AGENDAJUNE20,2017

12:00PM_______________________________________________________________________

1.ConcernsRelatedtoSeparationofPowers-SpeakerGregHughes

2.LegalIssues-JohnFellows,GeneralCounselOLRGC

3.OpenDiscussion

4.OtherBusiness

5.Adjourn

…Webelieveelectedofficialsneedtofollowrules,especiallythegovernor.And,webelievethattheLegislatureshouldabsolutelyactasacheckonexecutiveoverreach.

Withregardtothespecialelection,however,Gov.Herbertfollowedtherulesandwasconscientiousaboutactingunderstatutoryauthorityandunderadviceofhislegalcounsel…

…Therefore,giventhegovernor’sobligationunderstatute,Herbertcalled“anelectiontofillthevacancy”usingtheregularelectionlawsandproceduresalreadyinplacefornormalelections.

PAULEDWARDS,GOVERNOR’SDEPUTYCHIEFOFSTAFF:

"Itjustseemslikeanoddthing,"Edwardssaid."Wehaverealfiresdestroyingpropertyandthreateninglivesaroundthestate.Wedon'tneedmanufacturedfiresbecausethere'snorealissuetoargueaboutatthispoint."

TheLegislaturehasitsownattorneys,hesaid,andifthereis"somesortoflegalproblemwiththis,itneedstogettocourtfast"tobefairtothecandidatesandvoters"involvedinwhatwethinkisaveryfairandorderlyprocess."

TIMELINEOFEVENTS

• April19– Chaffetz announceshewillnotseekre-election.

• May10– informallegislativeworkinggroupdevelopsanagreeduponprocessinanticipationofaspecialsession.

• May15– PresidentNiederhausermeetswithGov.Herberttopresentconcernsandaskshimtoconveneaspecialsession.

• May17–SpeakerHughesandPresidentNiederhauser meetwithGov.Herbertandagainrequestaspecialsession.Gov.Herberttellslegislativeleadershewillconsidertheirproposal.

• May19– Chaffetz announceshisintent toresign

• May19– GovernorHerbertExecutiveOrder/Proclamation– WritofElection

• May19– Lt.Gov.CoxIssuesanorderdetailingelectionprocess

May19– May26– candidatesfileforoffice

May19– Jointbipartisanop-edfromHouse&SenateLeaders

May20– SpeakerHugheshasaconversationwithAGReyesaboutpotentiallegalopiniononquestionswehave.

May23– JohnFellowsformallyrequestsalegalopinionfromtheAGReyesperUtahCode67-5-1(7).

UtahCode67-5-1(7)

• (7)givetheattorneygeneral'sopinioninwritingandwithoutfeetotheLegislature oreitherhouseandtoanystateofficer,board,orcommission,andtoanycountyattorneyordistrictattorney,whenrequired,uponanyquestionoflawrelatingtotheirrespectiveoffices;

• May23– ParkerDouglas,AGGeneralCounselrespondsthattheirofficewillgetustheopinionbyMay26.

• May25– TheUnitedUtahPartysubmitssignaturestobecomeaqualifiedpoliticalpartyinUtah.

• May26– JimBennettfilesforofficeasacandidatefortheUnitedUtahPartybuthisapplicationisrejectedbecausethesignaturestobecomeaqualifiedpoliticalpartywerenotcertified.Bennettindicateshewillpursuealegalchallengetheelectionoffice’sdetermination.

• May26– AG’soffice(SpencerAustin)informsus,viaphonecall,thattheiropinionwascompletedandsignedbynoon,butduetopotentialconflictsofinterestrelatedtoattorneyclientprivilegeandindicationsofcomplaintstotheStateBarOfficeofProfessionalConduct,theycan’tprovidetheopiniononthedaterequested.

• May27– Follow-upletterfromJohnFellowstotheAGthatre-statestherequestforalegalopinionperUtahCode67-5-17(7).

• May27– LetterfromJohnFellowstoBillyWalkeroftheStateBarOfficeofProfessionalConductexplainingthatourrequestoftheAG’sofficeisauthorizedbystatuteandallowedwithintheRulesofProfessionalConduct.

• May30– OfficialletterfromAG’soffice(SpencerAustin)detailstheconcernsrelatedtotheBarOfficeofProfessionalConductbutstatesthattheyanticipatebeingabletoreachadecisionbytheendoftheweek.

