Whereas, the State Republican Party will be holding its convention on June Ninth; and

Whereas, delegates will be debating resolutions on immigration, additional seats for the District of Columbia and ethics;

Therefore, Be It Resolved, that the state convention may see heated debate over these most controversial of topics.

Three resolutions involving a broad range of issues -- immigration reform, terrorism, the addition of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, ethics reforms, lobbying issues, campaign finance, and governmental transparency -- will be up for consideration at the annual Utah Republican organizing convention in Sandy on June 9.

Joe H. Ferguson, a state delegate for the party from Cedar Hills, has put forward a resolution titled "Protecting the Home Base" that urges tighter border enforcement against illegal immigration.

Its statements include an instruction to "acknowledge the possibility that a certain percentage of these illegals are trained terrorists."

The resolution says that "protection of the home territory of the United States is of paramount importance" and gives a list of issues with illegal immigration.

Among them include a deficit of information about the countries of origin of undocumented residents and the possibility that they are from countries with "hostile attitudes towards the United States."

Ferguson's resolution calls on the federal government to secure the borders from "further invasion" and to apprehend and deport "the most undesirable elements of the illegals."

Also up for debate is a resolution opposing the creating of a new congressional seat for the District of Columbia. The resolution was submitted by Lowell C. Nelson of Highland and contends that adding a seat for the District would be unconstitutional unless it is done by a Constitutional amendment or by chartering the District as a state.

Nelson said giving D.C. a seat in the House of Representatives legislatively would bolster the Democratic Party's position in Congress.

"I view this really as a tactical move by the Democratic Party," Nelson said.

Legislation is pending that would give Utah and the District each an extra seat in the House.

The third and final resolution to be debated is titled "Excellence in Government," and addresses a variety of ethics issues with regard to state and local governments.

Proposed by Grant Misbach, a candidate for the state GOP's vice chair position, the resolution seeks to lay out the party's position on gifts, lobbyist interaction, campaign finance, conflicts of interest and transparency.

Misbach's resolution asks Republicans to remove themselves from positions where conflicts of interest or corruption could either appear to exist or actually occur.

This isn't the first time Misbach has tried to put this resolution forward. He says he has been pushing for it for years, and has been "thwarted" most every time.

The original drafts of the resolution, years ago, included predictions that if these reforms are not made, the party could lose control of the House and Senate in Congress, which is what happened in November.

"We've got to do better" he said. "The people I've worked with in the party and in the legislature are good people . . . but they're trapped in a flawed system."

His resolution warns that if improvements in these areas are not made, Republican influence in the state Legislature could be diminished.

Misbach also recommends that "an independent commission on ethics with more clear and complete rules and penalties" be set up by the party.

Nathan Johnson can be reached at 344-2543 or at njohnson@heraldextra.com.

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page B1.