Category Archives: News

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… read more

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… read more

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. read more

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Compact, which has been called a sensible approach to immigration reform, is catching on in other states.

Already, Florida, Georgia, Nebraska, and Maine have crafted legislation similar to the Utah Compact. This week, Indiana legislators unveiled a compact of their own.

“The Utah Compact demonstrated to the nation that there is an alternative to Arizona-style, enforcement-only punitive legislation,” said Paul Mero, president of the Sutherland Institute, a conservative Utah-based think tank. Mero was one of the original signers of the compact and was instrumental in its creation. “The Compact calls, as did Governor Herbert, for comprehensive reform that promotes prosperity, security, and freedom in Utah. Several other states have seen how civic, religious, and community groups in Utah united to work together to find a sensible solution, and they are saying, ‘This makes sense. Let’s put something similar together in our state.'” read more

The following speech was delivered as part of a debate Friday night, Jan. 21, 2011, sponsored by the Sutherland Institute, a Salt Lake City-based conservative think tank. The debate addressed the question of whether Utah should enforce immigration laws. Paul Mero is president of Sutherland.

Provo Herald

This past summer, Utah State Rep. Stephen Sandstrom (R) introduced an enforcement-only immigration bill that closely mirrored the controversial law that was passed in Arizona earlier this year.

However, it appears his bill won’t be the only immigration legislation on the docket. Utah state Sen. Luz Robles (D) has teamed up with the Sutherland Institute — a local conservative think tank — to write a bill that would require undocumented immigrants in Utah to learn English, enroll in civics classes, undergo criminal-background checks, and eventually carry a state-issued work permit. Employers would be penalized for hiring undocumented immigrants without the permits. read more

Like so many people now, Paul Mero is trying to figure out just what all this social networking means. You know, what it means personally, politically and, most importantly, culturally.

After all, if you’re about changing the culture of Utah, you’ll want to have all the tools it takes. And the Sutherland Institute, the iconic conservative think tank that Mero directs, does indeed want to change the culture. “Culture drives the law,” says Mero. So, if you want the laws to reflect conservative values, you have to make sure those values are embedded in the culture.

Salt Lake City Weekly

When The Sutherland Institute first hit Utah’s political landscape in 1995, it issued a host of “position papers” and “policy statements,” many espousing the virtues of free-market mechanisms in the then hotly disputed arena of health care. Since Mero took the helm in December 2000, The Sutherland Institute has made a marked shift into debates surrounding moral issues, poverty and, first and foremost, education. Mero fervently believes the most lasting solutions are family-based, and other solutions—including those that rely on nontraditional families—can no longer hold back society’s problems. It’s time, he said, for families to reassert their role as comprehensive social providers. It’s also time for government to back off.

Salt Lake City Weekly

There are not many families who can claim four boys who are all exceptionally gifted basketball players. Furthermore, the Mero family is set apart by one additional discriminating factor: They are home schooled.

From Deseret News

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

In three years on the job, President Paul T. Mero has almost completely turned over the staff and the boards of trustees and scholars at the conservative, free-market think tank. And in ridding Sutherland of its stubborn ideologues, he has brought a new ethic to the obscure organization.

Deseret News