Utah
What are the priorities for the Utah Legislature’s Republican supermajority for the 2024 session?
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25218049/merlin_3013282.jpg "What are the priorities for the Utah Legislature’s Republican supermajority for the 2024 session?")
When Utah lawmakers meet Tuesday to kick off their annual 45-day session, the focus will be on the lists of priorities set by the Republican supermajorities in the House and the Senate.
The House majority published a 45-page guide entitled, “For Utah A Bold Vision, A Bright Future,” to showcase their intention to “pass policies that address today’s problems and create generational benefits” for Utahns.
The Senate majority caucus put together a priority list, too, “Utahns First Sustainability At Every Level,” that promises the state can prepare for any challenges by “building on the achievements of the past and prioritizing family and business-friendly policies.”
The issues to be tackled are largely general and don’t delve into some of the hot-button topics coming up, such as efforts to curtail diversity, equity and inclusion practices at the state public universities and colleges, or attempts to limit voting by mail.
Utah’s Democratic lawmakers in the House and Senate aren’t planning to release their priorities until the start of the session, a spokeswoman said. Democrats hold just 14 of the 75 House seats and six of the 29 Senate seats.
New House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, went over his chamber’s priorities on Monday with the Deseret News editorial board and rolled them out at a news conference in the state Capitol on Wednesday,
“It’s been more robust, with more involvement, than any other one that we’ve done before,” Schultz told reporters Wednesday, saying the list of priorities “really, truly is our caucus as a whole coming together.”
They go beyond “what’s popular at the moment” to address long-term needs, the speaker said. “We’re at a pivotal time in the state’s history. As we transition form a small state to a medium state, the decisions we make today will have generational impact.”
House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, joins with members of the House Majority Caucus to review policy priorities and answer questions at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024.
Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
Utah House Republican priorities
The House GOP divided its priorities into four areas:
- People: “We want to make sure we continue to create policy that makes us a family-friendly state gong forward,” House Majority Leader Jefferson Moss, R-Saratoga Springs, said at the news conference, including by reducing regulations that limit access to child care and promoting what’s known as the “success sequence” of life events for young adults.
Taxpayers, Moss said, are “feeling the sting of inflation.” The House majority is promising to “continue to improve government efficiency so we can ease tax burdens.” Legislative leaders have already set aside $160 million for what will likely be another income tax cut this year, but Schultz said it’s “irresponsible” to say that’s the right number until after new state revenue projections come out in February.
Limiting regulation is also the GOP representatives’ plan for improving the health and well-being of Utahns, Moss said, and working with local governments to address homelessness is also on the agenda.
Improving school safety, easing the burden of school fees and “making it a more desirable thing to be a teacher, looking for ways to create more innovative pathways into the teaching profession” are ways to helps students and teachers, Moss said.
- Resources: For water, Moss said lawmakers will be trying “to find ways to conserve it and coordinating efforts across the state” to deal with drought. Energy is a big topic on the hill this year, with a statewide plan in the works to ensure “reliable, affordable and dispatchable” sources in the wake of what the majority caucus calls “Washington, D.C.’s irrational energy policy.”
The nation’s capital is also a target in the lands policy. “Lands is very important. We want to continue to fight for our lands, to be able to have access to our lands,” Moss said, referring to the federal government’s ownership of about two-thirds of the state’s acreage. The House Republicans are also calling for recognizing that “technological development and innovation in fossil fuels are part of the solution to our environmental challenges.”
- Accountable government: “We believe the federal government continues to overreach and we want to continue to push back on that overreach, fighting for our state rights,” Moss said. “Internally, we want to make sure the government is more efficient, finding ways to cut waste.” Schultz told the Deseret News that the Legislature’s budget committees have not been given a specific goal for reducing spending.
Public safety is part of the focus on accountability. Moss said there are a number of effort underway to answer the question, “how do we make sure that our citizens feel safe,” Those include dealing with staffing shortages as well as “other challenges” threatening the safety and security of state prison staff and inmates.
Higher education falls into this category, too, in the House GOP list, “I know we’ve heard a lot about this. That’s making sure that our campuses are free to be able to express your opinions, and not have to worry about whether you’re going to be scrutinized on that. We want to make it inclusive for everyone,” Moss said. Also on the agenda is reducing the time and money needed to earn a degree.
- Future: “We’re looking for innovative solutions to big problems,” Moss said, in housing, transportation and technology. Reducing regulation is again part of the plan to “streamline” the development of an increased supply of affordable housing.
Transportation investments “are essential to maintian Utah’s high quality of life,” the caucus’ guide says, accounting “for growth where it is happening” while considering all options including public transit.
Moss said House Republicans “want to look at new ways to embrace new technology but also make sure we’re safeguarding our data.” The guide points out that artificial intelligence “promises to boost productivity and enhance our everyday lives; however, potential risks like misinformation and deep fakes pose a threat to public wellbeing.”
The Senate Chamber is pictured at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024.
Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
Utah Senate Republican priorities
Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, who is serving his sixth session as a top legislative leader, stressed the need to continue the state’s significant successes.
“We’ve got kind of a legacy that we need to uphold. When I think about what’s been done before us, we’re very fortunate,” Adams said, citing Utah being singled out nationally for the state’s economic and other strengths, including volunteerism.
“There’s been some great things happening in Utah,” he said. “But with those great things, there are some challenges also.” The Senate majority caucus has identified those that will be a priority this session. They are:
- Energy: “Energy drives our economy,” Adams said. “We’re going to do everything we can to try to keep our energy prices reasonable in Utah even though a lot of it is out of our control. We’ll do what we can here.”
The state will still move toward renewable energy “but we’re not going to do it at the expense of our economy, he said, adding that means finding ways to keep coal-fired power plants open longer, although it’s “very unlikely” there will be financial incentives offered.
- Water: “Water has already been a priority in a drought,” Adams said, “We’ll continue to look at innovative conservation practices and trying to find a way to protect Great Salt Lake and develop the water resources we need.”
- Education: Among contiguous states, “we have the highest starting teacher salaries after what we did last year and we’ve doubled the spending, on education in the last 10 years,” he said, but a bill is in the works to raise the pay to $100,000 or “high performing teachers.”
- Affordable housing: “Great efforts” have been made in the past on higher-density developments in cities but Adams said he’s “been panicked we’re losing our middle class. Home ownership is really the American dream.”
Last session, the Senate leader sponsored legislation setting up a fund for first-time homebuyers that he said sparked the governor’s budget proposals on housing. Adams stopped short of signing off on that plan, but pledged to “continue to focus on trying to get people into a home.”
- Homelessness and criminal justice reform: While the issues are listed separately on the Senate majority’s list, Adams said they should be combined. “We need to make sure we’re giving people a hand up, not a hand out, that we’re trying to motivate them to change their circumstances.”
He said there will probably be some “refinements’ of the governor’s homelessness proposals but “we’re aligned for sure in principle.”
- Infrastructure: The economy may dictate what lawmakers can do, Adams said, when it comes to improving Utah’s transportation system and addressing traffic congestion to keep up with the continued growth in our state.
- Fiscally responsible tax cut: “We’ve cut taxes again and again and again, three years in a row but again this year we’ll be probably a little more cautious,” Adams said, due to the slowdown in the state’s revenue growth that he blames on energy prices. Like Schultz, he suggested there may be changes to he proposed $160 million tax cut.
- Social media: Utah “will continue to lead in that. We’ll stand up and protect our kids against any litigation,” Adams said. “It’s pretty much documented that we’re seeing some difficult social effects from social media,” especially on teenaged girls,
It has been a long time since the Jazz last played a meaningful game I desperately wanted them to win, and it is unhealthy how excited I am for this matchup. After a solid three games in the SLC Summer League, the Jazz head south to Las Vegas, and as hot as the desert sun is sure to be outside, on the court, the Thursday night primetime game featuring the top two picks in the draft will be much hotter.
How to Watch the Las Vegas Summer League?
Who: Utah Jazz vs Washington Wizards
When: Thursday, July 9, 2026 | 7:00 MT
Where: Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, NV
How to watch: ESPN, Jazz+
Darryn Peterson and AJ Dybantsa
Summer league games do not matter in the record books, but this game is a statement-making opportunity for both AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson. Given the historical nature of this draft class, especially at the top, there is some real juice to this game that is atypical of most Summer League games. AJ has the chance to silence the noise that has swelled after Darryn’s remarkable performances in the SLC Summer League. Meanwhile, Darryn has the chance to ratchet up the noise and take the NBA world by storm with another solid performance against the Wizards. Can you imagine the narratives if Darryn were to come out and dominate AJ as he has through high school and college? In the words of the great Charles Barkley, I have two words for you… Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa, must-see TV.
Ace Bailey looked really impressive in his 2.5 quarters of play in Salt Lake before missing games with back spasms. It is unknown whether or not he will be ready to go for the Vegas opener, but if he is available, he will probably be the one checking AJ Dybantsa on defense. His combination of length and athleticism could not only make things difficult for AJ on the defensive end but also expose his lackadaisical defense on the offensive end. If Ace is able to go, he will be looking to show the Jazz and the NBA that he is ready to take a leap in year two.
Which Jazz Big Man Will Stand Out?
Which big man will step up this game? In Game 1, we saw a lot of Kylor Kelley, who was a little less than impressive. Against Memphis, Jaxon Kohler, the Utah native, showed up and showed out against Cam Boozer. In game three, although the number of NBA-level players was few and far between, Jonas Aidoo stole the show with his rebounding and ability to play his role. Will we see one of those same three guys seize their opportunity, or will another guy like Micah Handlogten or Eric Dixon steal the show? We saw how vital a big that can roll and catch passes is for Darryn Peterson as a lead guard, playmaking-wise. It will be interesting to see who steps up to the plate to relieve pressure when he is blitzed and double-teamed.
SIDE NOTE: Adam Silver is LAME
No one should ASPIRE to be as boring as Adam Silver. After much excitement was made about Keyonte George making his unofficial coaching debut on Thursday night, according to Sarah Todd, the league has nixed that excitement and won’t allow Keyonte to be coaching on the sideline because who knows why…? I guess they were worried about the Jazz circumventing the salary cap to pay Keyonte or something. Anyways, I guess Will Hardy’s coaching TREE will have to wait for more branches to grow. Adam Silver remains evil in my book.
SALT LAKE CITY, UT (Good Things Utah) – A Park City charitable foundation is challenging outdoor athletes to turn their miles into meals for hungry kids. Terrence Moorehead is the co-founder of the non-profit RipLine Foundation. He says the RipLine Foundation seeks to channel the energy of Utah’s outdoor athletes, adventurers, and enthusiasts into the fight against childhood hunger. RipLine’s mission: Fight Hunger Feed the Future. It’s delivered through three peer‑to‑peer leader challenges across the year that turn movement into meals for children in need. 100% of funds raised go directly to vetted giving partners, including No Kid Hungry, Feeding America, Feed the Children, and Vitamin Angels.
The challenge is to turn every mile walked, run, biked, or hiked, and every hole of golf played into meals for kids facing food insecurity. Terrence says ‘Outdoor athletes are the most generous, motivated, and passionate community in the state and we’re done pretending we can’t do something to help our kids. Every mile is a meal. Every climb is a meal. Every round of golf is a meal. If you’re already moving, you’re already qualified.’
He says this summer they have Miles in the Wild™ – walking, running, biking, and hiking – which currently runs through September, and Balls Out™ which is our summer golf challenge. They are encouraging athletes in their preferred sport to rally networks of family, friends, coworkers, and crews to sponsor their effort.
Terrence says ‘Childhood hunger is unacceptable in a country this abundant — and it’s an area where we can have a real and meaningful impact. What’s been missing is a model that scales — that turns individual effort into measurable, repeatable impact. RipLine is built to do exactly that. Every Leader brings a network. Every dollar reaches a child. The math works. The Foundation has committed to providing one million meals in 2026 alone — its first year of fundraising — with a 2030 target of four million meals and one million children nourished.’
To sign up go to riplinefoundation.org
SALT LAKE CITY — Rep. Mike Kennedy, R-Utah, views liberty as a driving force in American history, which is why he’s thrilled about a 60-foot-long and 36-foot-tall arch planned for a space near the Utah Capitol.
The Grand Liberty Arch, designed by renowned artist Sabin Howard, is expected to become one of the largest bronze sculptures in the West by the time it’s completed over the next seven years. Kennedy believes it will highlight the effort to gain liberty over the past 250 years.
