Anti-democratic
Taking a cue from the White House pundits, who like to call the minority party the "Democrat Party," Utah senators amended earth-shattering legislation about their "back to school" program to diminish any perceived role by Democrats.
As originally worded, Senate Resolution 2, which encourages civic education, states "Utah legislators acknowledge the Constitution of the United States, the supreme law of the land, which establishes a democratic form of government and provides the principle for self-government, government by the people."
A little too much credit to democracy for Lehi Republican Sen. Mark Madsen, a homeschooler, who changed the wording of the resolution to strip out the word "democratic" and replace it with "republican" to be more precise.
But Salt Lake City Democratic Sen. Scott McCoy offered his own civics lesson.
"A republican form of government is a democratic form of government. A representative form of government is the form of government established in the Constitution," McCoy reminded.
Then, Senate President John Valentine chimed in to note that Madsen's original amendment was missing a verb.
Sponsoring Sen. Margaret Dayton, a Republican from Orem, was "very chagrined" that she hadn't noticed the "error" first.
This is the important work going on on Capitol Hill.
--Rebecca Walsh
As originally worded, Senate Resolution 2, which encourages civic education, states "Utah legislators acknowledge the Constitution of the United States, the supreme law of the land, which establishes a democratic form of government and provides the principle for self-government, government by the people."
A little too much credit to democracy for Lehi Republican Sen. Mark Madsen, a homeschooler, who changed the wording of the resolution to strip out the word "democratic" and replace it with "republican" to be more precise.
But Salt Lake City Democratic Sen. Scott McCoy offered his own civics lesson.
"A republican form of government is a democratic form of government. A representative form of government is the form of government established in the Constitution," McCoy reminded.
Then, Senate President John Valentine chimed in to note that Madsen's original amendment was missing a verb.
Sponsoring Sen. Margaret Dayton, a Republican from Orem, was "very chagrined" that she hadn't noticed the "error" first.
This is the important work going on on Capitol Hill.
--Rebecca Walsh
2:19 PM
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