The final gavel has come down and the 2024 Legislative Session is over!

We went through a lot of important issues this session. Here are a few that I think will make the most difference.

Water initiatives: We changed the way that water rights are considered when water gets into the Great Salt Lake. This will make it possible for the water we conserve upstream to have a better chance of staying in the lake once it gets there and isn't just siphoned off by the industries on the side of the lake. We also made a council of our largest water districts so they can work together on projects that move water back and forth between them and look for outside opportunities to bring water to the state.

Housing affordability: We passed several bills that we hope will make it more likely that cities will allow for the building of more affordable housing. All of the programs that passed were voluntary for the cities to participate in, so hopefully they will choose to be involved. We greatly simplified the requirements for inspecting modular homes, allowing for larger scale construction here in Utah. These homes can be built much more quickly and at a lower cost.

Additional Tax Cuts: The legislature again lowered the income tax rate (by one tenth of one percent) and also passed an additional child tax credit. We have slowly lowered the tax rate in each of the last several years. This is important for keeping our economy functioning well and allowing people to keep more of their hard-earned money.

There were plenty of other changes, too, including cutting back on the sales of nicotine products that are most likely to be used by youth, changing the way we do tenure at our universities, changing the way that utilities charge for power, and many, many more....



State Budget

for 2024-2025

Utah's overall budget for the next fiscal year is essentially flat compared to last year, so most programs in the state will continue on with similar funding. There were a few notable changes, including some things that were included in just the last few days of the session:

* As has been the longstanding pattern, the budget covered the cost of both growth and inflation in the public school system. On top of that, an additional $50 Million was put toward increasing per pupil spending.

* The school voucher program created last year (Utah Fits All program) was given an additional $40 Million. That program will be starting up this coming school year and the first applications are in process right now.

* Over $50 Million was put towards homeless services, including some for the construction of new low-barrier shelters and some grant

programs through the homelessness council. Davis County was budgeted about $8 Million for the homeless facility that they are planning.

* Funding was given to bring an additional 250 people off of the DSPD waiting list (which is the program for those with severe disabilities). The list still has over 500 people on it, but this is now 3 years in a row that we are getting a significant number of people off of the list, so hopefully over time that will make a good improvement.

* At the last minute, significant funding was added to our foster care system. This is very important as the system was on the verge of not being able to have placements for some of the highest-risk kids.

More Major League sports may be coming to Utah

We voted on (and passed) two different proposals that may eventually result in major league sports teams coming to Utah.

One ("the baseball bill") regards the possibility of a Major League Baseball team coming and building a new stadium on the west side of Salt Lake City. The basics of the deal are that Major League Baseball is planning to expand by two teams sometime in the upcoming years. The Larry H. Miller Group is trying to be granted the franchise for one of those two teams. You can see some of their promotional materials here. The bill that was passed will only go into effect if a franchise is awarded to Utah. A new stadium would be built near the Utah State Fair Park and there would be other renovations done on the Jordan River and other nearby parts of town. The state would increase the rental tax on cars and would contribute that money towards the project. The state would own the stadium and the team would lease it from the state.

The other ("the hockey bill") proposed creating a revitalization zone in Salt Lake City where tax revenue from an increased sales tax in Salt Lake City could be used to upgrade the downtown area. The idea is centered around using a significant amount of that tax money to upgrade the interior of the Delta Center so that both NHL hockey and NBA basketball games could be played there. The zone and increase in sales tax would have to first be approved by the Salt Lake City Council. And, similar to the baseball project, it is not yet clear that it will be possible for Ryan Smith (the owner of the Utah Jazz) to also acquire a National Hockey League franchise, but it does seem possible.

In the big picture, this is part of Utah changing from a small state with a medium-sized capitol city to a medium-sized state with a large capitol city. It will still be several years before we see if either of these two changes come to fruition, but in the long term I do think it is important to dedicate efforts and resources toward making sure that the downtown area of our capitol city is a safe and vibrant place to be, both for the tourist interest and revenue it brings, as well as the sense of community that comes from having a "nerve center" of our state where there are great activities available.

How I voted on the Baseball and Hockey bills

I voted for the hockey bill that would provide tax money for downtown revitalization (and ultimately may result in a hockey team also playing in the Delta Center in the same space as the Jazz) because I thought the plan was good and the focus on preserving the downtown area is important.

I voted against the baseball bill because it involves the state actually owning the stadium. I don't think that state government is particularly good at owning/running things like baseball stadiums and it seems likely to me that it might end up costing the state significantly more than predicted.

Caucus night is coming up March 5th

The Republican Party will be holding their caucuses this Tuesday night.

This will be your chance to vote in the Republican Presidential Primary Election and to vote for State and County Delegates that will help nominate Republican candidates to the Primary Election.

The locations for the Republican caucuses of each precinct in House District 19 (Bountiful and West Bountiful) are listed below. You can find out which precinct you live in by going to the precinct locator site at the Davis County Republican Party website.

Date: This Tuesday, March 5th

Time: Check-in from 6:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. The meeting starts at 7:00 P.M.

Location: Various sites around town, depending on your precinct - you can put in your address to find your site here.

Going to caucus night is a great way for neighbors to communicate about their hopes for our community and to engage in politics at the most local level.

If you want more information, or have questions about going, or would like to discuss your experience at caucus night, just reply to this email or message me at 801-440-8765 and I would be happy to visit with you.

The Davis County Democratic Party will also be holding their caucus meetings on March 5th. They will hold all of their caucus meetings at Kaysville Junior high and a link to their information site is here.

REPUBLICAN CAUCUS LOCATIONS:

Intern Corner

And it's over! I have learned so much from Representative Ward and the other legislators while here.

While the legislative process is fairly complex, the people who engage in it are decent, sincere, and seeking to hear all sides of a concern. They may be fervent in their beliefs, but they are willing to consider other opinions when they are given sincerely, with the intent to educate and not to demean.

Representative Ward is one of the best on the hill! I have been privileged to serve with him and hope Bountiful continues to benefit from his wisdom, courage, and attentive approach.

Best,

--

Cutler Hollist

Cutler Hollist

Phone: (385) 420-3092

Email: chollist@le.utah.gov