Utah Legislators bought and paid for? Pshaw…

Why bother understanding one of your own bills you expect to become law when you can have a representative of the special interest group that is pushing it explain it for you.

At least that’s what a couple Utah Senators from Layton seem to think.  And not too many people up there seem too worried that the group that has sworn to punish the uppity citizens of Utah for a Citizen Initiative that defeated their beloved private-school vouchers knew more about proposed education laws than the people who supposedly wrote them.

But that’s what happened.  When a group asked Sen. Stuart Adams, R-Layton, to explain a bill that would change the way public schools in Utah were graded, all but guaranteeing every one would fail, he sent Judi Clark out to give the details.

Sen. Jerry Stevenson, R-Layton, got the same Judi Clark to explain his bill, establishing a student achievement record for everyone to see, to the Senate Education Committee.

So, “Who is this Judi Clark?” you ask.  Is she the Layton Senator’s personal assistant?  Or maybe a Senate aide they both share?  A paralegal?  Could be she just typed it up for them, so they figured she knew it the best.

Um, no.  She’s the executive director of Parents for Choice in Education, a group hell-bent on decimating public schools so they can foster the use of public funds for private schools.

I know it’s silly, but it all makes me wonder why someone running a group that is working against public schools has so much influence regarding laws that have to do with public education.

Maybe it has to do with all the money they donate to political campaigns.

Nah.