your future be bright, but all those which whom you mingle, with whom you associate, will be better persons and will have greater futures because of you, and those who have made this institution possible. In the words of little Tiny Tim, from the Christmas Carol of long ago, “May God bless us, every one.” Thank you.
>>[applause]
>>This effort would not have been possible without strong community support. And we have a number of education, civic leaders, and religious leaders with us I would like to mention. Vice President of Academic Affairs of BYU, John Tanner. Thank you, John, for joining us today. Vern Henshaw, Superintendent of Alpine School District, Randy Merrill, Superintendent of Provo School District, Christ Sorenson, Superintendent of Nebo School District. They brought with them their Board Presidents, as well. Clay Christensen, President of the MATC. Jeff Acerson, Mayor of Lindon, Burtis Bills, Mayor of Payson, Jerry Washburn, Mayor of Orem. Larry Ellertson, County Commissioner, Steve White, County Commissioner, Gary Anderson, County Commissioner. Steve Densley, Head of the Chamber of Commerce, and the number one fan of the name Utah Valley University. He told me there was no other name. Lane Beattie, who us also on our National Advisory Board. Jack Christianson, Director of the Orem Institute. Linda Waltam, our campus Chaplain, just to give some balance to the LDS influence. And the Reverend Dean Jackson, also part of that balancing act. Let’s give this group a nice round of applause for their support of UVSC. 
>>Well, I stand here today to let you know that you can take the boy out of Utah County, but you can’t take the Utah County out of the boy.
>>[applause, cheering]
>>When I graduated from high school in the early 70s here in Utah County, this institution had the title “Trade Tech.” As Utah County has grown, as its needs have grown, so has this institution. And today I think it symbolizes what is best said: we are changing lives of individuals. I applaud those who have worked and whose efforts, and I hope to hear a lot more from the lean, green education machine. Thank you. 
>>[applause, cheering]
>>I cannot tell you how full my heart is today, to be able to say, “We have a university. We have a second university in Utah County that is called Utah Valley University.” That is one of those things that you just dream about being able to do. This is not only an historic occasion, but it is a great point in history. You saw in the video, you have heard from our President, you have even heard from President Monson, about the history, about how we got to this point, But this is just a point in history, because there will be more points that will affect our lives for the future. There will be more things in the future that we will be doing as we become a greater and greater university. One of the things that we have seen as we got to the point of this university status is how many things have been built upon by the efforts of so many people. I was the tip of the point of the spear, but there were so many people that were behind that were pushing the spear. Some of them are those you have heard from today. The Majority Leader of the Senate, Senator Curt Bramble. Without his efforts this would not have happened. The Majority Leader of the House, who you heard from earlier, Dave Clark. It wouldn’t have happened without his efforts. The whole Utah County caucus, my Senate colleague, Senator Dayton, Senator Madsen. The other Senators who were very instrumental in helping us get this through. This doesn’t happen by one person. It happens by a community of people. A last little thought that I had was one that I have to tell our Commissioner of Higher Education, Rich Kendall. Without his efforts, without his help, we would not have gotten here. This was a process that took a number of years. This didn’t just happen this last session. We started mapping out a plan of how to do the final push to get it to university status, and Commissioner Kendall was a major part of that, because without his efforts, this would not have come to fruition. One final point is this. Commissioner Kendall, thank you for supporting us, and than you for the commitment to make $10,000,000 the goal, because that means we will be back for $2,000,000 next year. Thank you. 
>>Now it is my privilege to introduce somebody that needs not introduction, and that is the Governor. Everybody has heard his great background and what he has done. What you might not know is the courage that he had when he first started to run for Governor. He came to Utah County, and he talked to people, and he considered the various issues, and he came out solidly in favor of university status. And Governor, I think that early support was critical in gaining the support of so many throughout the state of Utah. Without that diligence, without that commitment, I think it would have been a lot harder to sell this proposal. So Governor, thanks for that ongoing, steady support. We are honored to have you here today, Governor John Huntsman, Jr. Governor.
>>[applause, cheering]
>>Thank you. It is an honor and privilege to be here today. And I just want to ask Bill if he still has that weapon that he pulled out of his desk, the one that he held to my head when he had me take that pledge when I was in your office a couple of years ago. Because I remember it. It is indeed and honor and a privilege to be here. One thing is for sure, no one here in this room is going to forget where they were today. This is really making history. And all those who were involved, you have heard from some of them, you are not going to hear too long from me, because I know you want me to sit right there at that desk and sign the legislation, and get on with it.
