John Swallow's Proposals to Help Small Business and Protect Our Rights

Your Rights, Protected! Dear Delegate: COVID-19 has been the single greatest threat to our liberty since the 9/11/2001 terrorist attacks. It has come at us without much notice and we are still in a design-build stage of our response. This is not a theoretical exercise. How we balance protecting health with protecting the life blood of our standard of living--our free market capital system, and our liberties, will have an impact that could define our future.  So far, government has taken a conflicted approach on the virus. Our elected governor, who is operating under the constitutional check and balance of the Utah legislature under statute (see Utah Code Ann. Section 53-2a-206(3) which requires legislative approval of a statewide emergency declaration lasting more than thirty days), has determined that he trusts Utahns to wisely use their informed “discretion” and issued only a “directive,” to “Stay home, Stay safe.” He has not closed businesses by direct order. However, some local jurisdictions have issued orders under the authority of state law. I applaud our governor for his willingness to trust us, standing against national pressure to circumvent adult choices by forcing Utahns to exercise good judgment and social responsibility. However, his voice is nullified when other well-intended entities exceed state directives. What is on the line here? Mandatory, rather than discretionary, shutdowns are destroying the confidence of entrepreneurs to invest in business and jobs. If investors and entrepreneurs lack confidence in the predictability of a decision to operate a business, they will decline to engage and we will be left with no real alternative than to involve the government in our economy.  As your attorney general in 2013, I swore an oath to defend the Constitution, which in my view requires a stance against creeping socialism or a government-driven economy in any fashion. Because COVID-19 has placed “liberty” at a forefront in this campaign, I want you to know how I would protect free markets under the impact of COVID-19 as your next attorney general, taking the same oath. I propose the following principle-centered remedies for combating a COVID-19 related attack on our free market economy: 1. Protect Utah sovereignty by resisting all federal mandates, with immediate legal intervention if necessary. 2. Enforce the legislative check and balance of Utah law to limit executive overreach (see Utah Code Ann. Section 53-2a-206(3): "A state of emergency may not continue for longer than 30 days unless extended by joint resolution of the Legislature, which may also terminate a state of emergency by joint resolution at any time.”  3. As the legal department of the State of Utah, dedicate attorney general resources to promote and legally advise on a small business recovery initiative, under principles of Reaganomics, that would:            a. Create incentives for investments into small business growth through results- driven tax breaks, credits and government-guarantied loans for business-related costs.            b. Reward charitable giving by temporarily expanding tax deductions to include donations and potentially even investments into small businesses.            c. Consider reasonable and measured regulatory relief to streamline and cut red tape for businesses, including loan regulations with respect to FDIC-insured banks.            d. Resist taxpayer-funded redistribution of wealth through merely giving money away without a requirement of it being used to promote capitalism. Money flowing from taxpayers must be used for investment, not idleness. 4. Invest in funded and public service education regarding the critical role of capitalism, free markets and how we can fight a government-driven economy by affirmatively and intentionally supporting small business recovery through using dollars to patronize small business. 5. While acknowledging the importance of local counties and cities, I would promote a change in the law to require a local government to seek state approval before going beyond a state directive or order concerning health-related matters during a statewide emergency. There are high state sovereignty interests in such a policy, which include state budgets and individual liberties. 6. Carefully and proactively track every action proposed or taken by state and local governments to ensure they do not violate our constitutional protections and liberties. Yours in Freedom, John Your Rights. Protected. www.johnswallow.com

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Call to State Convention

Dear State Delegate, This email, and the video below from Chairman Derek Brown, serve as your official Call to Convention for our Utah Republican Party Nominating Convention taking place on April 25, 2020.  In this unique year, we are gathering online to nominate our Republican candidates. In the video, Chairman Brown asks you to download the voting application.  In a few short days, you will receive an email from VOATZ, the company managing the online, secure voting system. Look for that email, which will come from info@voatz.com.  When you receive it, download the app and set up your account using the instructions that you will be sent.  It is critical that, when setting up your account, you use the same email and phone number that you provided to the county party.  The official convention date is Saturday, April 25th. However, the Chairman will post the final candidate speeches and open voting on the morning of Thursday, April 23rd.  This will allow everyone ample time to view the speeches and cast their votes before the Chairman closes voting, currently scheduled to occur at 5:00 pm on Saturday. Please do not wait until Saturday to vote, but vote early. In the coming days, you will receive the 2020 Convention Voter Guide in the mail, as well as the official rules governing the convention.  We will also continually update the party website, www.utgop.org, with all the information, rules, and procedures for the convention, as you prepare to cast your votes.  We look forward to having all of you join us for this historic convention! Kendra Seeley Secretary, Utah Republican Party *This Nominating Convention shall nominate Republican Party candidates for U.S. House of Representatives, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, State Auditor, State Treasurer, multi-county State Senate, multi-county State House of Representatives, multi-county State School Board of Education.  The Nominating Convention shall also select a National Committeeman, a National Committeewoman, 37 National Delegates including 3 from each Congressional District, 37 Alternate National Delegates including 3 from each Congressional District, and six (6) Presidential Electors.  DONATE Our mailing address is: Utah Republican Party 15 W. South Temple, Suite 250 Salt Lake City, Utah 84101 Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

