Utah Representative Becker Works to Span Party Lines
"What I've come to realize over the years as a member of a minority party," said Becker, "is that, to get things accomplished is often taking a back seat to the visible leadership role. My job isn't personally to try to get bills passed. It's to do my best for us to have an effective voice on Capitol Hill and in the public."
So, instead of pushing his own legislation and agenda, the Democratic leader works to build consensus-based legislation and policies that span party lines. The limelight of proposing the bill goes to someone else, usually a member of the Republican majority. “
The article goes on to quote Becker, "I have to put my ego aside. And my personal interests, I have to put those in the background. And that's a hard thing for politicians to do."
Becker and others have worked together across party lines over the past year to develop legislation to establish Utah's first-ever state energy policy. The paper reports that legislation is going to being introduced in this session. Read the complete article online.
Becker, along with other legislators, are helping lead PCI sponsored workshops for legislators on how to work effectively across party lines to build consensus on policies. This work is being made possible by a grant PCI received from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. State legislative leaders who are interested in holding this kind of workshop in their state can contact Chris Carlson, PCI Executive Director.