Utah’s 26th Senate District is a sprawling monster, going from Springville in Utah County all the way east to the Colorado border and south to the Four Corners.
For 16 years, Sen. David Hinkins, R-Orangeville, has held the seat, but this year Democrat Corbin Frost and independent candidate Oran Stainbrook are making bids to represent the massive territory.
Before Hinkins won the seat, the district was home to unionized coal miners and was held by Democratic Sen. Mike Dmitrich until he retired and Hinkins won the spot.
Now Stainbrook and Frost hope to break Hinkins’ hold.
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?
Corbin Frost: Utah’s air quality reduces our lives by two years. We must invest in clean energy, including solar, wind, geothermal and even nuclear, if it can be done safely.
David Hinkins: Did not respond.
Oran Stainbrook: Utah should be an “all of the above” energy portfolio state. We need a flexible, reliable grid that provides the most inexpensive energy possible.
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?
Frost: Utah should find ways to incentivize homeowners’ water conservation efforts. However, since agriculture uses 80% of the state’s water, the focus must be on helping farmers adopt water-wise agricultural technology while phasing out water-hungry practices or crops.
Hinkins: Did not respond.
Stainbrook: I support incentives to minimize domestic water use, convert turf to xeriscaping, and encourage rainwater capture and retention. Implementing greywater reuse technology and systems where appropriate can help to maximize landscaping water efficiency.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Sen. David Hinkins, R-Orangeville, makes a comment, during the last night of the legislature, on Friday, March 1, 2024.
What policy changes would you support to address Utah’s affordable housing crisis?
Frost: I support efforts to build more starter homes and mixed-use communities. But I’d also employ incentives to help people afford a primary home while using disincentives to discourage wealthy investors or funds from buying up residential housing stock.
Hinkins: Did not respond.
Stainbrook: Ban rental price fixing algorithms, implement fair rent-control protections and limit corporate commodification of single-family homes. Relax planning and zoning regulations and parking mandates to let the free market do its job.
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?
Frost: No.
Hinkins: Did not respond.
Stainbrook: No.
(Oran Stainbrook) Oran Stainbrook takes a photograph during a remodel of a general store in Kenilworth, outside Helper.
Would you support a state constitutional amendment to ban abortion?
Frost: No.
Hinkins: Did not respond.
Stainbrook: No.
Should there be other restrictions on reproductive health care — especially fertility treatments like in vitro fertilization?
Frost: I will work to support and protect access to reproductive healthcare like in vitro fertilization and contraception.
Hinkins: Did not respond.
Stainbrook: In general, the government should not be imposing on bodily autonomy and reproductive freedoms. Let parents make their own family planning choices.
Are you voting for or against the constitutional amendment that removes the requirement that income taxes be used for education and social services? Why?
Frost: I’m voting against the amendment to remove the requirement to use income tax for education. Our legislative supermajority has yet to establish a track record of properly funding public education, and so protection of those funds still seems necessary.
Hinkins: Did not respond.
Stainbrook: While there is a real need for greater budgetary flexibility, Utah ranks 48th in the nation for per-student educational spending, so an updated amendment should ensure that public schools continue to receive a necessary minimum portion of income tax.
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?
Frost: No.
Hinkins: Did not respond.
Stainbrook: No.