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Message from Republican Derek Brown

View this email in your browser Dear Republican Friend, This morning, the Deseret News published an article I wrote describing COVID-19’s impact on political parties and elections. In this article I highlight why the Utah Republican Party continues to remain vibrant, and why we are looking forward to a memorable state convention on April 25th. I would invite you to view the Deseret News article here. Colin Powell once said that “leadership is solving problems.” As a former elected official, I can assure you that every day in public office is an exercise in creative problem-solving. And, if he is right, today’s circumstances give us a rare, birds-eye view of how our current Republican candidates solve real-life problems. As your Chairman, I am thrilled with the caliber of the Republican candidates running in every federal, state, and county race in Utah.  When each began their campaigns, not a single one had probably ever heard the phrase “social distancing.”  And now, as social distancing becomes the new norm, posing unforeseen challenges to candidates, those challenges provide us with a golden opportunity:  an opportunity for us to witness their problem-solving skills in action. Personally, I am impressed with how many of these candidates have seamlessly adapted, shifting campaign strategies virtually overnight. I am grateful to them for their hard work, and for showcasing truly impressive problem-solving skills. I am grateful for an amazing state party leadership team that has worked, quite literally, around the clock this last month ensuring that our party adapts to these changes, and continues to boldly move forward. We are still fundraising, conducting candidate training, helping candidates prepare for the convention, and even mailing a comprehensive 2020 Republican Convention Voter Guide to all 4000 state delegates next week. I am grateful to our incredible county party leadership teams who have also been working nonstop to adapt as well. Many of these counties, in fact, will be conducting online conventions as early as next week! Finally, I am grateful to those of you who have stepped up to donate to our party, helping us shoulder some of the financial impact of these changes. Thank you!  If you have not taken the opportunity to donate, please do so now. Know that your party is strong. We are optimistic for the future, excited for our 2020 convention this month, and look forward to amazing successes on election day this November. Yours truly, Derek E. Brown Chairman, Utah Republican Party

Letter to State Delegates from Derek Brown

Dear State Delegate, I would like to thank you for being willing to serve as a delegate to the 2020 Utah Republican Party Nominating Convention. Although you may have served in past years, this year will provide you an opportunity to represent your precinct in one of the most memorable elections Utah has ever experienced!  As a party, we are working hard to prepare for an exciting and unique convention. Like many organizations that are adjusting to our current environment, the Utah Republican Party is no different.  We have a dedicated 2020 Convention Committee that has been diligently working around the clock to prepare for our online convention on April 25th.  COVID-19 has forced us to “be still” as a society and has made it more challenging for our candidates to get their message out to delegates. Though some may simply bemoan the inability to engage in “business as usual,” I view it as a tremendous opportunity for you to witness--first hand--how well these candidates navigate difficult circumstances.  Having served as an elected official, I can assure you that public office is nothing more than a daily exercise in problem-solving. Might I suggest to you that how each candidate responds to these unique circumstances will tell you volumes about how they will make decisions in office?  And you, the delegate, now have a coveted front-row seat to observe them as they showcase to you--in real-time--their leadership skills. Your job as a delegate is to study the candidates, participate in their virtual town halls, call them, ask them questions, and do your homework. The job of the candidates is to reach out to you, using whatever method they can, and help you understand why they are the best choice. The job of the party is to provide a level playing field, educate you on the voting and convention process, and facilitate your decision making leading up to convention on April 25th. If, for whatever reason, you cannot serve as a delegate, please contact your county party leadership. It is the responsibility of the county party--not the candidates--to find a replacement if a delegate is unable to serve.  Also please know that in the month leading up to the convention, the party will not endorse any candidate. Please look for an email in the next day or so with instructions on downloading and getting registered with the secure voting software system we will be using for the convention. When you receive the email, do not wait until the week of the convention to register, but begin that process immediately. It is my goal to have all state delegates ready to go well before the convention on April 25th. As your chair, I want you to know how grateful I am for your service. I have already seen a level of engagement by delegates in just this past week that rivals anything we have seen at this time in past election years. Because of the unique circumstances of this election year, I am convinced that we will see higher levels of delegate interest and involvement leading up to the 2020 convention than in any past year in memory. With gratitude, Derek E. Brown Chair, Utah Republican Party

