Fred C. Cox wants his seat back in the House of Representatives.
The former Republican lawmaker is running for his old position, as the representative of Utah’s House District 30. He held the seat from 2015-16 and also represented House District 32 from 2011-2012.
Jake Fitisemanu, a community health advocate from West Valley City, is also running for HD 26. Fitisemanu has served on the West Valley City Council since 2018.
The Salt Lake Tribune submitted the same set of questions, based on top issues readers said they were watching in this election, to each candidate. The questions and their answers that appear below — with the candidates listed in alphabetical order — may have been edited slightly for length, style or grammar. The questions were sent to candidates before a Utah judge voided multiple amendments from ballots.
Utah’s largest electricity provider has canceled plans to replace its coal-fired power plants with nuclear power and has walked back comments about investing in clean energy. Should Utah be looking for more sustainable and less fossil fuel and carbon-dependent energy sources? If so, how?
Fred C. Cox: Utah has some of the cleanest coal around. We are using and promoting other energy sources such as geothermal, wind, solar, natural gas, etc.
Jake Fitisemanu: Yes. Besides exploring options for more sustainable, cleaner energy production, our state should also be seeking better energy storage solutions.
Water scarcity continues to be a challenge for the state. Recent legislation has attempted to conserve water and to get more water to the Great Salt Lake and Colorado River. Should Utah do more to subsidize homeowners’ efforts to conserve water? What other steps should be taken to deal with water scarcity?
Cox: No. Utah should remove the regulations that require the retention of stormwater when detention will work. Slowing the flow versus keeping the water on site. It has only been the last few years that state regulations have required this.
Fitisemanu: Utah should support household water conservation by encouraging safe usage of gray water, rain collection, xeriscaping, etc. Local governments and businesses should also be encouraged to be water-conscious in land-use planning and landscaping.
What policy changes would you support to address Utah’s affordable housing crisis?
Cox: Stop giving the same property tax discount to property owners that own 45 houses and rent them out versus a single property owner living in their own house. Stop providing a tax incentive for companies and individuals to buy up all our housing stock.
Fitisemanu: We should be increasing support for nonprofit housing developments and policies that assist first-time homebuyers (property tax deferment for low-income homeowners, down payment/closing cost assistance, etc.).
Following the Utah Supreme Court’s recent decision to keep a near-total abortion ban blocked, anti-abortion lawmakers and advocates called for additional legislative action to circumvent the court-ordered injunction. Would you support banning abortion after six weeks?
Cox: Yes.
Fitisemanu: No.
Would you support a state constitutional amendment to ban abortion?
Cox: No.
Fitisemanu: No.
Should there be other restrictions on reproductive health care — especially fertility treatments like in vitro fertilization?
Cox: No. There also should be exceptions for abortion limits.
Fitisemanu: The government has no place in the individual reproductive decisions of its citizens.
Are you voting for or against the constitutional amendment that removes the requirement that income taxes be used for education and social services? Why?
Cox: Against. Reducing the tax on food is good, but this change does not reduce spending but increases spending in other areas. We should eliminate property taxes the state passed for education equality and use the income taxes we already have for this.
Fitisemanu: Until we can adequately fund optimal public education for all Utah students, I will not support any measure that potentially diverts sorely needed funds away from public education.
A Utah judge has voided Amendment D and said votes for or against it cannot be counted, but the state is appealing. Do you support changing the Utah Constitution to guarantee that the Legislature can repeal or amend ballot initiatives?
Cox: No.
Fitisemanu: No.
