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Calendar 2024
Learn about events on the calendar page.
Big Issues for 2024
Here is a high-level summary of the types of things that we prioritized during the 2024 session.
People
- Policies that support families with children
- Lower regulatory burden and reduce taxes
- Focus on improving the mental and behavioral health system
- Get back to basics in the classroom
Resources
- Long-term investments in water infrastructure and conservation technology
- Protect Utah’s ability to produce reliable and affordable power
- Support responsible resource development
Accountable Government
- Adopt contingency plans to safeguard critical state programs
- Reduce and eliminate unnecessary board and commissions
- Oversee implementations of election reforms
- Increase the value of higher education through more efficient programs
Future
- Improve processes to increase housing supply
- Continue to plan for an invest in all modes of transportation
- Develop safeguards for AI and data privacy
My Legislative Assignments (2024)
- Business and Labor Standing Committee
- Business and Labor Interim Committee
- Government Operations Standing Committee
- Revenue and Taxation Interim Committee
- Public Education Appropriations Subcommittee, Vice Chair
Areas of Focus
There are many issues where I have both passion for change and expertise. Here is a brief summary of areas that I continue to focus on.
Education
- Funding Flexibility – I am a constant advocate for fewer earmarks and more local control in deciding how education fund should be used.
- Division of Roles – I am interested in a more clear delineation of education rules between the legislature and state and local elected board members.
Personal Freedom and Business
- While we have made a lot of progress over the past ten years, there is still work to do to eliminate unnecessary regulations and burdens on Utah’s businesses.
Poverty Reform
- Utah invests hundreds of millions each year in alleviating poverty and addressing the symptoms, yet the problem seems to never go away. I have worked with many legislators and stakeholders to revise our approach to poverty to be more effective, with the goal of decreasing the number of families that depend on public assistance for their basic needs.
Public Health and Health System Reform
- Drug importation – We continue to explore ways to allow and encourage the importation of equally safe, but lower cost drugs from Canada or other countries to help Utahns save money.
- Health Plan Design – Health plans face a conflict of interest in designing plans that increase profitability instead of encouraging or promoting more effective, efficient or higher value health care. I continue to look for ways to improve the way health plans can lead to better health care and health.
Tax Fairness
- We need to continue to looking at our tax policies to make sure that taxes and credits are applied fairly and are transparent to the general public.
Occupational and Business Freedom
- Competency Based Approaches to Regulation – People should be allowed to do the jobs they have been trained to do. We need to replace “seat-time” and other box-checking requirements with options for people who can demonstrate competency to get to work.
- Applying Universal Principles – We need clear guidelines for when the government should and shouldn’t get between a person and their chosen profession and push toward the least burdensome method possible to protect health and welfare.
My Accomplishments
Education
- Funding – Capped the automatic property tax increase at 4% increase in the weighted value unit.
- Teacher training – A constituent identified some issues with Utah’s teacher training programs. We were able to resolve the issues without changing the law.
Personal Freedom and Business
- Telemarketing – Make it harder for telemarketers in the State of Utah to avoid the Do Not Call provisions. Bill passed 2022
- Protecting business from bad-faith ADA claims – would outlaw the practice of sending a demand letter that requires a cash settlement to avoid a lawsuit if the business isn’t given a chance to fix the problem.
- Gun rights – Changed Utah law to decriminalize the peaceful and otherwise lawful possession of concealed weapons on public transportation. Bill passed 2016.
- Freedom of expression on public property – Clarified in Utah law that local governments must have a consistent policy established to allow political speech on public grounds. Bill passed 2018.
- Reduce Mobility Barriers – Make it easier for licensed and qualified professionals to relocate to Utah. Bill passed (Rep. Maloy) 2018.
Public Health
- Daylight Saving Time – Enacted a bill to establish that as soon as federally approved and our neighbors join with us, Utah will move to permanent Daylight Saving time. #locktheclock
- Trampoline parks – Set statewide health and safety standards for trampoline parks so that we have a consistent minimum requirement for all cities and towns.
- Hemp Extracts – Added a study to the hemp oil registry program so we will know if it is working.
- Vaccination Requirements – I negotiated a compromise between public health advocates and family rights groups that updates our law regarding vaccination rights. The updates decrease the burden on families of exempt children (medical, religious or personal) and increases the ability of public health to respond in the case of an outbreak. Bill passed 2017.
Automobile Freedom and Safety
- Protecting Drivers With Hidden Disabilities – A bipartisan effort (with Rep. Pitcher) to allow people with invisible disabilities to have their drivers license or license plates annotated to help inform law enforcement officers in case of an emergency. Bill passed 2022, unanimously.
- Safety Inspections – Remove the requirement to have passenger vehicles inspected by state-licensed facilities. Supported bill by Rep. McCay that passed in 2017.
- DUI reduction – Lowered the legal limit for blood alcohol from .08 to .05. Bill passed in 2017.
- Reduced costs – Make it possible for license plates to transfer ownership when a car is sold to reduce the need for license plate fees. Bill passed 2018.
Health System Reform
- Utah Health Workforce Act – Creates a process for developing health care workforce in a way that breaks down silos and relies on real data. Bill passed 2022
- Mental Health Licensing – Reduced the number of hours required be be a social worker, mental health counselor or marriage therapist to align with national averages. Bill passed 2022
- Pharmacy Access – Secured funding to allow pharmacists to provide Medication Therapy Management to Medicaid recipients.
- Insulin Access – Ensure that every person dependent on insulin can get access to this lifesaving treatment at a reasonable cost and with minimal systemic barriers.
- Pharmacist Prescribing – Created a process for the Pharmacy Board to include prescribing of low-risk, high-value medications by pharmacists.
- Billing Protection – Requires health care providers who receive an overpayment to refund the money to the patient. Bill passed 2016.
- Right to Shop – Create positive incentives for consumers to search for lower cost health care. Bill passed 2018.
State Governance
- Boards and commissions – Remove partisan requirements on boards and commissions that have no inherent partisan interests.
- State employee leave policy – Clarifies that employees needed to respond to a disaster by organizations besides the Red Cross are also eligible for paid leave. Bill PASSED 2018.
- USOR Move – Move the State Office of Rehabilitation under the oversight of the Governor to improve efficiency and oversight. Bill passed 2016.
- County commission elections – Allows counties to choose a different way to elect county commissioners. Bill passed 2017.
Special Assistance for Constituents
- Increased funding for psych techs at the Utah State Hospital – Helps resolve difficulties in recruiting and retaining workers into this critical position.
- Funding for people with disabilities – Advocate for additional funding for existing programs that have waiting lists.
- Deaf & Hard of Hearing – Standardize and simplify the definition of “deaf and hard of hearing” in the code and recognize the efforts of those who work with deaf children.
- FFA Foundation – Allow the Utah FFA Foundation to be on the list for special group license plates.
- Minuteman Highway – Designate a section of a Utah state highway to honor the Utah National Guard.
- Forensic Mental Health Coordinating Council – Clean up definitions for members to be consistent with current structure.