>>[applause, cheering]
>>Moreover, President Sederburg said, “I want you to wrap up by about 12:30 so we can get on our way.” So I know exactly how much time I have. And it is a very simple message, actually. And it kind of starts with pointing out the shirt this gentleman has right over here. It says UVSC on it. And all I can say is, on EBay, that shirt is going to be worth a whole lot in the days and weeks ahead, because it becomes what all of the English professors in here would know as an anachronism. It becomes out of time and out of place. We have heard some people talk about history. In 1941 the Central Vocational School popped up here. And since then we have seen six changes. Six changes in what this institution is called, and what its mission is. And I will tell you, that all has to do with an evolving, changing world that we live in, because it isn’t static. I want salute and pay tribute to the kids, the students, who call UVU home. And I want to thank the faculty and the families of students, and the entire support apparatus that is here as well, because I know we live in difficult times, here, students. You are trying to find your way forward in a most confusing and difficult and challenging time. You are trying to figure out what you want to be in life. Well, with the new designation and university status here, this institution more than ever before in it history since 1941 will be better equipped to become the idea factory, the freedom factory, if you will, that will allow our kids who pass through here to become life-long learners, because you lose in the world today if you become a single, solitary, rifle-shot learner. You can’t learn one thing and expect to succeed, because you are not going to hold down one single job your entire career. You are going to have several jobs in today’s world. And I am absolutely delighted that with this institution, where it is today, and what we celebrate, that we are working toward greater responsibility for the students in terms of their career, the risks they are going to deploy during their professional lives, and the economic security that will be part of the choices they are going to make right under this roof. But let us not forget that aside from all the learning that takes place and the professionalism which we applaud this institution for, there is such a thing as a legacy of humanity, which is what we are all here to celebrate. Humanity. It means something different to all of us. It is the air we breathe, and the land we share, and the kindness and respect that we show toward one another. It is humanity, it is ethics, it is understanding. It is all rolled up into this institution, and what it is becoming over time, along with ensuring our ling-term competitiveness. And I know that you are all well aware of that. But now, more than ever before, that sense of humanity will be expected by this institution, and what follows students out the door with what is printed on their degrees. Finally, I just want to say this. Because we have President Sederburg up here giving accolades to everybody, we know who is behind this. President Bill Sederburg is behind this new designation to university status.
>>[applause]
>>He makes all the rest of us feel pretty good, like everyone had a singular and defining role in making this happen. And you have met and heard from many of those who actually were critically instrumental. But you have a great University President who is making it happen. And I am just going to end by this. This is a summary of a university president, and what a university president should be, that I read in a history book not long ago. But I think it is so apt, because we are here not only congratulating students, faculty, and the support staff, but we are here to pat this great university president on the shoulder, and say, “Now you go forward as president of a university.” And here is what it says. Clark Kerr said this at Harvard University back in 1963. I don’t think the dynamic has changed one bit for a university president. “The American university president is expected to be a friend of the students, a colleague of the faculty, a good fellow with the alumni, a sound administrator with trustees, a good speaker with the public, an astute bargainer with the foundations and federal agencies, a politician with the state legislature, a friend of industry, labor, and agriculture, a persuasive diplomat with donors,” (that is Ira, right there. Ira was a little bit late, and the President turned to me and said, “Have you seen Ira here?” I said, “Well, Ira used to be a heck of a lot easier to see in the old days. I’m not sure I can.” That is an inside joke. Ira is one of the truly great human beings to walk the face of the earth.) “A persuasive diplomat with donors, a champion of education, a spokesman to the press, a scholar in his own right, a public servant at the state and national levels, a devotee of opera and football equally, a decent human being, a good American, but ready to criticize the status quo fearlessly, a seeker of truth where truth may not hurt too much.” As we transition from UVSC to UVU, leadership matters. I want all here to know what a great university president we have here in our midst. Thank you all so very much for being here today.
>>[applause]
>>Thank you. 
>>[drum roll]
>>[cheering, applause, music: ? Stars and Stripes Forever]
>>That concludes today’s program on decision-making modes and options. On behalf of President Bill Sederburg, I’m Rick Griffin, and we hope to see you next time on State Legislative Process.