PRESS RELEASE: San Juan County Issues Statement Regarding vote-by-mail settlement
San Juan County, UT – San Juan County VBM case dismissed with prejudice.
During the 2016 general election, voter turnout among San Juan County Navajo voters was 69%. In comparison to the nationwide voter turnout of 58% and 47% turnout for Navajo Nation elections, we were thrilled and hopeful.
Instead of shining the spotlight on this amazing feat, the ACLU chose to sue San Juan County stating that VBM unconstitutionally hindered Navajo ability to vote. This week, the case has finally been settled.
What did the lawsuit accomplish? Outside of wasting taxpayer dollars that could have been used to provide services to the county citizens, nothing. San Juan County will continue to maintain three on-Reservation polling locations for in-person voting; continue to provide English language assistance to Navajo voters; continue having a Navajo speaking County employee visit Navajo Chapter Houses to inform them of election information; continue to place ads in the local newspapers informing all County residents of voting procedures; and continue to have the ballot recorded in Navajo with that recording being placed on the County’s website, played on the radio, and distributed to Navajo Chapter Houses. There is no admission of liability and vote-by-mail is the law in San Juan County. It is important to note that the ACLU asked San Juan County to pay over $2 million in legal fees in comparison to San Juan County’s $100k legal bill. However, as part of the settlement, this will not happen and the case has been dismissed with prejudice.
We are committed to holding elections that are fair and accessible to all. This is a huge win for San Juan County and our Utah Navajo residents.
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Tune in on YouTube, Facebook, or Periscope to watch Judicial Watch's exclusive coverage of CPAC 2018!
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With the 90th Academy Awards just 10 days away, WalletHub today released its 2018 Oscars Facts report, which includes an infographic filled with fun facts about the event as well as a Q&A with a panel of entertainment experts.
Here are some highlights from the report:
February 21, 2018
My Fellow Republicans,
Since my election as Chairman of the Utah Republican Party in May of 2017, I am happy to report that we have made enormous progress in our mission to Right the Party.
When I was elected, the Party’s total debt was well over half a million dollars:
On September 9, 2017, after careful consideration by the Budget Committee, a fiscal year 2017/2018 budget was presented to the State Central Committee, and was adopted without objection.
In just nine short months, I am delighted to report that our current finances are as follows:
I am confident that all debt will be resolved by the end of this fiscal year, June 30, 2018. Please keep in mind that this tremendous progress occurred while simultaneously meeting all ongoing monthly office expenses, as well as the special election/convention that was held in Congressional District 3. I am grateful to everyone who has donated to the Party. We could not have done this alone. We are especially grateful to those Republicans who have donated to the Party for the first time.
As you are aware, Caucus Night March 20, 2018 is rapidly approaching. Our office is ahead of schedule with Caucus preparations which have included, but are not limited to: a centralized web page, a Caucus point of contact in all 29 counties, dedicated staff members for each county, creation of training videos, and a special request to churches to encourage increased participation, especially among women and millennials who have historically been underrepresented at the Caucus/Convention level. Presently, we are in negotiations with a donor to provide Caucus Night signage to each county, and hope that proves successful as the State Party cannot fund that significant expense at this time.
To find your Caucus location, please use the link below. Please note that not all locations have been finalized. For the most up-to-date information, please contact your county GOP leadership. We will continue to update Caucus locations as the information is provided to us from the County Parties.
UTGOP Caucus Information Webpage
We are looking forward to a robust 2018 election season commencing with our Nominating Convention on Saturday, April 21st at The Maverik Center in West Valley City. If you would like to participate in the convention process, you need to be elected as a State Delegate on Caucus Night. I look forward to seeing you there.
Our success is a team effort; we cannot do this alone. If you are pleased with the progress we are making, please consider a financial donation to the Party.
Thank you to everyone who has reached out to me to offer not only encouragement, but recommendations on how to improve. I appreciate all feedback. My door is always open, please contact me at your convenience.
Sincerely,
Rob Anderson
Chairman
(801)533-9777
117 E. South Temple Street
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
rob@utgop.org
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Salt Lake City, UT (February 21, 2018) — Today, the Utah Senate passed Senate Bill 154, which would prohibit police quotas in the state.
The following statement may be attributed to Michael Melendez, director of policy for Libertas Institute:
Police officers did not sign up to be revenue generators for their cities. A quota policy that requires them to issue a certain number of tickets, or make a minimum number of arrests, introduces injustice into the criminal justice system.
Ask the average person on the street about police quotas, and they're likely express deep concern if not visceral opposition. The Senate's overwhelming support shows early agreement here in the Legislature, and we look forward to working with Representatives to see Senate Bill 154 gain more traction.
Passage of this legislation would make Utah the 19th state to ban police quotas. Libertas Institute proposed the bill and conducted research in recent months to identify several jurisdictions in Utah where quotas have been or are currently in force.
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About Libertas Institute
Libertas Institute is a free market think tank in Utah, advancing the cause of liberty in the state by supporting and defending individual liberty, private property rights, and free enterprise. The Institute promotes liberty by generating non-partisan analysis, holding public events, producing literature, and strategically engaging opinion leaders, policy makers, media, and interested Utahns.
