Priorities for Our Community
FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY
Our state is facing a new challenge: our revenue sources have been changing. Most of our state expenses are paid for through sales tax, which at this point only taxes things we buy (like electronics or clothes.) In recent years, we are spending less money on things and more on services, which means our state has less money to spend, but all the same expenses. Lately, legislators have been dipping into money that is mostly promised to education to try to make up the difference. I will help our state come up with a long term, sustainable plan that will give us enough revenue to provide the services we all need, without taking money from education.
ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY
A strong economy is built on employed citizens. We need to make sure people are paid a wage that will pay the bills. We can improve the minimum wage, help people build qualifications, and can pass laws that attract businesses to our state.
high-quality Education
My main priority for education is to cut the red tape and get flexible funding to schools. Utah public education is at a crossroads right now. As a member of the Granite School Board, I have felt the effects of the uneven playing field created by charter schools and Utah Fits All. I’ve seen how unfunded mandates result in cut services for kids. I’ve hugged teachers who are overburdened and don’t have the resources to truly meet the needs of the kids they care about. 85% of the kids in our House District 34 attend public schools. Setting them up for success lays the groundwork for our community's future.
With graduates at Olympus High.
affordable childcare
As a member of the board of Voices for Utah Children, I have worked to increase access to affordable childcare for those who need it. The majority of the households in House District 34 require two income earners, which necessitates a strong structure for childcare in order to support families. My priority is to maximize current programs, eliminate restrictive regulation that inhibits affordability, while ensuring we protect and nurture our most precious and littlest Utahns.
local control
Decisions are most effective when they are made by those closest to the people. Freedom is getting together as a neighborhood, city, or county to determine how we want to live together. I’ll look for opportunities to push decision-making to the most local level possible.
With Rob Dahle, former Holladay Mayer, and Jeff Silvistrini, former Millcreek Mayor
health care
Adequate health care, including mental healthcare, impacts every area of our lives. It affects our ability to work or go to school, our relationships, our financial situation and general overall well-being. I will support policies that bring health care access to more people. I will prioritize systems that help people get better plugged in to our current health care offerings and more coverage for kids.
HOUSING
It is getting harder and harder to own a home in House District 34. Our retired folks are being priced out of their homes and young families are moving here less and less because they can't afford it. 67% of the homes in our district were built before 1980 and though old, they are way outside the price range of most young families. It is hard to compete when affordable, new homes are being built south and west of our neighborhoods! I'll work with municipalities to incentivize building reasonable housing options.
environment
The mountains and red rock of our state have shaped my upbringing. I'll look for any opportunity to take care of our beautiful Utah land. I'll work for policies to improve our air quality, manage our water manage our water, especially protecting the Great Salt Lake and Colorado River, and preserve our canyons for my kids and yours.