Currently holds the office of Utah House of Representatives - District 62 until January 1, 2027.
Candidate for Utah House of Representatives - District 62 in 2026 Utah General Election.
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Get StartedI believe in the power of incentives. If you tax productivity, productivity will decline. If you want economic growth and prosperity, you have to give individuals the freedom to pursue their ideals and reap the rewards of their efforts. Economic development, innovation, and growth are all accelerated when taxes are low, regulations are light, and government is minimized. This means keeping state government small so that the required tax burden on our citizens is also small. Learn more
I am a strident advocate for reviewing and reducing unnecessary licensing and barriers that prevent people from doing jobs they are trained and skilled to do. We should be in the business of making it easier, not harder, for people to change careers or start a business. Learn more
Within the public education system, we need to also respect the autonomy of local school districts and elected school board members to represent the parents that put them in office. I want to ensure sustainable funding through our state constitution for those districts, but this will require school districts, teachers, and parents to develop and take advantage of cost-reducing innovations in educational technique and science. The state government should support and encourage innovations of all kinds at the local level. Learn more
Number one on my list is to empower parents to fulfill their solemn responsibility to nurture their children and teach them the ideals and values they respect. Parents should decide which school, if any, is best for their child and be given the tools to make an informed decision. Learn more
Did I mention the need for funding for education? One of the reasons why Utah continues to struggle to find funding for our children is that so much of our natural wealth is locked up in federal lands where it cannot help pay for needs. I believe that Utah lands should be made available for the benefit of all our citizens, including our school children. Learn more
I think most of us do not enjoy inversions, smog, and pollution. But I also think that the overwhelming majority of Utahns are willing to do their part to reduce the impact of their choices on air quality during critical weather patterns. As an economist, I understand the reluctance of individuals to incur costs when the benefit almost exclusively accrues to others. (We call that an externality.) I am not sure we need a state government deciding what behaviors are offensive enough to be called crimes. I prefer to inform our citizens about the effects of their decisions, based on the best available science, and if that is not enough, we can create positive incentives to reward conscientious decision-making. Tier 3 fuels represent a tremendous opportunity for self-governance. Individuals can choose to pay a penny or two more per gallon to engage in the most effective way at our disposal to keep the air clean. Learn more
I will continue to use my knowledge and experience to help the Utah Legislature decide a compassionate compromise that helps the truly needy without chaining down the freedoms of individuals and families to find their own solutions and provide for their own needs. Learn more
The big question these days seems to be what to do about low-income families that cannot afford to pay for needed health care. While I certainly am sympathetic to helping the most vulnerable among us, I also understand the damage that can be caused when individuals and families become too reliant on the government for their basic needs. Obamacare is a pernicious and massive expansion of federal entitlement mentality and funding beyond the bounds of my conscience. While there are many great ideas out there for promoting private sector innovation and solutions, a massive federal expansion is not one of them. Learn more
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