All eyes are on Utah. The Beehive State is on something of a winning streak after a month of back-to-back-to-back good news. The Winter Olympics will make a triumphant return to the state in 2034. University of Utah’s Kingsbury Hall will host the third and final general election presidential debate in 2024. Most importantly, Utah once again wears the crown for the most generous state in the nation – our fourth consecutive year.
Looking back, it’s been a busy month in the Legislature: interim meetings, House leadership elections, a new colleague in Rep. Ariel Defay, and a special session.
November Interim
My colleagues and I met for our last interim meetings of the year this November. You can watch the full recordings of those meetings at le.utah.gov or click hereto read the highlights. I look forward to taking what I have learned throughout the interim process to pass meaningful legislation for Utah in the upcoming 2024 general legislative session.
House Leadership Team
With the resignation of our former Speaker Brad Wilson, my colleagues and I met to elect a new House leadership team. The new assignments are as follows:
Speaker of the House – Mike Schultz
Majority Leader – Jeff Moss
Majority Whip – Karianne Lisonbee
Assistant Majority Whip – Casey Snider
I am excited to work with these individuals and I know they will do great things for our state.
Special Session
During last month’s interim meetings, the House convened in a special session to instate our newly elected Speaker of the House, Mike Schultz. We also passed a Resolution of Supporting the State of Israel. While much of the world fails to acknowledge the full scope of horrors committed against the Israeli people, Utah continues to stand with Israel as we pray for peace.
Water Policy Symposium
As the second driest state in the nation, it’s crucial that we are continuously planning for our water needs and preserving our water resources. With this goal in mind, the Utah House of Representatives hosted the third annual Utah Water Symposium, where we met with stakeholders and policy experts to discuss the current state of our water systems. We were also privileged to hear Seth Siegel, author of Let There Be Water: Israel’s Solution for a Water Starved World. In case you missed it, you can watch the full recording of the Symposium here.
Utah’s Budget Process: Leading the Nation
This November, Pew Charitable Trusts recognized the Beehive State for comprehensive and sustainable budget practices, including the deployment of long-term budget assessments and budget stress tests.
An early adopter to budget sustainability tools, Utah is one of only eight states to harness both practices and one of two to boast a AAA credit rating. These assessments help the Utah Legislature craft a balanced budget year after year.
Long-term budget assessments project revenue and spending several years into the future to determine whether the state of Utah is likely to face chronic budget deficits. Stress tests estimate the size of budget shortfalls from potential recessions or other economic events to gauge preparedness. The strategies paid off during the pandemic, allowing the Legislature to balance the budget “while minimizing harm to residents and the economy.”
Pew recommended other states follow Utah’s lead. “States could implement Utah’s strategy of paying for infrastructure with cash in most years to retain borrowing capacity for downturns,” says the report. “One advantage of Utah’s approach is that the state avoids some of the trade-offs between saving and spending, instead putting its dollars to work throughout the economic cycle rather than having them sit unused in an account potentially for years.”
Taxpayer Receipt
Utahns deserve to know how the state spends their tax dollars. A decade ago, the Legislature authorized the creation of the tool that reasonably estimates how much you paid in taxes and what those dollars fund in state government.
The Taxpayer Receipt – an easy-to-use online tool – has been revamped for Utahns. Get an estimate for your household here.
Utah Fits All Scholarship
The newly selected program manager for the Utah Fits All Scholarship will begin accepting applications on Feb. 28, 2024.
The Utah Board of Education selected the Alliance for Choice – a nonprofit with management experience in 12 states, including Utah – to oversee the program to provide up to $8,000 to eligible Utah students who attend private school or home school. Scholarship accounts can pay for education expenses and services, including private school tuition and fees, tutoring services, testing fees, materials and curriculum costs, contracted services, and more.
The application window closes May 15 and eligible families will receive notice about the award by May 27. Funds will be deposited in an ESA account by June 3. Learn more about the Utah Fits All Scholarship program here.
Get the facts: Utah’s Sensitive Materials Proposal
A draft proposal to empower parents to remove pornography from libraries and curriculum in Utah schools passed the Interim Education Committee with the full support of House Republicans.
The committee has worked through the interim to provide clarity and support for schools, and it’s important to set the record straight about what this proposal accomplishes:
“Should this bill become law, books and classroom materials that contain pornography as defined in Utah law, will be removed immediately,” according to committee co-chair Rep. Candice Pierucci. “Materials that do not meet that threshold, but are potentially harmful to children, will be reviewed by local schools and parents. Those decisions may be appealed through the local school board. This proposed legislation strikes the right balance in empowering parents, protecting children, and giving the needed support and guidance to schools and districts.”
Legislative Audit Subcommittee greenlights audit of Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes and his office
This month, the Legislative Audit Subcommittee gave approval for an audit of Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes and his office.
In a unanimous vote, legislative leadership tasked the Office of the Legislative Auditor General with auditing recent allegations involving the Utah attorney general and his office. The move comes after a bipartisan group of 26 lawmakers requested the audit, including 15 members of the House.
Legislative auditors expect the process to take anywhere from 10-12 months.
Merry Christmas
This time of year, we have the opportunity to spend increased time with our loved ones and reflect on our many blessings. I am grateful for the continued opportunity to serve each of you and to call this great state home. From my family to yours, wishing you all a very merry Christmas.