• May31– Conferencecallbetweenlegislativeleaders,legislativeattorneysandAGReyesandmembersofhisofficetodiscussfurtherourdesiretogettherequestedlegalopinion.AGReyesexplainsthepotentialcomplaintstotheStateBarmustberesolvedbeforetheywillprovidetheirlegalopinion.

June1– Chia-ChiTeng announceshewillsue inanattempttogetontheballot.

June7– SpeakerandPresidentrequestalegalopinionfromtheGeneralCounseloftheUtahLegislature.

June13– UtahLegislatureGeneralCounselprovidestherequestedlegalopinion.

Question1: Legally,whendoestheThirdDistrictCongressionalvacancyoccur?DoesitoccuratthetimeCongressmanChaffetz announcedhisintenttoresign,oratthetime whenhisresignationtakeseffect?

Question2:BasedupontheanswertoQuestion1,istheWritofElectionissuedbyGovernorHerbertonMay19,2017,whichappearstobebasedonRepresentativeChaffetz’s announcedintenttovacateonafuturedatevalid?

Question3:WhatisthescopeoftheGovernor'sauthorityundertheprovisionoftheU.S.ConstitutionrequiringhimtoissueawritofelectiontofillamidtermvacancyintheofficeofRepresentativeintheUnitedStatesHouseofRepresentatives?IstheGovernor’sauthoritylimitedtocallinganelectionandstatingthedateoftheelection?Ifnot,whatadditionalauthoritydoestheGovernorhave,whatisthesourceofthatauthority,andhowdoesitdifferfromtheLegislature'sauthoritytoprescribethe"Times,PlacesandMannerofholdingElectionsfor...Representatives"?

Question4:IsthedocumentissuedbyLieutenantGovernorCoxonMay19,2017valid?DoestheUtahstatutedesignatingtheLieutenantGovernorasthe“chiefelectionofficer”providehimwiththenecessaryauthoritytoestablishelectiondatesandprocesseswhenaCongressionalvacancyoccurs?Ifnot,whatotheroradditionalauthoritydoestheLieutenantGovernorhave,whatisthesourceofthatauthority,andhowdoesitdifferfromtheLegislature'sauthoritytoprescribethe"Times,PlacesandMannerofholdingElectionsfor...Representatives"?

Question5: WhohastheauthoritytoestablishtheelectionprocesstofillamidtermvacancyintheofficeofRepresentativeintheUnitedStatesHouseofRepresentatives?IsittheLegislature,theGovernor,ortheLieutenantGovernor?DoestheLegislature'sauthoritytoprescribe"[t]heTimes,PlacesandMannerofholdingElectionsfor...Representatives"includetheauthoritytoestablishaprocessforqualifyingcandidatesfortheballotforanelectionatwhichanindividualistobeelectedtofillamidtermvacancyintheofficeofRepresentativeintheUnitedStatesHouseofRepresentatives?DoeseithertheGovernororLieutenantGovernorsharethatauthorityorhaveindependentauthoritytoestablishthatprocess?Ifso,whatisthesourceandscopeofthatauthorityfortheGovernororLieutenantGovernor?

Question6: UnderTitle20A,Elections,oftheUtahCode,theLegislaturehasestablishedaprocessforelectinganindividualtotheofficeofRepresentativeintheUnitedStatesHouseofRepresentativesattheregulargeneralelection.Thatprocessincludestimeframesforandsequencingofevents,aprocessforpartiestonominatecandidates,andaprimaryelection.DoeseithertheGovernororLieutenantGovernorhavetheauthoritytoestablishtheirownprocessforelectinganindividualtofillamidtermvacancyintheofficeofRepresentativeintheUnitedStatesHouseofRepresentatives,regardlessofwhetherthatprocessissimilarto,orcontainsthesameorsimilarelementsof,theprocessestablishedbytheLegislature?Ifso,whatisthesourceandscopeofeithertheGovernororLieutenantGovernor'sauthority?

WhenVacanciesHappen• UnitedStatesConstitutionArticle1,Section2:

Whenvacancieshappen intheRepresentationfromanyState,theExecutiveAuthoritythereofshallissueWritsofElectiontofillsuchVacancies.

