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Countdown to the 2024 General Legislative Session

We’re just a few short weeks away from the upcoming Legislative session, which will begin on Tuesday January 16^th through March 1, 2024.

Throughout the year, the legislature meets periodically to study issues in more depth.  I have been working diligently to represent you and collaborate with my fellow Legislators to identify solutions to the challenges facing our state. I look forward to passing meaningful legislation to address these needs. 

Committee meetings and floor time alike are open to the public and I would love to see you in person at the Capitol.  Just send me a text (801-390-3444) if you plan to be at the Capitol and I’ll try to arrange my schedule to meet.  If you’re unable to make the drive, you can also participate in person or online at le.utah.gov. Daily schedules and agendas can be found online as well.

You're Invited: Pre-Legislative Town Hall

I will be holding two pre-legislative session town hall meetings this week on Wednesday, January 10th and Thursday, January 11th. I would love for you to join me as we discuss our policy priorities for the upcoming session. As your Representative, your feedback and ideas are important to me. In addition to these town halls and personal meetings, I’ll be sending out a survey in the early part of the session to get your feedback on some of the issues facing the state.

Wednesday, January 10th
6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Kaysville City Hall
23 E Center St, Kaysville UT 84037

Thursday, January 11th
6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Bountiful City Hall
795 S Main St, Bountiful, UT 84010

Where the Rubber Meets the Road

Local City Councils are on the front lines of government and have the biggest impact on our neighborhoods and lives. Each year before the legislative session city officials and local legislators try to meet to discuss priorities and potential issues that could impact cities. I always enjoyed these discussions as a Mayor and City Council member. As a legislator, they are even more valuable to me. So far I’ve met with Kaysville (Dec 7), Bountiful (Dec 12), Centerville (Jan 4), and I’m looking forward to discussions with Farmington (Jan 16).

Speaking of Roads—We Have a New One!

It was fun to see so many people from our area on a cold Saturday morning as we joined UDOT for a short “fun run” and ribbon cutting to celebrate the opening of the West Davis Highway. We’ve all been impacted by this construction for years, so we might as well celebrate that it’s open now (under budget and ahead of schedule!). As the weather improves, I encourage you to check out the great new trails that have been built next to the highway.

Holiday Activities

I wanted to share a couple of meaningful holiday activities that I enjoyed. In December our First Lady, Abby Cox visited the special needs kids who put on the Friend to Friend Christmas program at CenterPoint Legacy Theatre. If you’ve attended that annual show, you know there are very few dry eyes in the audience after that performance.

Another meaningful experience was serving dinner to ~100 men on Christmas day at the Detox Center in Salt Lake County (the Detox Center hosts those trying to recover from alcohol and drug addictions). Finally, we enjoyed the annual Christmas celebration at the Governor’s mansion, which is always decorated beautifully at Christmas.

Happy New Year

As this holiday season ends, I am reminded of what a privilege it is to serve as your Representative. I am grateful to be part of a community that truly reflects the spirit of giving, not only during the holiday season but all year long. Wishing you all a happy and fruitful New Year. 

Success Sequence

You may have seen recent news articles about a specific simple pattern of life events that can set the rising generation of Utahns up for success. Research has shown that 97% of those who follow a specific chain of events dubbed ‘the success sequence’ by graduating from high school, seeking  full-time employment, and getting married before having children won’t fall below the poverty line in their lifetime. You can learn more here. 

Continuing to Serve

Earlier this week I filed for re-election for an additional 2-year term in the Utah State House of Representatives. It’s been a privilege and an honor to serve my friends and neighbors in district 18 in the State Legislature. I genuinely appreciate the support and encouragement I have received.

Utah Establishes Free Speech Principles for Higher Education

Across the country, confidence in higher-education has fallen to an all-time low as many once-great bastions of free speech have devolved into highly political institutions. Utah won’t have it.

In December, the Utah Board of Higher Education unanimously approved a resolution to protect and cultivate free speech. 

Among other things, the resolution calls on our universities and colleges to maintain institutional neutrality on contentious political and social issues while promoting a culture of free expression and diversity of thought.

The Utah House Majority stands in support of the resolution and other efforts to strengthen one of the fundamental missions of higher education: promoting “the exchange of knowledge and ideas through teaching, research, critical evaluation, civil discourse, and debate.”

We’re proud of Utah’s strong higher-education institutions. By establishing foundational principles of free speech, they’ll remain strong. You can read the resolution in its entirety here.

Utah in the News

Here is a new section with some interesting articles selected by our legislative staff that may be of interest to you.  I find that reading multiple articles about a topic helps me to better understand different perspectives.

Deseret News: Perspective: The excesses of equity politics in higher ed

Deseret News: Utah public colleges, universities to eliminate application fees for in-state students

KSL: Utah's Innovation Fund aims to boost local startups and keep investments in-state

Deseret News: Following this ‘success sequence’ can help young people become successful adults

KSL: Utah's recreation economy is booming, reaping benefits for all

Fox 13: Utah students among smartest in US when it comes to SAT scores

KSL: The West Davis Corridor will open earlier than expected

KSL: Utah's growth became a bit more 'normal' in 2023

Standard Examiner: Odyssey Elementary opens in-school family resource center to aid students

Wall Street Journal: The Math for Buying a Home No Longer Works

Axios: Pew: Many teens use social media "almost constantly”