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Summarized by Michael Nielsen
LDS Church Member Shurtleff Wins Utah AG Nomination
Salt Lake Tribune 20Jun00 D2
By Jim Woolf: Salt Lake Tribune
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH -- LDS Church member Mark Shurtleff defeated Frank
Mylar for the Republican nomination for Utah Attorney General in the Utah
primary yesterda. Both men were profiled in the Salt Lake Tribune last week
ahead of the June 27 election. The two men show some similarities. Mylar, an
attorney from Salt Lake City, and Shurtleff, a Salt Lake County
Commissioner, stress a tough stance on crime, and both men have experience
in the state attorney's general office. They also agree that they would not
seek to prosecute polygamists unless other serious crimes were involved.
Shurtleff defeated
Interesting differences exist, however, between the two men. Mylar, a
member of the Free Evangelical Church, voices strong opposition to
homosexuality, and to President Clinton's policy regarding Utah
wilderness areas. He nevertheless tries to shake the conservative
label, and is proud of his work in a lawsuit forcing the Moose and
Elks clubs to admit women if the clubs wish to keep their state
liquor licenses. Mylar wishes to return a sense of integrity to the
Attorney General's office, which he believes has been reluctant to
investigate charges of corruption.
Shurtleff, a BYU graduate and active Mormon, is trying to appeal to
more moderate Republicans. He emphasizes the need for a leader who
can bring diverse groups and individuals together for the good of the
state office. Shurtleff has put forward proposals that would increase
the number of police officers in schools, and rural governments'
claims to roads that are on federal lands.
One illustration of the different stances that the two men take is in
their positions regarding internet access to sexually explicit
materials at public libraries. Mylar is opposed to it being available
in any form. Shurtleff favors the approach taken in Salt Lake County
libraries, which is to place the computers in high-traffic areas, and
to warn users that they may lose access to the computers if they view
the material.
Mylar was born in Caldwell, Idaho, and earned his law degree in
Seattle. He worked in the Utah Attorney General's office in 1988,
staying for 10 years until he began working in private practice and
campaigning for the AG office. Shurtleff was born in Utah, and earned
his law degree at the University of Utah after attending BYU for his
undergraduate education. After law school, he worked for the military
as an attorney, and then in private practice in California. He moved
to Utah in 1993, when he began working with the AG office. In 1998 he
was elected to the Salt Lake County Commission.
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