[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6257731,"mediaKeyId","3152565-b065ec37cd28154125bd49b9cc862b2d","parentId",3152565,"title","Utah GOP chair calls for cultural shift at State Central Committee and suggests procedural changes","audioSeconds",260,"startMs",4350000,"endMs",4610000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3152565-b065ec37cd28154125bd49b9cc862b2d&start=4350&end=4610","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3152565-b065ec37cd28154125bd49b9cc862b2d/thumbnail_4350000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6257731/Utah/Utah-GOP-chair-calls-for-cultural-shift-at-State-Central-Committee-and-suggests-procedural-changes","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6257731-c10bae3851a067a7f7189e91e2ae4261/orig.mp4?Expires=1770431021&Signature=a0RhE983KejQ9Lnd2bQIlWg0xpnr8Lw5~9KXfbqyVX1Z3z3fEAozB48u2NpGueiUf03e3uLCVenRUNlpCfKTcBo6Omb2CgqQUID5-vx3dP7Pyw3fjqcys1n~HhSevvbUP4dA5rSGTCM6PVQCRG8q5x3DqAYSTUyKuBbzo7ioWUIhmB6KYt95f8mWRhQZDVtobw1QwRVyAnEtpPcbsho27VbGcCNJXhXfBfibJHaIXmIXIwyrVHlhoYPMMeN4nB4QdRHd84nyeB94hscIFVtSH6uj6E9AP5ICItUTHAKm3bgBjQ0fkZASPWRAZ1hs~u-gxsZfLuV1hNMCJcOuaUMRow__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-04-30T02:55:22.063Z","article","Rob Axon told Utah County hosts that the State Central Committee meetings have sometimes become bogged down in procedural fights and that the state party should focus on training, clearer expectations and a cultural shift to make the SCC more productive.

Key points Axon made:
- Agenda setting: Axon said he tried to keep his hand off the scale by ordering agenda items largely by submission time, but he acknowledged that the chair does set order and can provide more direction in future cycles.
- Pre-meeting preparation: Axon recommends pre-SEC (state executive committee) briefings and county pre-meetings so members understand proposals before the SCC meeting; he said county pre-meetings help clear issues and reduce time spent on clarifications at the full meeting.
- Quorum rules: Christie and Chuck raised lowering quorum thresholds as a potential reform to reduce walkouts being used tactically; Axon said lowering the threshold could in some cases increase incentives for factions to remain and debate rather than triggering adjournments.
- Training and expectations: Axon proposed a coordinated effort to set cultural expectations, train members in Robert's Rules and hold each other accountable in a collaborative, not combative, way.

Why it matters: The SCC is the party\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000governing body that can implement bylaws, reserve venues and coordinate statewide strategy. Axon said that improving SCC function will help the party execute the broader strategies discussed elsewhere in the podcast.

Actions and reforms described:
- The state central committee granted the party chair authority to lock venues farther in advance (described in the convention article) and Axon said the next steps include training and expectation-setting for SCC members.

Quotes (from the podcast):
- \"The most important lessons in life, oftentimes are the painful ones... You have to be willing to learn those lessons.\"

Speakers cited: Rob Axon (Utah Republican Party chair); Chuck and Christie (county hosts).

Ending: Axon asked SCC members and county chairs to aim for collaborative problem-solving, to accept pre-meeting work and to help institutionalize the cultural norms that make committee meetings efficient.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Rob Axson for Utah GOP Chair","oneSentenceSummary","Rob Axon said the State Central Committee (SCC) needs a cultural reset: clearer expectations, more pre-meeting briefing, lower quorum thresholds and training to keep meetings focused and productive, while preserving members\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000rights to speak.","taxTitle","Utah County Republican Party, Utah GOP Party- Republican Leadership, Utah Legislative Branch, Utah","taxId",77250,"location","Utah","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6257736,"State party says it provided data, walking app and targeted funds to support convention winners",99,2063000,2162000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3152565-b065ec37cd28154125bd49b9cc862b2d&start=2063&end=2162","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3152565-b065ec37cd28154125bd49b9cc862b2d/thumbnail_2063000.jpg","/articles/6257736/Utah/State-party-says-it-provided-data-walking-app-and-targeted-funds-to-support-convention-winners","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6257736-cbcdea57409dd29697e23f518801bccf/orig.mp4?Expires=1770431021&Signature=bmJVN~m2ySCxz0QjTTMeIuxvlMrhm-Icf970~4pkten1Uu8yRsG-U3Wu1yvHDxHcuGP381mjaXgw3sp0QENtdhLTMLq9DdfM7~8esVadJdBMZ3fHJSOLlPoXnyBT3~kD93Rd4kmLIfyzAHqhiSOxuTLrs-Tkkszd6R7AL3smuDzkdlt3GvD3Zu-pVm~wKuIb9pG4lj-RM01eIwedKsOwttz8gCjc0AvV751vmMmlDZ4rSV8RF4tGeZdmOjZ-Yg7SrTmsiTMQKeCN-srrHWcwa90CVvktaQ6usL6MF3T22RGo6SG16gxwqiIUYsBJt72H7LAI7yGXUELbgHddahiB-g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Rob Axon described how the state party shifted resources after the convention to support candidates who earned delegate backing. He said the party provided a walking/door-knocking application (named during the podcast as \"Numenor\") and gave the tool to every candidate; access was turned off for non-convention winners. \"That was turned off for folks that were not convention winners,\" Axon said.

Axon said the party coordinated get-out-the-vote efforts, shared cleaned data with convention winners, funded targeted social and digital advertising, mailers, text and phone outreach, billboards and volunteer coordination, and made direct monetary contributions to candidates. He described timing constraints tied to party neutrality and to executive-committee and SEC meetings that needed to occur before funds were disbursed.

Why it matters: The state party framed these actions as a way to reinforce the value of the caucus-convention path: candidates who win delegate backing received operational advantages that the party argued helped in subsequent primaries.

Details offered on timing and scale:
- Axon said the party spent \"hundred 30 ish thousand dollars\" specifically delineating support in the prior cycle and that in other fundraising the party raised \"north of $2,000,000 directly for use for the party\" and about $3,000,000 including joint fundraising agreements.
- He said data access was turned off for candidates who lost at convention within about 30 minutes of a race being called.
- The party purchased access to the walking app and provided it to candidates. Axon said that app \"created massive efficiencies, that saved you a ton of money.\"

Discussion vs. action: Axon described both decisions the party had made (bylaw enforcement, app purchases, targeted spending, and donations) and the practical considerations (neutrality before convention; immediate support afterward). He defended the party\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000approach as a better use of funds than making many small direct donations, arguing the party can produce larger effect through coordinated voter-identification and GOTV investments.

Quotes (from the podcast):
- \"That was turned off for folks that were not convention winners.\"
- \"We paid for them to have access to a walking app... We provided that to everybody.\"

Speakers cited: Rob Axon (Utah Republican Party chair), Christie and Chuck (Utah County Republican Party hosts).

Ending: Axon said the party will continue building systems (data management and targeted tools) to help county parties and candidates and wants to sustain and expand fundraising to keep those programs active.","Utah Republican Party chair Rob Axon described post-convention resource deployment: a paid walking/door-knocking app, coordinated data/GOTV efforts and direct donations to convention winners, plus targeted advertising and volunteer coordination.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6257741,"Utah GOP chair and county hosts outline convention, caucus problems and fixes after credentialing delays and tech outages",3617,4563000,8180000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3152565-b065ec37cd28154125bd49b9cc862b2d&start=4563&end=8180","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3152565-b065ec37cd28154125bd49b9cc862b2d/thumbnail_4563000.jpg","/articles/6257741/Utah/Utah-GOP-chair-and-county-hosts-outline-convention-caucus-problems-and-fixes-after-credentialing-delays-and-tech-outages","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6257741-c6c2ba678d797583a81e9960e98a74be/orig.mp4?Expires=1770431021&Signature=RkuVwltYpBmA8zzXBnHoGLBWWvnN737aNU339q-jwo716kKP9Bzdwy8HeHK88AtRN~RQDzU~iqaJoMC~HTdvkNeKxAytyPrtw4OgmwHH-cClmZLdFQyh4GYkRWpUhmPWQvoM1y1CSG991HOQ1NbXu2XkeHE8tAmRjkTrCsjvhacNlTwvD4BmvC7dwWrZMOdNZB7z-921YgGjQ7DoozOINFs-EW28aurYyAfCXq30gmDdh36JGYByGIodNY8k6WReIhlBM0eVTXdm8ZQspKWv6hi2r0NK5vLWVs527xlgH4e2AzIeC2WjDKpT9AjYUcd1Mu4PUc-bBMg~3BH2Ksj3ag__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Rob Axon and Utah County hosts Christie and Chuck reviewed logistical problems at the recent state convention and at last year's caucus, described steps already taken and proposed changes for future events.

Immediate problems at the state convention cited by Axon included venue constraints (the Salt Palace hall in the basement with limited breakout and credentialing space), a misplaced key that kept staff out of the elections room for about an hour, and crowding that lengthened lines. Axon described the lost key and resulting delay: the room was locked and \"they had lost the key... it took us about an hour before we got access to that room.\" He said that unexpected delays compounded because the venue's configuration and fire-code limits prevented spreading credentialing across multiple spaces.

On caucus night, Axon said the party's preregistration site experienced what he described as an attack that overwhelmed the system; he characterized it as a denial-of-service-style incident timed to peak credentialing hours. He also described wide local turnout at many caucus sites and called turnout a sign of vibrancy while acknowledging some counties were overcrowded at particular venues.

Planned fixes and proposals Axon described:
- Greater ability for the chair to reserve venues further in advance: the state central committee subsequently voted to allow the chair to lock venues up to four years ahead.
- Running regional pre-convention breakouts (by congressional district or region) in the days before the statewide convention to handle many breakout races in advance and shorten the day-of schedule.
- Increasing the number of caucus venues and adding printed-paper backups for electronic systems; Axon said the convention committee has prepared paper ballots in case of problems and that paper balloting will be used for the next state convention.
- Hardening pre-registration systems and preparing redundancy to mitigate future outages.

Why it matters: Credentialing delays and tech outages slowed delegate processing and created frustrating experiences for some participants. Axon said county organizers should expect smoother operations in future cycles but asked for patience while the party implements the fixes.

Quotes (from the podcast):
- \"They had lost the key... it took us about an hour before we got access to that room.\"
- \"We will be doing paper balloting for the races this year at the state convention on May 17.\"

Speakers cited: Rob Axon (Utah Republican Party chair), Christie and Chuck (Utah County Republican Party hosts).

Actions reported: the state central committee approved expanded venue-booking authority for the chair to reserve spaces further in advance; the convention committee prepared paper backups and the chair said the next state convention will use paper ballots for races that year; the party is planning more venues and regional pre-meetings to reduce day-of congestion.

