Tuesday, October 03, 2006

Here is an addendum to my earlier posting about House Majority Leader Jeff Alexander getting out of this year's race for majority leader. The legislative leader, who was abandoned by the bank lobby that he so dutifully served in the House, is leaving the Legislature altogether.

And to make it look good in this all-Republican state, of course, Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. has appointed Alexander to the non-paid position of "headquarters advisor" to the Governor's Office of Economic Development.

That means that Alexander, who filed for re-election in his Provo district, will drop out of the Legislature and the race, just a month before the November general election.

But we're sure this is taking place because the governor desperately needs the expertise of the printing company owner almost as much as he needed the expertise of an auto-parts store manager to head his international economic development office shortly after Huntsman took office in 2005.

The departure of Alexander probably means the avoidance of a messy little fight in the House for majority leader between Alexander and Rep. Dave Clark, R-Santa Clara, a Zions Bank employee who is the new favored son of the bank lobby.

Cheers,
Paul Rolly