• UtahCode20A-1-502(1)

(1)Whenavacancyoccurs foranyreasonintheofficeofarepresentativeinCongress,thegovernorshallissueaproclamationcallinganelectiontofillthevacancy.

3BranchesofGovernment

• UtahConstitutionArticleV,Section1[Threedepartmentsofgovernment.]

ThepowersofthegovernmentoftheStateofUtahshallbedividedintothreedistinctdepartments, theLegislative,theExecutive,andtheJudicial;andnopersonchargedwiththeexerciseofpowersproperlybelongingtooneofthosedepartments,shallexerciseanyfunctionsappertainingtoeitheroftheothers,exceptinthecaseshereinexpresslydirectedorpermitted.

LegislaturePrescribes• UnitedStatesConstitution,ArticleI,Section4:

“TheTimes,Places,andMannerofholdingElection forSenatorsandRepresentatives,shallbeprescribedineachstatebytheLegislaturethereof;buttheCongressmayatanytimebylawmakeoraltersuchRegulations,exceptastothePlacesofchusing Senators.”

• UnitedStatesCodeTitle2,Section8:

“(a) Ingeneral

“…thetimeforholdingelectionsinanyState,District,orTerritoryforaRepresentativeorDelegatetofilla vacancy,whethersuch vacancy iscausedbyafailuretoelectatthetimeprescribedbylaw,orbythedeath,resignation,orincapacityofapersonelected,maybeprescribedbythelawsoftheseveralStatesandTerritoriesrespectively.”

Counsel– Legislature,Governor,AG• UtahConstitutionArticleVI,Section32(2)

TheLegislaturemayappointalegalcounselwhichshallprovideandcontrolalllegalservicesfortheLegislatureunlessotherwiseprovidedbystatute.

• UtahConstitutionArticleVII,Section5(4)

TheGovernormayappointalegalcounsel toadvisetheGovernor

• UtahConstitutionArticleVII,Section16[DutiesofAttorneyGeneral.]

TheAttorneyGeneralshallbethelegaladviseroftheStateofficers,exceptasotherwiseprovidedbythisConstitution,andshallperformsuchdutiesasprovidedbylaw.

AGShallGiveanOpinion

• UtahCode67-5-1(7)

(7)givetheattorneygeneral'sopinioninwritingandwithoutfeetotheLegislature oreitherhouseandtoanystateofficer,board,orcommission,andtoanycountyattorneyordistrictattorney,whenrequired,uponanyquestionoflawrelatingtotheirrespectiveoffices;

AGAttorney-ClientRelationship• UtahCode67-5-17.Attorney-clientrelationship.

(1)Whenrepresentingthegovernor,lieutenantgovernor,auditor,ortreasurer,orwhenrepresentinganagencyunderthesupervisionofanyofthoseofficers,theattorneygeneralshall:

(a)keeptheofficerortheofficer'sdesigneereasonablyinformedaboutthestatusofamatterandpromptlycomplywithreasonablerequestsforinformation;(b)explainamattertotheextentreasonablynecessarytoenabletheofficerortheofficer'sdesigneetomakeinformeddecisionsregardingtherepresentation;(c)abidebytheofficer'sordesignee'sdecisionsconcerningtheobjectivesoftherepresentationandconsultwiththeofficerordesigneeastothemeansbywhichtheyaretobepursued;and(d)jointlybyagreement,establishprotocolswiththeofficertofacilitatecommunicationsandworkingrelationshipswiththe officeroragenciesundertheofficer'ssupervision.

(2)NothinginSubsection(1)modifiesorsupercedesanyindependentlegalauthoritygrantedspecificallybystatutetotheattorneygeneral.

StatewideSpecialElection

• UtahCode20A-1-203(3)

(3) Thegovernormaycallastatewidespecialelection byissuinganexecutiveorderthatdesignates:

(a)thedateforthestatewidespecialelection;and

(b)thepurposeforthestatewidespecialelection.

Chaffetz IntenttoResign

• ExcerptfromCongressmanChaffetz lettertoGovernorGaryHerbert

“Iwritetoinformyouinadvanceofmyintenttoresign fromtheofficeofU.S.RepresentativeatthecloseofbusinessonJune30,2017…”