My priority is limiting the burden of government and taxes in every aspect – Individual rights, business regulation, parenting, and education.  With an overreaching federal government and loud voices pushing Utah to leave her roots of limited government and strong family values, it is paramount that we are vigilant in preserving the values that have made this such a great place to live and raise a family.  I will continue to fight for:

• Policies that hold those who have the ability to raise taxes and impose regulations directly accountable to the people, not bureaucracies. 
• Tax policies that significantly limit government and that spur innovation and prosperity for individuals, businesses, and education.  

Education

I will continue my work to improve teacher retention, provide our best teachers incentives to stay in the classroom instead of leaving for administrative positions or other careers, give schools the flexibility to meet the needs of their students, and reduce the administrative burden on educators so that they can focus on classroom instruction.  I also support more opportunities for alternative path to becoming a teacher.

I strongly support STEM education, options for earning college credit, and increased opportunities for students to pursue skills and career advancement through Technical Education. 

The Legislature, with my strong support, has worked to ensure parents have the ability to have meaningful input regarding appropriate materials for their student’s school.  Our education system should not be undermining parental instruction or expose students to harmful materials.  I support programs that support struggling students regardless of any particular designation such as race or gender identity.  I also lead the fight to eliminate any instruction that promotes principles espouse by Critical Race Theory. 

Financial Values

The best way to limit the growth of government is to limit the revenue that government takes from taxpayers.  This money belongs to taxpayers.  That fact must never be forgotten as we seek to use taxpayer funds prudently. 

Reduce the burden on taxpayers: I have been a driving force in the Utah Senate for significant tax cuts and budgeting procedures that emphasize leaving more in the hands of the people who earned it.  During good economic times it is far too easy to increase government spending in an irresponsible way that will leave the state in a situation requiring significant spending cuts or a tax increase.  We need to plan for downturns without drastic measures.  By responsibly filling rainy day funds, managing our debt, continuing a balanced budget, and resisting the urge to grow government by funding well-intentioned programs, we can reduce the burden on taxpayers and fund a responsible and responsive government.

Property Taxes: We have allowed property taxes to fill in gaps they were never intended to fill, i.e. reducing water rates rather than being used solely for actual infrastructure.  This reduces transparency and does not allow taxpayers to reduce costs.  In addition, local entities have used a loophole to avoid Truth in Taxation requirements and increase property taxes without voter approval.  In 2024 I worked to close that loophole and will continue to fight for transparency and accountability to taxpayers.

More than a Balanced Budget: Utah’s State Constitution has a very important provision that each year we must balance our budget.  This is critical to fiscal responsibility, but in years of plenty, it’s too easy to grow government even while balancing the budget.  We must be committed to thriving families, not thriving government programs that often distort the free market and create dependence on government funds.  

Utah continues to be recognized as the best managed state in the country and it’s critical that we continue to earn that designation, not for the accolades, but for the citizens we serve.

ZAP Taxes: While I’m not a fan of these types of taxes, given that Salt Lake County voters approved this tax, I have fought to ensure that southwest Salt Lake County get their appropriate portion of the taxes they put into the system, rather than a disproportionate amount going to other areas where it is more difficult to for our families to enjoy the benefit of their tax burden

Limited debt: We need to continue to limit the amount of debt that we take on in our public institutions.  Debt is not always a bad thing, for instance, when bond rates are very low and costs for needed projects are rising at a much higher rate, but it needs to be managed very carefully.  It should be used on one-time projects and not for ongoing budget issues that should be dealt with through policy and spending changes.  It is NOT a tool for avoiding difficult decisions in balancing the budget.  

Unfunded Liabilities:  The Legislature made some mistakes in the past on this issue and made some difficult decisions to correct the problem.  Since taking office, I have been working to ensure we do not repeat past mistakes and continue to protect taxpayers from the potential disaster that unfunded liabilities can cause.

 Immigration

We must put sustained and significant pressure on the federal government to find workable solutions to the immigration crisis.  America and Utah have always been places of refuge and opportunity for people who come here legally, but the current situation is unsustainable.  As a State we must do what we can to mitigate the effects of failed federal policies on our public safety, health, and schools.  I support having a detention facility in Utah that provides a place for federal detainees without exposing our county jails to unreasonable federal requirements and unwarranted risk of activist lawsuits.  

Local Control

Voters need to be able to hold the representatives they elect accountable, and that’s best done when the people making decisions also live with those decisions.  That’s why I want to drive decision-making down to the local, community, and family level.  While there are instances where statewide guidelines are necessary, local control is always my default.  I believe if someone has the power to raise your taxes, they should be directly accountable to you.