Ending: Axon said the convention and caucus process remains a strong civic practice and that organizers will apply lessons learned on venue selection, technical redundancy and scheduling to shorten future events and reduce participant delays.","Rob Axon and Utah County hosts reviewed the previous state convention and caucus operations, naming venue limitations, a lost key that delayed credentialing, a DDoS-style outage of the pre-registration system and overcrowded caucus venues. They proposed regional pre-meetings, more venues, and paper ballots at the next state convention.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6257745,"Utah GOP chair: state privacy rules hamper party outreach; party pushing legislative fixes",71,2484000,2555000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3152565-b065ec37cd28154125bd49b9cc862b2d&start=2484&end=2555","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3152565-b065ec37cd28154125bd49b9cc862b2d/thumbnail_2484000.jpg","/articles/6257745/Utah/Utah-GOP-chair-state-privacy-rules-hamper-party-outreach-party-pushing-legislative-fixes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6257745-3c599777ce91f5d5b13c410964cef395/orig.mp4?Expires=1770431021&Signature=RffiocyRKuP697PDQc-~moAjc7csXYyKBhJUiWP9c8I5MAX8VKKyfXdRvWA1fmhfNoeTZXhkPDOQUmZt2bp-zxzmps3eCiOz~SndjeNfmI6Y38gs6--4dZdJhd5aCR~urRfAdydazoTZm~ZtR~Gk~MgnvoTVC-1ZRRrwdvbSiVXuQqRbHQNYJEuk79h7TT0ox1fLb6RSyIL2KBkspPBlbkT6zawxJlUahrgRlh7RIhX5FnM~v1t-8X0MzlZfkfSp5-YMsUaMHRKJGZEGt8wU1NP1IzBSK4PGvmWEKHWfwWgt0A2uTjsOpDfv~MnDLCylXHL0U5ZJDB6yHCNeIw53xw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Rob Axon told county delegates that state privacy rules and redactions in voter registration data have limited the party's ability to reach voters. \"The party has never received emails from the state,\" Axon said, and he said phone numbers stopped being provided around 2009. He described a large portion of registrations in a withheld category: \"between 30-40%, sometimes even higher...in some areas it's as high as 60.\"

Axon said the party's repeated public-record (GRAMA) requests for fuller files have been denied and that the Legislature has made partial fixes but not the comprehensive remedy the party seeks. He described a bill this past session that improved the situation but fell short, and said the party will try again.

Why it matters: Axon said the party cannot reliably identify or contact many people listed as Republican registrants, which reduces turnout efforts, complicates verifying signature-gatherers and increases reliance on broadcast or paid advertising.

Details and actions described:
- The party lacks statewide email lists provided by the state. Phone numbers were largely removed from state voter files around 2009, according to Axon.
- Axon estimated that 30% to 60% of registrants may have withheld status in some areas and thus are not visible to the party's voter lists.
- The state party pursued record requests and a legislative fix; a bill moved through the session but was not finalized to the party's satisfaction.

Quotes (from the podcast):
- \"The party has never received emails from the state. Right. Never received emails.\"
- \"We're not allowed to know your name, where you are, anything about you.\"

Speakers cited: Rob Axon (Utah Republican Party chair); Christie and Chuck (Utah County Republican Party hosts).

Authorities referenced: state election law changes on voter privacy and the party's GRAMA requests (public-records process) were discussed; Axon said the Legislature is working on fixes.

Ending: Axon said restoring more complete voter-roll access is a top legislative priority for the party, and he urged delegates to support candidates and legislative work to address the data gap.","Rob Axon said the Utah Republican Party cannot access basic voter contact data the state used to release, leaving large \"withheld\" segments of registered Republicans unreachable and making outreach, caucus notifications and signature verification harder.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6257750,"Utah GOP chair says long-term legislative strategy needed to reverse SB 54, not only litigation",439,754000,1193000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3152565-b065ec37cd28154125bd49b9cc862b2d&start=754&end=1193","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3152565-b065ec37cd28154125bd49b9cc862b2d/thumbnail_754000.jpg","/articles/6257750/Utah/Utah-GOP-chair-says-long-term-legislative-strategy-needed-to-reverse-SB-54-not-only-litigation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6257750-b442b561653cb91175f8b40b5a213dcd/orig.mp4?Expires=1770431021&Signature=YG71aRhMzZ56DS7Vy9kUFwolLzyJwBUeo-7bTheGVBDhncol8PiDy9k-aaL~G10I-LgqecimbxfarAxmWpzpqdaHW7XvxGmaybFFr7BgQyZ-gX85iw3xrt4Wi9xSuw8gclUCv6xwKh-qwLXZ5Av0echHn0PxBJDEGxFL~Q8vbv~N~JC482hSeJk36dbCRhVfhnA6r3B2lXJx77VNAnVItASiMPtpjtFv0407Qb6tbv7quiIPKoWIuvGCIKFZnmR7t7n-b6U-2kF82Hzb1om6GUr5TXfEBQCw8-3hwXy1a9tz45NOj71Q5fzQO2xOf536ExH8P5Dxex7hCor8HfDXQQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Rob Axon, chair of the Utah Republican Party, said the two-track path to the primary created by SB 54 requires a long-term strategy to change state law, not only legal challenges. On the Utah County Republican Party podcast, Axon summarized the choice: “You can either litigate or you can legislate.”