“For two and a half centuries, liberty has been an active ingredient in the background of American history, and the driving engine of our national progress,” he said on Monday, as a 6-foot model of Howard’s piece rotated within the Utah Capitol rotunda next to him. “It is the vital spark that transformed a collection of colonies into a beacon of global innovation and human potential.”
However, those who live near its planned location are less excited by the state’s plan, not by the sculpture as much as the spot the state has in mind and the process by which it was selected. They believe it will drastically alter a longstanding open space, and question why the project was voted on quickly without much public feedback.
The Grand Liberty Arch
The Capitol Preservation Board signed off on the project in May, with the expectation that the estimated $55 million cost will be raised privately. Former Zions Bank CEO Scott Anderson was working with JLL Salt Lake City Real Estate to raise the funds, meeting with family foundations and large corporations, officials said during the meeting.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox penned a letter in support of the project in February, saying that he believes in the “significance of this legacy piece.” Howard, who recently completed a World War I memorial in Washington, D.C., had his latest vision on display at the Utah Capitol over Fourth of July weekend, so people could better view his vision.
The sculpture depicts many elements of the past 250 years in the U.S., from the Revolutionary War and the signing of the Declaration of Independence to the building of the country and its westward expansion. An unveiling ceremony was held Monday, where Howard and others were able to describe it and its importance for now and the next 250 years.
“America is dynamic. … Americans do not stand still,” he said. “The Grand Liberty Arch is a celebration of liberty that has transformed our nation.”
It’s expected to be built in phases over the next seven years, completed in time for the 2034 Winter Olympics and Paralympics. Over 100 people showed up for the ceremony, making sure to snag a photo of the model by the end of it.
A neighborhood’s concern
The sculpture is to be located at 17 W. 500 North, on a parcel across the street from the Utah Capitol, informally known by some as the Capitol triangle. Utah owns the land, but it’s also not considered part of the primary Capitol Complex, meaning it’s not subject to some of the same Capitol grounds rules, Cox said.
Utah House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, called it the “perfect location” during the board’s May meeting. Renderings show a plan to remove some of the park’s longstanding trees, replacing them with cherry trees around the arch that essentially adds to the Capitol’s walkway.
The location has also created a stir within its neighborhood. The Capitol Hill Neighborhood Council ended a June 17 meeting by debating several options to respond to the state’s decision.
There were some concerns raised about some of the depictions, but most are concerned about potential impacts to the current open space, which is used for an annual gathering, but also smaller park space since it’s located right next to homes, said Jonathan Bruns, chairman of the Capitol Hill Neighborhood Council.
“It’s off the main (path), so it’s a little … removed from the main grounds. It’s usually a quieter spot,” he explained.
With thousands of people projected to cross the street to view the piece, they said it could snarl traffic along Capitol and Columbus streets. Others were concerned by the size and scale of the project and the quick process to select a design, which appeared to include little to no public feedback.
Salt Lake City Councilman Chris Wharton, whose district includes the area, pointed out that the state is exempt from local processes, meaning there’s nothing the city or county could do to intervene. As a resident and lawyer, he suggested a formal complaint to the Capitol Preservation Board over the monument process around the Capitol complex, which the neighborhood council plans to do.
The council agreed to submit a formal complaint to the board and Utah Attorney General’s Office to make sure that the board followed Utah’s Open and Public Meetings Act and normal processes for a monument. It also agreed to submit a public records request on the project for a “comprehensive report of community feedback.”
Part of the complaint centers around a discussion of a 100-year monument project for which there were two options discussed in May, separate from the arch. One celebrated the golden spike, while the other highlighted women’s suffrage in Utah, but the project was placed on hold over logistics.
Board members didn’t abandon the project, but said the arch could ultimately serve as the selection. That made the neighborhood question if it followed the correct process for monuments, Bruns explained.
“It kind of seems like this went around the rules in an odd way. … We are obviously doing work to make sure it was done by the right processes,” he said.
The attorney general’s complaint has since been filed, while the rest are in the works, he told KSL. He’s unsure if the council would file a lawsuit over the time and money that would strain a volunteer group of residents.
Bruns credited Howard for being responsive, adding that he’s hopeful the state can also be understanding of the neighborhood’s concerns, whether that’s project adjustments or a new location.
The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.
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