H.C.R. 6

1

RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING UTAH'S
2 LEGISLATORS BACK TO SCHOOL PROGRAM
3 2005 GENERAL SESSION
4 STATE OF UTAH
5 Sponsor: Margaret Dayton
6
7 LONG TITLE
8 General Description:
9 This concurrent resolution of the Legislature and the Governor expresses support for
10 civic education and Utah's Legislators Back to School Program.
11 Highlighted Provisions:
12 This resolution:
13 . emphasizes the importance of legislators promoting greater understanding of the
14 legislative process and building public trust and confidence in representative
15 democracy through civic education;
16 . recognizes Utah's high level of participation in the National Conference of State
17 Legislatures' Legislators Back to School Week from students, teachers, and
18 legislators during 2004; and
19 . urges increased support for and participation in Utah's Legislators Back to School
20 Program during the 2005-2006 school year.
21 Special Clauses:
22 None
23
24 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah, the Governor concurring therein:
25 WHEREAS, civic education is a vital tool to promote greater understanding of the
26 legislative process and the role of legislators in representative democracy and to build public
27 trust and confidence;

28 WHEREAS, Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declaration of Independence stated,
29 "There is but one method of rendering a republican form of government . . . by disseminating
30 the seeds of virtue and knowledge through every part of the state by means of proper places and
31 modes of education . . . and this can be done effectively only by the aid of the legislature";
32 WHEREAS, Utah legislators, students, teachers, and administrators realize the
33 importance of compromise in reconciling competing interests in a diverse society;
34 WHEREAS, Utah legislators met personally with 16,500 students in 165 schools and
35 545 classrooms in 2003 to answer questions and listen to concerns on issues affecting students'
36 lives; and
37 WHEREAS, the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) established
38 America's Legislators Back to School Week, a bipartisan program for legislators across the
39 nation to impart greater understanding of the necessity for debate, negotiation, and compromise
40 in the legislative process of developing effective public policy, and to engage future voters and
41 leaders in a dialogue about the value of representative democracy and to adapt to each
42 individual state:
43 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah, the
44 Governor concurring therein, emphasizes and urges support of civic education to promote
45 greater understanding of government and the role of legislators in representative democracy.
46 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor designate
47 September 19-23, 2005 as Utah's Legislators Back to School Kickoff in Utah and urge all
48 members of the Legislature to visit students in classrooms during that week or during the
49 school year.
50 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent to the State Board
51 of Education and the executive director of the National Conference of State Legislatures.




Legislative Review Note
as of 12-22-04 1:35 PM

Based on a limited legal review, this legislation has not been determined to have a high
probability of being held unconstitutional.

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel