At this holiday time, I want to express my sincere gratitude to the voters in our community for re-electing me for another two years to represent our neighborhoods in the State Legislature.  I appreciate the trust and confidence that have been given to me and consider it a genuine privilege to serve.  I welcome your feedback and opinions on issues anytime, but particularly now, in preparation for the 2025 legislative session.

Here is some interesting Election statistics from our State House District 18, which includes approximately 44,000 people in South/Central Davis County stretching from the edge of Bountiful, through Centerville, most of Farmington, and a slice of West Kaysville.

In District 18:

• 91% voted by mail, 1% voted early, 6% voted at the polls, along with another 2% who voted by provisional ballot at the polls (most provisional ballots are people who have moved or new voters registering for the first time)
• 86.5% turned out to vote ( 22,396 of 25,886 registered voters) compared to 85.2% for Davis County and 85.3% statewide
• 57% of our district voted for Donald Trump for President, compared to 59% for Davis County and 59% statewide
• 65% of our district voted for John Curtis for Senate, compared to 65% for Davis County and 62.5% statewide
• 58% of our district voted for Spencer Cox for Governor, compared to 57% for Davis County and 53% statewide
• 10% of our district wrote in Phil Lyman for Governor, compared to 12% for Davis County and 13.6% statewide

The legislature held our last interim meetings of the year as we prepare for the 2025 session to start in January.  Surveys have shown that affordable housing is a top priority for Utahns, and we spend a lot of time in the legislature talking about how we can align policies and incentives to encourage the private sector to build more starter homes.  In the Economic Development and Workforce Services Interim committee, we discussed draft legislation to improve the incentives for builders to build more starter homes, by modifying the definition of affordable housing and clarify owner-occupancy requirements for starter home incentives.  In our Political Subdivisions Interim Committee, we also had a discussion on Housing Policy and how various agencies report back on moderate housing plans. If you want to read all the gory details or look up a presentation, here is a summary of November Interim Highlights.

I was happy to attend the rally in the Capitol Rotunda to support the “Focused Student Project” to limit smartphone use in schools. I’ve seen firsthand the impact of smartphones on my family’s ability to focus (both at school and at home.  Let’s work together to remove the distraction of smartphones in our classrooms so both teachers and students can focus and do their best work.  (If you are curious about the research on how smartphones are impacting our kids (and us), I recommend reading The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt.)   

Earlier in November, I had the opportunity to join the First Lady, Abby Cox, who brought together educators and legislators from around the state to discuss Utah education. It was helpful to hear firsthand from teachers about their experiences with absenteeism, behavior issues, class sizes and more.

In November, legislative auditors released a major report on higher education efficiency and workforce alignment. The report urges institutions to better address Utah’s workforce needs, especially as they face projected declines in student enrollment.

Explore the latest legislative audits, including detailed reviews of OpenEd (formerly My Tech High) and emergency medical transportation in Utah.

Findings from the higher education audit:

• Institutions do not calculate program-level costs or fully understand market demand when making institutional decisions.
• Institution presidents should act with the system in mind to reduce program duplication, improve program outcomes, and coordinate programs.
• In some areas, institutions are losing student market share to private non-traditional institutions.

Recommendations: 

• Perform ongoing system review for operational efficiencies, including of programs, and determine whether system-level performance funding is desired.

• Use program cost, enrollment, completion, employment, and workforce demand data to determine if programs should be expanded, reduced, or discontinued.

This month, the Utah Senate, Utah House of Representatives, and Utah Department of Natural Resources brought together industry leaders, policy experts, elected officials, and stakeholders at the fourth annual Utah Water Symposium. 

This year’s Utah Water Pioneer award was given to Zach Renstrom, general manager for the Washington County Water Conservancy District and a prime example of leadership to the water community. The Utah Pioneer Award highlights a forward-thinking Utahn making a big difference for our state’s water resources. 

Corrections officers in our prisons, county jails, and community correctional centers work out of the spotlight day in and day out, playing an unheralded but essential role in keeping our communities safe. Read more about the Department of Corrections’ recent improvements here.

Utah is taking a realistic, all-of-the-above approach to energy. Even with burdensome federal regulations and policies piling on, we are committed to fighting back and passing policies that ensure Utah’s current and future energy needs are met. Check out this short video clip to learn more about what Utah’ doing. 

During the 2024 session, the Legislature passed H.B. 221, which compensated student teachers in Utah for their work. Future educators can now receive a $6,000 stipend during their semester in the classroom. Read more here. 

In the latest episode of Majority Report, House Majority Leader Rep. Jeff Moss talks with Rep. Stephen Whyte, a leading voice on housing policy and co-chair of the Commission on Housing Affordability. Representing House District 63 in Utah County, Rep. Whyte discusses his journey into public service, the root causes of Utah’s housing shortage, and how policymakers are working together to make homeownership more affordable.

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