Proper Role of Government

Cheryl is inspired by America’s founding documents, which revolutionized thoughts about government. From the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” The US Constitution offers more clarity about governments’ role: “to provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty for ourselves and our posterity.”

• Government is designed to serve the people, not the other way around.

• Cheryl serves in the legislature as a bulwark against government over-reach, over-taxation, over-regulation, and bureaucracy.

Education

Education is critical to our future as a state. Having a well-educated workforce brings employers to Utah and qualifies students for higher paying jobs. It’s also true that a well-rounded education that includes the arts gives students a significantly better quality of life. As a legislator, I am committed to:

• Properly funding K-12 schools, public trade schools, and higher ed institutions throughout the state.

• Prioritizing teacher pay over other K-12 expenses, because a good teacher is the most important factor in receiving a good education. (Parental support and a student’s willingness to learn are other very important factors.)

• Ensuring as much local control as possible, including parental control over their children’s education.

• Preventing “discrimination by zip code” so that all children in Utah receive a good education regardless of where they live in the state.

• Promoting civics, history, language arts, math, science, and the arts, among other valuable subjects.

• Encouraging children to learn coding and foreign languages to enhance their learning opportunities.

• Protecting the Pre-K space from government mandates.

Non-Partisan Issues

Many people do not know that Republicans and Democrats in Utah agree on bills more than 84% of the time. This is a list of some of the bi-artisan issues I support:

• Clean Air - All residents of Salt Lake Valley can agree on this one, though we may not always agree on what causes bad air or how to address this issue, which must be addressed. I am a member of the Clean Air Caucus, where we discuss air quality issues and solutions. (I passed a concurrent resolution commending the Jordan School District for its environmental leadership, fiscal management, and health sensitivity for having the state’s largest fleet of natural gas school buses.)

• Intergenerational Poverty - Utah has made great strides in reducing poverty that is inherited from one generation to the next. Home affordability and, especially, home ownership, as well as education and apprenticeships, are key to breaking this pernicious cycle. Of all the things Utah is great at, being #1 in upward mobility among the 50 states is my favorite. It means that if a person is born in poverty in Utah, they are not condemned to die in poverty. Education, job opportunities, and home equity can and do lift people out of this cycle. [That’s why making it possible for people to own homes is critical to future economic security.)

• Suicide and Mental Health Issues - During my tenure in the House, we’ve passed multiple bills to address suicide and mental health in our state. Many of these ideas have gone national, including 988, the national suicide prevention line. Everything from the SafeUT app, to staffing a 24/7 suicide hotline, to providing more school and telehealth counselors, to addiction recovery for people experiencing homelessness, to mental health alternatives, to incarceration, to veterans’ courts…the list could go on and on! The suicide rate in Utah has been dropping since these bills were passed. There is nothing more tragic or preventable than suicide.

• Protecting Children - Research shows that parents have the power to prevent a broad swath of lifelong problems for their children by proactively protecting them from ten specific Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACEs, which have been shown to contribute to mental health issues, criminality, drug use, and even physical illness later in life. Promoting a secure, healthy childhood for all children in Utah will pay off in the not-too-distant future when they become secure, healthy adults.

• Inmate Families - It’s important to be compassionate to the parents, spouses, and children of incarcerated individuals, remembering that they have not been accused or convicted of any crimes. I passed a bill that ended predatory phone rates, because inmate families bore the burden of payment. Strong family connections outside the prison prevent recidivism and improve inmate behavior. Treatment programs, educational opportunities, and job training help rehabilitate inmates, preparing them to contribute to society and provide for themselves and their families upon release (and more than 95% of current inmates will be released into society at some point in the future.)

• The Right to Protest Peacefully - Every American has the right - in some cases bordering on obligation - to protest peacefully when he or she believes the government is acting in error. This right is specifically mentioned in the First Amendment: “the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.” Violence, vandalism, and the destruction or theft of property are not included in this right animist be prosecuted, but the right to protest peacefully must be protected.

States’ Rights

The Founders recognized that the closer government is to the people, the more responsive it will be to their concerns. The 10th Amendment states that any powers not specifically delegated to the federal government within the Constitution are reserved for the States.

• I support states’ rights, because the people of Utah should have the laws they want, not laws imposed upon them from Washington, D.C. or unelected, therefore unaccountable, regulatory agencies.

• More than 66% of Utah’s land is federally controlled, meaning that 66% of our land cannot generate revenue in the form of property taxes, sales taxes, or income taxes. In this sense, we’re funding state government with one arm tied behind our backs. Though Utah is 13th in size among the 50 states, if federal lands are subtracted, we rank 41st, or roughly the size of South Carolina. I am actively working with other Utah legislators to secure “payment in lieu of taxes” (PILT) from the federal government so that we may be more self sufficient as a state in funding education and improved infrastructure. The federal government pays, at its discretion, just over $1 per acre of land it controls in Utah, while most other states received ownership of all of their lands at statehood. This violates the “equal footing doctrine” — the idea that the federal government should treat all states equally. Imagine paying just $1 in property taxes for an acre of land! They are getting a very good deal, but the people of Utah are paying the price. No one wants to eliminate or reduce our five National Parks, our military installations, or Native American tribal lands, but more than a quarter million acres of federal land are located in close proximity to (or within) Utah’s cities and towns. The federal government would not miss those acres, and the citizens of Utah could put them to good use.

Taxes & Fiscal Responsibility

Taxation should be equitable, simple, and minimal.

• I support eliminating income taxes on Social Security income entirely. We’ve expanded exemptions and reductions for Social Security income in recent years, but it’s time to fully eliminate these taxes. There may be a bill to do so in the 2025 General Session!

• Taxes are necessary so that government services may be performed, but all bills proposed in the legislature, including appropriations bills, must answer the following question: Is this the proper role of government?

• It’s my duty as a legislator to ease the burden on taxpayers by preventing over-taxation and over-spending. Legislators must ensure that tax dollars are used wisely and conservatively.

• I support freezing property tax increases for people who’ve reached retirement age and choose to remain in their own homes. I also voted to increase the cap on the Property Tax Circuit Breaker, which is available to low income seniors. [See https://tax.utah.gov/relief/circuitbreaker] I also voted to allow payment of property taxes on a retiree’s residence to be deferred until the home is sold, either by the retiree or his/her estate.

• Being wise stewards of public funds includes compassionately providing necessary services for low-income elderly and disabled individuals. I support Caregiver Compensation and actively advocate for eliminating the DSPD waitlist.

• Governments, unchecked, tend to grow larger and larger, and more and more bureaucratic. They become less accessible and accountable to the people they are designed to serve. Legislators must keep state government in check by reducing spending, ensuring courtesy, and demanding efficiency.