Category Archives: News

If you are involved at all in Utah politics, you most likely have heard about the “Utah way” of doing things. But what exactly is the “Utah way?”

The New York Times referred to the firing squad as “a Utah way of death.” The arrival of Frontrunner ahead of schedule and under budget was described as being “kind of the Utah way.” Gov. Gary Herbert declared that “turning a blind eye and doing nothing” to help “our neighbors, our friends, and our family members” was not the Utah way, shortly before the House of Representatives rejected his Healthy Utah proposal. The phrase was used by political commentator Paul Mero to describe the Utah Compact and by Keith McMullin, CEO of Deseret Management, when referring to Utah’s business-friendly policies. Most recently, the Utah way has been trotted out when discussing the ballot initiatives during last year’s November election. read more

While most of the comments on Lee’s post were sympathetic to his opposition of SB54, some questioned the purpose of a U.S. senator communicating with the state’s governor through social media.

Paul Mero, president of Next Generation Freedom Fund and former president of the conservative Sutherland Institute, wrote that the question of SB54′s constitutionality should be settled by the courts. But Lee’s post, Mero said, was “stirring up the crazies” who have made support or opposition to SB54 a litmus test. read more

Robert Gehrke column on Trump nomination of Utahn Ron Mortensen to a federal post.

“I know he has experience working with refugees outside of the country. I don’t know about his experience with refugees inside the country,” said Paul Mero, who hired Mortensen when Mero was president of the conservative Sutherland Institute. “In fact, the only thing I really do know is that he’s very anti-immigration and anti-refugee.”

Salt Lake Tribune

It hasn’t been business as usual at the Sutherland Institute in hopes of upending politics as usual in Utah.

Those words appeared in the Deseret News 12 years ago as Sutherland’s then-President Paul Mero overhauled the conservative, free-market think tank to make it more relevant. Mero accomplished that task in his 14 years at the helm.

But the outspoken political advocate and Sutherland parted ways nearly two years ago, leaving the 21-year-old organization without a visible leader. Though it lobbies state legislators as usual, it seemed headed for obscurity without a strong community voice. read more

Paul Mero, who had served as the Sutherland Institute’s chief executive officer for 14 years, is out after being asked to step down by the conservative think tank’s board.

“It is what it is. There were just disagreements between me and the board and the board chairman about the organization and about how we execute our plans in the future,” Mero said.

Those disagreements surfaced earlier this year and were “insurmountable,” he said, declining to be more specific.

Deseret News

“Paul has served faithfully and effectively as he has led Sutherland Institute from its infancy to becoming the most influential conservative voice in Utah,” Swim said. “While the board feels this change is necessary as we move into the future, we are grateful for his dedicated service. We will continue to be guided by our seven governing principles that allow faith, family and freedom to flourish in Utah.”

Fox 13 Salt Lake City

The board of the Sutherland Institute, the state’s most prominent conservative think tank, has asked its longtime president, Paul Mero, to resign after long-simmering disputes apparently reached a head.

Mero, who ran the institute since 2000, said the disagreements were over “organizational matters” and executing the plans the group had made.

Salt Lake Tribune

In a wonderful monograph entitled “Exceptional Utah,” published a year and a half ago by the Sutherland Institute, author Paul Mero makes the point, in the subtitle, that Utah is “Leading America in Faith, Family and Freedom.” Mero, the president of the public policy think tank, also shows how these Utah values positively impact the quality of life for all of the state’s citizens.

“Utah exceptionalism is not about what Utah has. It’s about what Utahns give,” writes Mero. “It’s not about what Utahns acquire. It’s about what we sacrifice (and why). Sacrifice is the basis of Utah exceptionism. And it is exceptional not only in modern America, but throughout the modern world…

“Our culture of sacrifice permeates these three pillars of life [faith, family and freedom]. It is revealed in our charitable service and giving, in our family structures and intergenerational bonds and in how we understand freedom as an ideal.”

Deseret News

LEHI — Supporters of traditional marriage rallied support Thursday for three bills that would respond to a December federal court ruling that struck down Utah’s voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage and a statewide nondiscrimination law.

The three bills are sponsored by Sen. Stuart Reid, R-Ogden, who asked more than 1,000 people gathered at Thanksgiving Point to speak out against a “sexual stratagem” that has divided political loyalties and threatens religious liberty…

The event sponsored by the conservative Sutherland Institute and First Freedoms Coalition was the largest of three similar First Freedom Forums held in St. George and Logan to rally support for the bills…

Both Reid and Mero urged the audience to treat those they disagree with civilly while giving those attending talking points to present to lawmakers who convene next week in a session where gay rights and religious freedom are sure to collide.

“In addition to a renewed support for traditional marriage and the natural family, I hope you leave here tonight with a renewed sense of citizenship and with a specific call to action,” Mero said. “I hope you leave here tonight with a better understanding of what’s at stake and a better way to share your concerns with your elected representatives, family, and neighbors.”

Deseret News

According to a transcript of a radio commentary given by Sutherland Institute President Paul Mero, the call for Swallow’s resignation stems from a series of allegations of ethical impropriety.

Mero said Swallow should have his day in court to face the allegations against him, but he said a person of integrity would go one step further and put the office above themselves by stepping down from the position.

Mero said that it may prove that Swallow’s alleged actions were all legal, but he said that doesn’t mean they were necessarily ethical or moral.

Fox 13 Salt Lake City