Rein in the Federal Government

The Federal Government should stay out of issues that are not expressly designated as federal issues under the U.S. Constitution.  We know better than the politicians and bureaucrats in Washington D.C. how to use our local lands, what our school curriculum should be, and how best to protect our local environment.  We’re a long way from where the Founders intended, but we cannot stop pushing back on federal overreach.  The recent Supreme Court ruling regarding the Chevron Deference will give us a stronger position in the effort to take back some of our local rights and I am a strong supporter of the laws passed in the 2024 General Session of the Utah Legislature to strengthen pushback on federal mandates on state and other local agencies.  Again, the larger the role played by the Government in D.C., the smaller the influence of local families and communities will be.  

Protect Those Who Cannot Protect Themselves

We cannot cede the issue of caring for those that cannot care for themselves to liberal policies that create a cycle of dependence that leaves our poor and needy hopeless and suffocating under the very system meant to free them.  Well intentioned policies meant to help those in need have devastated generations past and future and damaged society as a whole.  I am not naive.  I know this seems a monumental goal, but I cannot stand by and watch those whom we are morally bound to care for drowning in liberal policies because the task is too difficult.  Intergenerational poverty, disability, homelessness, addiction, and severe mental illness require fine-tuned and specialized intervention, driven by true compassion and understanding that lifts individuals to the highest potential and refuses to enable behaviors that continue to damage themselves and local communities.

Taxation Policy

I believe tax policy should be equitable, predictable, and avoidable.  Unequal tax policy, selective tax breaks, conflicting provisions, and redundancies, have made our code difficult for businesses, especially small business, to navigate.  I will continue to fight to increase efficiency, close loopholes, and level the playing field to create greater competition and opportunity.

The Second Amendment

I am a Concealed Weapons Permit holder and strongly support the Second Amendment.  I believe in the individual right to keep and bear arms and understand that the Second Amendment was included in the Bill of Rights to allow the citizenry to protect themselves against a tyrannical government and not to protect the shooting sports.   

Life

I am strongly Pro-Life and would only make an exception in the case of rape, incest, and the life of the mother.  I support Utah’s current policy and will continue to defend it. 

Environmental, Social, and Governance Scores

ESG could be devastating to our future economy.  The heavy-handed coercion and manipulation of financial markets and limitations on political views that don’t align with a specific political agenda is alarming and dangerously distorts markets and risk assessment.  Capital markets should not be used as a means to a political and/or social end that cannot be accomplished through the proper legislative process.  I believe people should be free to invest in whatever they choose based on their personal priorities, but we MUST ensure that personal freedom in investing and other financial matters is maintained.  I DO NOT believe government has a role in promoting ESG investing and public funds investment should be based on return on investment and not on perceived social good. 

Transparency, Accountability, and Engaging with Constituents

From the beginning I have been absolutely committed to being transparent, accountable, and actively engaged in seeking out the views of the people I serve.  I have, and will continue to, send out email updates weekly during the legislative session, and monthly throughout the rest of the year.  I post helpful updates and reminders on social media and hold four townhall meetings throughout the year, including pre and post-session meetings.  I send out surveys (not funded by taxpayer dollars) each year to get feedback and I study those survey results to learn more about constituent perspectives.  I answer all my own emails, calls and texts, and give out my personal cell phone number.  I will continue to look for ways to connect and engage with the people I represent.  It is important to me to report back to constituents regularly so they can hold me accountable for my work on their behalf, and I believe it is imperative to good government that I hear from the people I represent on a regular basis.  There are of course many different perspectives within Senate District 17, but it is important for me to hear and understand as many of them as possible.  I am committed to these principles as an elected official, and I continually push for more transparent and accountable government at every level. 

Transportation

Adequate transportation infrastructure is critical to thriving families, communities, and economies.  Southwest Salt Lake County is the fastest growing area in the County, and we need both additional east/west and north/south (eliminating the need for everyone to travel to I-15) options to alleviate traffic.  I have been tireless in fighting for funding for Bangerter Highway to become a freeway, Mountainview Corridor, and many other projects to increase capacity for our residents.

Affordable Housing

Utah is a great place to live for many reasons, and that drives our kids to stay here and others to move here.  We don’t want to ruin what’s great about Utah to discourage growth, but we should foster free-market solutions rather than imposing government regulations to solve affordable housing issues.  In addition, we should encourage owner occupied housing to preserve communities.