LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF WEBER COUNTY

MARCH 2009 --WATCHDOG SUPPLEMENT

Marilyn O’Dell, Editor

REMINDER: OUR NEXT MEETING IS

MONDAY, MARCH 16, 7:00 P.M.

WEBER COUNTY MAIN LIBRARY, BOARD ROOM

SPEAKER: LINDA HILTON, DIRECTOR, COALITION OF RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES

SUBJECT: PROBLEM WITH PAYDAY LOANS

LINDA WILL DISCUSS THE PROBLEM WITH PAYDAY LOANS WHICH HAVE RATES AS HIGH AS 500% AND ARE TARGETED AT THOSE WHO AREN’T ABLE TO GET BANK LOANS. A BILL TO PUT A CAP ON THE INTEREST RATES CHARGED ON THESE LOANS WAS PROPOSED IN THIS YEAR’S LEGISLATURE. LINDA WILL SPEAK ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF THESE LOANS ON THE LOW INCOME POPULATION AND THE RESULTS OF THE EFFORT AT THE LEGISLATURE.

THE MEETING IS FREE AND OPEN TO EVERYONE.

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REPORT ON LAST LEAGUE MEETING WITH ELECTION COMMISSION: The meeting was an interesting overview of the election process. Gloria Barrett, Weber County Director of Elections, invited us to meet in the county courthouse room where the vote counting is done. Alan McEwan, County Clerk-Auditor, even welcomed us at the door for our after- hours meeting. In addition to all of the details of vote counting and answers to our questions, Gloria brought up some very interesting points. Besides the army of election officials needed on the day of voting some citizens are needed to witness the vote counting. That might be a very good role for our League.

Mr. McEwan, discussed the voter challenge in the 2007 (mayoral) election. He said he received two letters challenging the right to vote of about 100 people shortly before the election. The letters had no specifics. It just said that these people were challenged and listed all the reasons voters can be challenged. McEwan referred the letters to the County Attorney’s office and was told that under Utah law the letters were valid. He had no alternative but to note in the registration books that all the people challenged needed to prove their identity and their right to vote at the location where they had appeared and were registered. Many of these people were irate at the election judges who were just following procedures as they had been directed. I remember the information on this problem being in the Standard but don’t remember this background information.

As a result of this problem new legislation was proposed this year by Representative Neil Hansen. I just checked the status of HB49, Voter Challenge Amendments, and found that although it passed the House on February 10 with 42 in favor and 31 against it is now held in the Senate Rules Committee. This bill provides procedures to resolve challenges before elections and requires that challenges be submitted under oath. It provides penalties for false statements.