Hello Friends,

The month of September has been filled with both happiness and heartbreak within our local communities, the state, and nation. Although the Legislature is not in session, it has felt that legislative-related work has been on overtime this month. I want to keep you informed of important happenings in our state and in our House District. I’m deeply grateful for wonderful neighbors, friends and residents throughout Mapleton, Springville and Spanish Fork. The way our neighborhoods are working together and responding to both good and difficult situations is an example to the entire state and nation. Thank you for the privilege to serve and represent you in the Legislature.

The horrific act of violence against Charlie Kirk is a tragedy filled with sadness and heartache for many people. Words can’t adequately express my feelings of sadness for Charlie Kirk, his wife and two young children. My heart goes out to them and my dear friends and neighbors who work and attend classes at UVU, a wonderful, safe, inviting place of learning where I had the honor of teaching for 13 years. Violence is never, never the solution and it cannot be tolerated, and it will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. This is a tragic reminder that we need “the better angels of our nature” to emerge with civility, respect and love for each other.

I am grateful for the way Utahns responded to this political assignation—with unity, compassion, and a renewed commitment to stand together against hate. Let’s recommit to carrying forward the principles of liberty, dignity, respect, courage and compassion. Read more about Utah’s response here.

In 2023, I was pleased to support and vote yes for HB179 in which the Legislature designated September as “American Founders and Constitution Month” and includes Constitution Day (September 17) among the days to be observed. The Legislature created this designation to:

• Encourage deeper civic engagement, civic education, and awareness of the founding principles of the United States.
• Honor and celebrate the nation’s founders and the U.S. Constitution, a foundational document worth reflecting on annually.
• Engage schools, communities, and organizations in educational programming about constitutional government and its relevance today.
• Further the idea that reading the Constitution, reflecting on its meaning, and teaching its principles can help bridge divides and promote civic understanding.

As part of the celebrations, I was honored to plan and host two special events at the Capitol exclusively for our House District to celebrate the 238th anniversary of the signing of the Constitution. Thank you to everyone who attended. We’re blessed by the Founding Fathers’ inspired work and for the freedoms and privileges provided in the U.S. Constitution.

If your community, church, or civic group is interested in joining me at the Capitol for an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour, please reach out. I’d love to host you.

In the September Interim Legislative meetings, I met with my Legislative committees and reviewed ways to strengthen data privacy in schools, improve access to healthcare, modernize transportation and DMV services, and ensure our communities remain safe and supported. The work we’re doing now lays the foundation for policies that directly impact everyday life—from safer roads to more reliable public services. I’m deeply grateful for the chance to carry the voice of our community to the Capitol and make sure your priorities are at the heart of these conversations. In case you missed it, click here to read the Legislative Committee highlights or watch full recordings from September’s meetings at le.utah.gov.

Our next interim meetings are coming up on October 14-15, and I encourage you to join us. Committee meetings are always open to the public, whether you’d like to attend in person or stream them online at le.utah.gov. There, you can also check schedules, read agendas, and watch recordings of past meetings. Your input shapes the decisions we make, so I hope to see you there.

Spending time on Utah Lake with DNR and Utah Lake Authority helped me better understand what is being done to reduce harmful algae blooms, get rid of carp, grow new native vegetation, increase native fish species, and improve recreation access points. A lot of good work is being done and more is needed. Utah Lake is vital to our valley, and to our local community, for many reasons. Water enters through the Provo, American Fork and Spanish Fork Rivers as well as Current and Hobble Creeks and then leaves through the Jordan River and flows north to the Great Salt Lake. Read about the carp removal traps here.

Thank you Mapleton City for this month’s annual Public Safety Night Out. What a great community gathering to learn about safety and to interact with our amazing law enforcement, fire and EMS all while having a fun—especially dunking your local Representative. The hundreds of kids had great arms and aim.

The 9/11 Day of Caring provided an opportunity for thousands of people within our community and Utah Valley to gather, serve, and remember the nearly 3,000 innocent lives taken in the attack on our nation 24 years ago. The community breakfast followed by hundreds of service projects throughout our neighborhoods was even more poignant as neighbors and community partners reached out in love and came together in comradery and care to serve and comfort mourning hearts from the tragedy on UVU’s campus of the political assignation of Charlie Kirk. Thank you United Way of Utah County for planning and continuing the Day of Caring for the past 32 years.

