As the Utah Legislature’s 2025 general session begins, Utah House Democrats plan to oppose the Utah Fits All education voucher program, as well as making sure students in higher education are getting what they need and standing up for the safety and rights of everyone in Utah.

On Tuesday’s first day of Utah’s legislative session, the House minority leadership held a press conference to announce their priorities for the session.

The minority caucus has divided their priorities into five issue areas: sustainability, health and well-being, education, good governance, and inclusion and representation. They said they will oppose funding private school scholarships,

The House Minority Caucus opposes the Utah Fits All voucher program

Rep. Sahara Hayes, D-Salt Lake City, emphasized opposing the Utah Fits All voucher program as one of the caucus’ top focuses for education during this session.

“We do not believe that public dollars should be ever used to fund private businesses, particularly when it’s a lot of money,” Hayes said. We’ve put $80 million into that program so far, and there’s no accountability metrics built in.”

She said this is especially a problem when that money could go to bolstering public education. The representative shared that she sat with a group of teachers earlier this month who were pleading for better resources.

“They do not have the tools that they need right now to support their students, and it is hard for them, and it is hard for the students, and they need an increased (weighted pupil unit) in order to do the job that they are given,” Hayes said.

The House Democrats concerns over cutting higher education funding

The legislators shared their concerns with the majority party’s plan for 10% across the board cuts to higher education funding.

Rep. Jennifer Dailey-Provost, D-Salt Lake City, said there is value in looking into programs at universities to see what can be changed. But, she said, it is most important to keep students’ needs at the center.

“At the end of the day, we need to focus on what’s best for students, and the fact that higher education is a critical place for students to learn critical thinking skills to make them ready, not just for the workforce, but to take on the world in general,” Dailey-Provost said.

House Minority Leader Angela Romero, D-Salt Lake City, added that while we do need to open additional seats in programs like nursing and mental health, it is important that the state still allows students to have their own academic freedom to study whatever they want for however long they want.

“So I’m just really, really, really concerned about what is the true agenda?” Romero said.

House Democrats will work on LGBTQ+ issues in Utah

When asked about the caucus’ strategy to approaching proposed restrictions to the LGBTQ+ community, Hayes said they are focused on stopping bills as they come up, but that often does not work. The next step is to talk “with the speaker, with the sponsors, trying to convey why there are problems with the bill or problematic language.”

Romero emphasized that the caucus is going to stand up and fight for the rights and protections of everyone in Utah.

“We’re not going to discriminate against somebody because of who they are,” Romero said.

House Democrats are concerned about the tone used when talking about immigration

Romero said she is concerned because from a national level and on a state level as well, immigration is being equated with public safety.

The caucus is concerned about public safety and believes in holding criminals accountable for the crimes they commit. But, Romero said, they don’t care what their immigration status is, if they’re committing crimes they need to be held accountable no matter what.

Concerns about public safety should not justify criminalizing an entire community, Romero said.

“There is a tenor to the conversation that seems to insinuate that immigration and criminal behavior is the same thing, and they are not,” Dailey-Provost said.

As a part of the caucus’ focus on health and well-being they will work in improve housing in Utah

“One of the critical ways that health and safety manifests is being safely housed and having a home,” Dailey-Provost said.

The caucus wants to make sure that all individuals and families in the state have access to housing.

To do this and to address the state’s growing homelessness crisis the caucus is working with partners to decrease building costs, increase housing supply, implementing common sense density policies and address issues with institutional investors which contribute to increasing home prices.

The representatives will also work to protect unsheltered people from being targeted by organized crime.

“By providing safe housing, mental health support and addiction services, we can reduce their vulnerability and improve their safety,” Dailey-Provost said.