Donate Copyright © 2019 Utah Republican Party All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: 15 West South Temple Suite #250 Salt Lake City, UT 84041 Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

New Rules for Signature Gathering Because of Quarantine

Gov. Herbert Suspends Sections of Utah Statute Regarding Signature Gathering

March 26, 2020

SALT LAKE CITY (March 26, 2020) – In order to better accommodate social distancing measures that help prevent the spread of COVID-19, Gov. Gary R. Herbert has issued an Executive Order suspending certain sections of state statute regarding requirements on signature gathering. 

Specifically, the order suspends the requirement that petition packets be bound prior to circulation and that a circulator personally witness each signature. Accordingly, the following actions are now permitted:

1. A candidate may send or make available an electronic copy of the signature page of a signature packet to any interested voter. The candidate is not required to furnish a cover page or circulator page to the interested voter.
2. An interested voter may print and physically sign the signature page.
3. The interested voter may send the pages back to the candidate via regular mail, fax, or e-mail.
4. The candidate may assemble any returned signature pages and then submit the signature packet to the election officer in-person or via designated agent. The packet does not require a circulator page.

The governor has issued the following statement: 

“This is a matter of fairness and preserving the integrity of our election process in these unusual times,” Gov. Herbert said. “By easing certain requirements of the signature gathering process, but requiring that signatures be verified by the State after submission, this order strikes the appropriate balance in preserving a signature gathering path to the ballot, even as Utahns follow orders and recommendations regarding social distancing.”

These decisions were made in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General and former Lieutenant Governor Gayle McKeachnie, who has been working with the elections office in an advisory capacity since May of 2019. See here for the memo detailing Mr. McKeachnie’s advisory role. Given his status as a gubernatorial candidate, Lt. Governor Spencer J. Cox was not involved in the decision process.

You can view the full order here.

The elections office has also drafted a memo with answers to frequently asked questions. You can view it here.

Message from the Salt Lake County Republican Secretary

Dear County leadership team, This letter is to inform you of the current situation regarding Caucus and Convention due to the Corona Virus (COVID-19).  During our last State Central Committee meeting, the body voted overwhelmingly to give State Chairman Brown the authorization to make adjustments to our Caucuses/Conventions as a precaution if the virus became widespread.  In an effort to minimize the spread of COVID-19, Governor Herbert requests that people across the state limit gatherings of 100 healthy people for the next 2 weeks. He also recommends limiting the size of groups to 20 people who are over 60 years old. Due to the Governor’s announcement, school districts quickly canceled our Caucus reservations. State Chairman Brown followed suit and announced a postponement of our Caucuses.  I believe this was the right thing to do to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. As a result, all of our delegates who were elected in the 2018 Caucuses will continue serving our County and State Conventions in their current capacity.  This is in keeping with our bylaws and is accepted by the candidates and State GOP as a whole. Our County Convention will be conducted as scheduled on April 18, 2020.  Due to the Corona Virus, we will make modifications so we adhere to the Governor and Chairmen's recommendation regarding gatherings of 100 or more.  Our Convention will be virtual and elections will be the only business conducted.  In order to allow everyone to participate, balloting will be open for 24 hours and Convention will technically extend over a period of two, perhaps three days.  More details will follow.  Precinct Chairs   Your Legislative Chairs will be contacting you, providing details on the process of record reconciliation.  You will receive written training and log on information regarding the VETI Technologies App. If you are an active Precinct Chair, please start contacting your delegates immediately and make sure they are able to participate in our modified Convention.  If a delegate is unable to participate or if he or she has vacated their seat, YOU HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO APPOINT a replacement.  If you are replacing a delegate, please enter the replacement information in the VETI app and forward the reason for vacating to your Legislative Chair. These are difficult times.  Please know your leadership team is on top of this situation and we will prevail. Thank you for your time, your efforts, and commitment to keep our principles and party strong. PS.  Due to COVID-19 and the changes to our Caucuses and Convention, our fundraising will be greatly diminished.  I ask each and every one of you to step up and become a member of our E-Club.  This is an urgent ask!  You may make a one-time donation or better yet, become a sustaining member here;  https://www.slcogop.com/e-club.html   Remember, many hands make light work! * The VETI Technologies App has been donated, free of charge, to our county party.