Interim meetings resumed last month, and I welcomed the opportunity to get back to the Capitol to continue working to study, debate, and craft policies that will benefit our community and state. Interim allows us to hear directly from industry experts and the public alike. Hearing your voices, your concerns, and your ideas on the issues that matter most is exactly what keeps our legislative process grounded and effective, and I look forward to keeping that open dialogue going throughout the rest of the year.

During our meetings last month, I made a motion that was approved to add data centers and Public Infrastructure Districts to our interim study list. Both issues have generated significant discussion as Utah continues to grow. Over the coming months, we will take a closer look at the opportunities and challenges associated with these developments, hear from stakeholders and local communities, and consider what reasonable guardrails may be needed. The goal is to provide greater clarity and ensure that we are prepared to address these important issues thoughtfully during the upcoming legislative session. I look forward to sharing the results of that work with you.

Our next interim meetings will take place on June 16th and 17th at the Capitol. I would love to see you there in person, or you can watch recordings, participate in livestreams, view agendas, and more at le.utah.gov. 

Governor Cox has issued a Drought Executive Order declaring a statewide state of emergency due to our drought conditions. Our mountain snowpack serves as Utah's primary water supply, and with our reservoirs drawing down quickly, aggressive water conservation is absolutely critical for all of us this season. Because our landscapes are incredibly dry, this drought also brings a significantly heightened risk of wildfires. This summer, while you’re enjoying all the beauty our state has to offer, please practice extra caution and use our fire sense whenever spending time outdoors. Let’s do our part to conserve water, prevent human-caused wildfires, and protect our communities.

Utah’s continued prosperity is rooted in the strength of our homes, and that was proven in a new national report that ranks Utah #1 in the family structure index. This ranking reflects our state’s high marriage rates and the fact that more of our children are raised in stable, two-parent households than anywhere else in the country. Our commitment to family values has led to tangible results: Utah currently holds the lowest childhood poverty rate in the nation and the lowest reliance on public assistance. When we prioritize the family unit, we see a direct correlation with our #1 rankings in volunteerism, charitable giving, and overall economic outlook. For the fourth year in a row, Utah has been named the best state in the nation, proving that strong families are not just a social priority—they are the primary engine behind the greatest success story in the American experiment.

One of my top priorities for our state is ensuring we have secure, reliable, and affordable baseload power that is always available when our families and businesses need it. In Utah, we embrace an “all-of-the-above” approach to energy that allows us to utilize every resource at our disposal to keep our power affordable and independent. In a major step forward for this vision, Utah has teamed up with Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico to launch the Mountain West Geothermal Consortium. Geothermal energy is a crucial piece of this puzzle because it provides a continuous, 24/7 supply of electricity that doesn't rely on the weather. We are uniquely positioned to lead this industry because high-quality heat is closer to the surface here, and experts are already calling Utah the heart of this geothermal renaissance. By streamlining permitting and cutting through bureaucratic red tape, this consortium will help expand our domestic energy portfolio and ensure Utah remains a powerhouse of innovation and grid reliability.

The wait is over! Utah’s new America 250 license plate is officially available. I serve as one of the three members of Utah’s License Plate Design Review Board, and I was glad to help move this plate through the process of design and approval. The 13-star flag, the “1776,” and the clean, classic look make this a great way to commemorate the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding.

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