In 2001, state Rep. Jim Ferrin, R-Orem, brand-new to the Legislature, was presented with an issue that would become very important to him -- he just didn't know it yet.

"Some constituents approached me and said, 'We live in your district. We'd like to see the law changed so that we can create a charter school,' " Ferrin said, because the law at the time limited how many schools could be chartered.

"I said, 'Great. What's a charter school?'

"They said, 'Umm ... we'll go talk to Sen. (Howard) Stephenson.' "

And that's what they did. But Ferrin started doing his homework, and he soon became an advocate for charter school legislation -- a status that's drawn some fire because he's now also a partner in U.S. Charter Development, which expects to develop three charter schools this year.

Ferrin is competing with Orem City Councilman Stephen Sandstrom for the GOP nomination in House District 58. If successful in the primary and in November's election, it will be his fourth term.

While Ferrin is willing to discuss the charter school debate, he says his advocacy of charter schools began "long before I ever had the slightest inkling of getting into the charter school development business." That angle has been written about "ad nauseum," he said, adding that he doesn't want the contest to turn into a one-issue race.

Education is one of the main issues, though, and Ferrin plays a direct role in education funding from his seat on the Public Education Appropriations Subcommittee.

Earlier this year, "we passed the largest public ed budgets the state has ever seen," he said. "Ever. Commensurate with the population, it's bigger than we've ever seen too. The taxpayers of this state have made a yeoman's effort to fund public education to the best of our ability, and I'm proud of the gains we've made there.

"We have increased funding to every program and every line item."

School districts will use the increased funding in different ways, but the money will pay for higher teacher health insurance costs and some salary increases -- and if officials aren't able to shrink class sizes as much as everyone would like, at least the rate of growth could be slowed.

"Some would suggest, 'Well, you haven't done enough yet,' " Ferrin said. "I'd say, 'We're not done yet.' "

Ferrin and his opponent also have different views on immigration issues, particularly the driving privilege card granted to illegal immigrants in Utah.

"The driving privilege card was not extending a new privilege to illegals," Ferrin said. "It was significantly curtailing the privilege they previously enjoyed. They were able to get driver's licenses, and now they can't.

"It's not an official government ID ... and yet it still leaves them in the position where they can buy automobile insurance." By simply taking away licenses, "we would guarantee they have no insurance."

Ferrin owns Ferrin Capital Advisers, a financial advising firm that he describes as his "bread and butter." His campaign opponent has tried to make his partnership in U.S Charter Development a campaign issue, an effort Ferrin said is off-base.

"That is a really easy charge to throw against an incumbent," he said. To make it stick, though, Ferrin said one must show that he promoted bad public policy for his own benefit, or that the legislation he's backed would treat his business in a unique way.

"Legislation that I've passed pertaining to charter schools doesn't affect me uniquely in any way whatsoever," he said. "It affects everybody who's in the business."

And he wouldn't agree that charter schools are bad policy. By the end of this year, as many as 50 charter schools serving 20,000 students could be operating in Utah.

"There are 50 schools that were built without a bond election, without property taxes, without taxpayer dollars," Ferrin said. "Taxpayer dollars ultimately flow through those buildings, because public schools are using them. But the risk capital, the construction capital ... is all private investment."

Jim Ferrin

Age: 49

Profession: financial adviser

Hometown: Orem

Education: bachelor's degree in finance, BYU