The legislative session in Utah wrapped up and Gov. Cox signed many of the bills. In retrospect, the difference between what is important to the average Utahn and what state legislators focused on was shocking and counterproductive, and what is important became a once-unimaginable divide.
Utahns want good education for their children, legislators cut off $60 million in funding to universities, gave $100 million to vouchers for charter schools and attempted to move taxation funding earmarked for schools to the general fund. Students in charter schools may use 20% of the voucher for sports or school entertainment instead of academics.
Utahns want clean air and adequate water for the Great Salt Lake. Legislators voted to focus on additives to water and made Utah the only state in the nation to ban fluoride from public water companies (a win for cavities).
Utahns want to address the problem of increased homelessness and lack of affordable housing. Legislators want to stop transgender athletes from competing and the use of LGBTQ flags in government, schools and public places.
Utahns have fully embraced voting by mail. Legislators passed legislation to make the process more difficult.
Utahns want representative government and transparency through public records. Legislators have made ballot initiatives more costly and passed several measures to decrease transparency in government.
Utahns want fairness in the workplace. Legislators passed laws to eliminate public labor unions.
Utahns must begin to vote for what they value instead of allowing a fringe part of a party that is clearly out of step to decide. Legislators now brazenly nominate people that often lose in a primary and ignore ballot initiatives voted in by their constituents. Our elected officials are kept in check not by the governor but by our Supreme Court.
Gov. Cox and a majority of Utahns must look at what they value instead of a simple party label when choosing their “representatives.” There are many Republicans and Democrats that support these values. Most are not our elected “representatives.” Wake up! Representatives must represent us — not an ideology of fear, conspiracy and control.
Norman Anderson, Holladay
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