Utah Citizens' Counsel

The Citizens' Counsel, initiated through the Tanner Center but now functioning as an independent body, was introduced in a press conference on June 5th, 2009. Modeled on the "Global Elders," an international group dedicated to confronting important issues of human rights and conflict, this group of Utah seniors share the qualities of high visibility and community-wide esteem for their years of public service. Legislative Ethics Reform has been chosen as their first topic.

The Citizens' Counsel endorses the "Fair Boundaries" Initiative creating an Independent Redistricting Commission to recommend non-partisan redistricting options to the Utah Legislature for the purpose of enhancing Utah's democracy.

The Citizens' Counsel also endorses an Independent Ethics Commission to recommend appropriate standards to the Utah legislature in order to improve its transparency and credibility.

The Citizens' Counsel website www.utahcitizenscounsel.org has further ethics reform recommendations and more information on its members: Robert Archuleta, Genevieve Atwood, Aileen Clyde, Gale Dick, Irene Fisher, David Irvine, Boyer Jarvis, Chase Peterson , Grethe Peterson, J. Bonner Ritchie, Karl Snow Jr., Emma Lou Thayne, Raymond Uno, and Olene Walker.