It is an honor to serve you in the Utah House.
I have broad experience representing you and working for you. So much has been accomplished and there is more work to do. I want to make sure I-15 gets finished in Lehi and American Fork – which I have helped get funding for.
I was heavily involved in accelerating the schedule and funding for the reconstruction of the final piece of I-15 through Lehi, and provided input on Triumph Boulevard, the new Frontage Road System, and the interchange configurations.
I was also involved in the legislation that reformed UTA’s administrative structure to provide more oversight and accountability to the State.
I have served on the PUET Committee for 7 years. My background in infrastructure and Engineering has helped me to be more effective as we develop policy for the State.
I am a member of the NRAEQ Appropriations Committee and have served as the Co-Chair in the past. I have been working with agencies to understand their expenses so that they can manage them. I have worked to evaluate the fees that are being charged, and find ways to cut the costs associated with them.
I served on this committee for one term. It was an opportunity to be involved in funding State buildings and roads. There are many needs but we were able to prioritize projects that were best for Utah.
I am serving as a member of the Federalism Commission which is working to protect the sovereignty of the State. When the Constitution was created it defined a few limited powers of the Federal, or General, Government. The remaining powers where reserved to the States, or the People. Over the years, the Federal Government has encroached into the business of the State so that, currently, there are almost no powers the State can wield without interference by the feds. This is an overreach that must be corrected.
We are working with our Federal Delegation to improve the situation. We are also preparing land management plans, and working to increase funds provided to Utah to compensate for 67% of our land under Federal Government control. This is better known as Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) that help to cover Education, Transportation, Law Enforcement, and other Utah expenses, since the public land is exempt from taxes.
I served as Chair of the Free Market Protection and Privatization Board that provided the public with a venue and an opportunity to discuss encroachments of the government into private businesses. It also promotes private solutions to government services. These efficiencies reduce costs, improve quality, and enhance service. The Board was discontinued along with several other boards, commissions and committees in the 2019 General Session, in order to reduce the load of the Legislature and to reduce costs. These issues will still be dealt with by individual Legislators as needed.
Government should not be in the business of competing with private enterprise.
