House leader to resign, take economic development post

Mark Towner, The Spyglass says: You will be missed Jeff


By Josh LoftinDeseret Morning News
The floor general for the House Republicans will be stepping down before the end of the year to help attract corporate headquarters to the state. Jeff Alexander House Majority Leader Jeff Alexander, R-Provo, announced Tuesday that he plans to relinquish his legislative post sometime in November or December to begin serving as the headquarters adviser for the Governor's Office of Economic Development. Primarily, his duties will be helping develop a strategy to attract corporate headquarters to Utah and to eventually market the state to executives looking to relocate. When he wins his unchallenged race for District 62 in November, he will have been elected to his eighth term in office, after first being elected in 1990. When he resigns, Republican delegates in his district will choose a new representative who will then serve essentially a full term. Because the Office of Economic Development position is part time and unpaid, Alexander will be able to focus on running his printing business. While legislative work is also ostensibly part time, being a member of the House leadership team had become essentially a full-time job. "I've always had an interest in economic development and in helping (Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.) further his initiatives," he said. "It sounded like a great opportunity." Jason Perry, executive director of the Office of Economic Development, said that they recruited Alexander because of his 30 years experience running a business and his political experience. Because "he speaks the language" of business, he can also help highlight the benefits of moving to the state. "He can really help sell us and answer the question of 'why Utah?,"' Perry said. House Minority Leader Ralph Becker, D-Salt Lake, said he was surprised because of Alexander's lengthy history in the Legislature. As far as a leader, Becker described him as "both quick-witted and quick to decide what needed to be done" and said he always found Alexander amiable.

"He was somebody that I could always reach across the aisle and have very straight conversation with," Becker said. Alexander's resignation will spare him a fierce fight with at least Rep. Dave Clark, R-Santa Clara, to retain his leadership position, which some political insiders were saying he would lose. Part of Alexander's problem is a backlash against the heavy Utah County representation in leadership, which some Republicans felt was disproportionate, and his clashes with some members during the past general session. Out of all of his legislative accomplishments, he is most proud of the work done in the last session, when Republican leaders from the House and Senate and Huntsman spent hours crafting a last-minute budget compromise that reduced the sales tax on food by 2 percent, cut $20 million in business input taxes and provided $70 million for an income tax reduction.
Contributing: Bob Bernick Jr.E-mail: jloftin@desnews.com