Education is a top priority for me and all my colleagues in the Legislature, and I’m proud that Utah was ranked the #2 best state in the nation for teachers. This recognition reflects historic investments by the Legislature, including the largest single pay raise for teachers in state history. Utah also ranks second in the nation for 10-year salary growth, with teacher pay raising 50% over the past decade. With the largest share of our state budget dedicated to public education, these investments are making a real difference. Competitive salaries, steady growth, and policies that expand opportunity for educators are helping Utah teachers thrive—and that means a brighter future for our students and communities.

As House Chair of Public Education Appropriations Committee, being in schools allows me to see successes and opportunities to further help Utah’s children. This month I experienced the good work being done in classrooms in Cherry Creek Elementary (Springville) where I was invited to speak, and throughout Provo School District. Shoreline Middle School students, teachers and staff demonstrated education energy. Inside the Portuguese immersion class, art class using cool tech, and science class with hands-on-projects, I saw teachers and students engaged in effective and fun learning. It made me want to go back to Middle School. On top of it all, students on the Panther Way team were incredible. Students helping students to improve education. What a great program. Thank you Principal Hirschi, teachers Mr. Harris (Art), Ms. Lima (Portuguese), Ms. Ziering (English/Student Gov), Ms. Gillian (English), Mr. Baggett (Science), and to the amazing students Victor and Noah and the entire Panther Way Team.

In another neighborhood, Franklin Elementary’s new principal, teachers and staff are laser focused on academic outcomes for each student. This turnaround school is doing amazing work reimagining staffing and helping students succeed. Student by student, skill by skill is evaluated weekly and you could see and feel how much the teachers care for the students. Thank you Principal Dalby, Assistant Principal Vandermark and thank you to the wonderful kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade teachers I saw in action.

The Utah Legislative Redistricting Committee continues its work of selecting Utah’s Congressional boundaries under 3rd District Court order. While we will exhaust all legal options, we are taking this responsibility seriously to comply with Prop 4, as required by law, and uphold the Legislature’s constitutional right to determine boundaries, per the Utah State Constitution.

Prop 4 requires the Legislature to prioritize population deviation, minimizing city and county splits, compactness, contiguity, preserving neighborhoods, following natural geography, and avoiding maps that favor or disfavor parties or candidates. After meeting those standards, we also consider Utah-specific needs like rural/urban balance, military installations, higher education, and federal lands.

Despite the challenge, the Committee has selected five maps that meet the criteria. A 10-day public comment period runs until October 5. You can view and comment on the maps under consideration by visiting redistriciting.utah.gov.

As a Legislature, we’ve been working hard to preserve the Great Salt Lake. A new $200 million investment from business and philanthropic sources is being deployed to reverse the lake’s decline, protect the environment, secure wildlife habitat, and stabilize water levels. Over the past few years, the Legislature has directed more than $1 billion toward statewide water conservation—helping agriculture use less water, improving measurement of water usage, and dedicating over 288,000 acre-feet of water to the lake that wasn’t committed before. These actions show our commitment to protecting this precious resource, ensuring environmental health, and safeguarding Utah’s heritage.

Thanks to key legislation from this past session, Utah’s public colleges and universities are planning to reinvest $60 million into high-demand programs like engineering, AI, biotech, and mental health—all without raising tuition or taxes. This is exactly the kind of smart, responsible use of taxpayer dollars we need: supporting education, preparing students for the jobs of tomorrow, and strengthening our economy. Fiscal responsibility means funding what matters most, and these investments show a clear commitment to Utah’s future.

At this month’s Utah County Republican Party central committee meeting, we elected our new House District 63 leadership team. Congrats to Carolina Herrin (Chair), Carl Hollan (Vice Chair), and Brent Bowles (Education Officer). This is a great team who will help everyone who lives in our House District. Thanks for your service!

Unsubscribe from future updates