S.C.R. 2 Enrolled

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RESOLUTION PROMOTING LEGISLATORS
2 BACK TO SCHOOL PROGRAM
3 2008 GENERAL SESSION
4 STATE OF UTAH
5 Chief Sponsor: Margaret Dayton
6 House Sponsor: Gregory H. Hughes
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8 LONG TITLE
9 General Description:
10 This concurrent resolution of the Legislature and the Governor expresses support for
11 civic education and Utah's Legislators Back to School Program.
12 Highlighted Provisions:
13 This resolution:
14 . emphasizes the importance of legislators promoting greater understanding of the
15 legislative process and building public trust and confidence in representative
16 democracy through civic education;
17 . recognizes Utah's high level of participation in the National Conference of State
18 Legislatures' Legislators Back to School Program from students, teachers, and
19 legislators during 2007; and
20 . urges continued support for and participation in Utah's Legislators Back to School
21 Program during the 2008-09 school year.
22 Special Clauses:
23 None
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25 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah, the Governor concurring therein:
26 WHEREAS, civic education is a vital tool to promote greater understanding of the
27 legislative process and the role of legislators in representative democracy and to build public
28 trust and confidence;
29 WHEREAS, Utah legislators acknowledge the Constitution of the United States as the

30 supreme law of the land, which establishes a republican form of government and provides the
31 principle for self-government, government by the people through the democratic process;
32 WHEREAS, Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declaration of Independence stated, "There
33 is but one method of rendering a republican form of government . . . by disseminating the
34 seeds of virtue and knowledge through every part of the state by means of proper places and
35 modes of education . . . and this can be done effectively only by the aid of the legislature";
36 WHEREAS, Utah legislators, students, teachers, and administrators realize the
37 importance of compromise in reconciling competing interests in a diverse society;
38 WHEREAS, the National Conference of State Legislatures established America's
39 Legislators Back to School Program, a bipartisan program for legislators across the nation to
40 impart greater understanding of the necessity for debate, negotiation, and compromise in the
41 legislative process of developing effective public policy, to engage future voters and leaders in a
42 dialogue about the value of representative democracy, and to adapt the program to each
43 individual state;
44 WHEREAS, this civic education program helps to instill the values of representative
45 democracy, strengthen the democratic process, and encourage students to play a responsible
46 role in their government; and
47 WHEREAS, Utah legislators ranked second in the nation for participation in this
48 program during the 2006-07 school year and have ranked in the top three since the program's
49 inception:
50 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah, the
51 Governor concurring therein, emphasize and urge support of civic education to promote greater
52 understanding of government and the role of legislators in representative democracy.
53 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor recognize Utah's
54 Legislators Back to School Program and urge each member of the Legislature to visit students
55 in classrooms during the school year.
56 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent to the State Board
57 of Education and the executive director of the National Conference of State Legislatures.

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