Axon said litigation has been tried and \"we have failed in that regard\" but that doing only court challenges risks dividing and bankrupting the party. He urged delegates to pursue a multi-cycle legislative strategy to change the numbers in the Legislature and to recruit candidates who will support repealing or changing SB 54. \"If we want to change the law, you have to change the law,\" Axon said.

Why it matters: SB 54 created a signature path that allows candidates to reach the primary ballot without winning delegate support at the caucus-convention process. Axon argued that restoring the pre-SB 54 balance depends on winning legislative majorities over multiple election cycles, recruiting aligned candidates, and using the state party\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000as a \"carrot\" to encourage elected officials to honor the delegate process.

Details from the podcast:
- Axon said the party has pursued court challenges and lost \"twice\" and that continuing to litigate without legislative progress is unlikely to succeed.
- He outlined a two-track approach: continue litigation when appropriate, but place stronger emphasis on changing state law and on building relationships with legislators to secure votes for repeal or revision.
- Axon emphasized using positive incentives: the party adopted a bylaw (which he helped author) to make certain party resources available only to candidates who win convention support, calling that a \"carrot\" to encourage reliance on the delegate process.
- He said the state party deployed resources post-convention and reported it spent a roughly \"hundred 30 ish thousand dollars\" on efforts that supported convention winners during the last cycle.

Discussion vs. decision: Axon described actions the party has already taken (bylaw change, targeted spending, data and get-out-the-vote support for convention winners) and recommended a direction (long-term legislative work and candidate recruitment). No new legislation or court filings were announced during the recording.

Quotes (from the podcast):
- \"You can either litigate or you can legislate.\"
- \"If we want to change the law, you have to change the law.\"
- \"I planted the seeds 6 years ago...we had resources that were only available to convention supported candidates.\"

Speakers cited in this article: Rob Axon (Chair, Utah Republican Party); Chuck (podcast host; Utah County Republican Party delegate/vice chair); Christie (podcast co-host; Utah County Republican Party official).

Authorities referenced in the discussion: SB 54 (state statute) and the party\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000bylaws (party bylaw) that Axon described as changed to limit certain resources to convention winners.

Ending: Axon urged delegates to treat repeal of SB 54 as a long-term project that requires both building political majorities in the Legislature and continuing to use party resources to show the practical benefits of the caucus-convention path.","Rob Axon, chair of the Utah Republican Party, told a Utah County Republican Party podcast that SB 54\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000the \"signature path\" to the ballot\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000requires a long-term legislative effort rather than relying solely on litigation; he described a mix of legal, legislative and party resource strategies the party has used.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Utah GOP chair calls for cultural shift at State Central Committee and suggests procedural changes

State party says it provided data, walking app and targeted funds to support convention winners

Utah GOP chair and county hosts outline convention, caucus problems and fixes after credentialing delays and tech outages

Utah GOP chair: state privacy rules hamper party outreach; party pushing legislative fixes

Utah GOP chair says long-term legislative strategy needed to reverse SB 54, not only litigation