One of the biggest challenges in American politics today is how elected officials can balance voters’ concerns without losing sight of free-market, constitutional principles. Luckily, Utah’s citizen legislature shows how that is possible.
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Serving the people of Davis and Salt Lake counties in the Utah Senate has reinforced my appreciation for the Beehive State’s unique approach to representative government. It leads to practical solutions that strengthen our communities, protect religious liberty, support families and preserve the unique quality of life that makes Utah the envy of the nation.
The key to preserving public trust in this system is ensuring total transparency, principled separation of activities and uncompromising ethical standards.
Because Utah’s legislature is part time, it is common for my Senate and House colleagues to fulfill their responsibilities to their constituents while also maintaining employment outside of legislative service. This means our Capitol is filled with citizen-lawmakers who are small business owners, teachers, farmers, doctors and practicing attorneys.
This approach is a real benefit for Utahns.
Lawmakers bring real-world professional experience to the table, which significantly improves legislative debate. Teachers bring classroom experience to education debates, physicians contribute firsthand knowledge to healthcare policy, while small business owners help us understand how regulations affect employers and workers.
And, crucially, they have to live by the laws that they make.
Research, evidence and sound principles are extremely important to our work. But good government requires a human face to be paired with the numbers. Laws are often changed at the capitol due to lived experiences, conversations with constituents, and listening to regular people in committee hearings.
The key to preserving public trust in this system is ensuring total transparency, principled separation of activities and uncompromising ethical standards.
Legislators’ duty is first and foremost to the Constitution, and to their constituents. We each take the oath of office, where we swear to “support, obey, and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Utah, and that I will discharge the duties of my office with fidelity.”
I have spent my legislative career balancing my public duties with a private legal practice.
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As I now wind down my law practice to step into my new role as president and CEO of the Sutherland Institute, that core commitment remains unchanged.
In fact, it aligns my professional focus even more closely with the civic health of our state.
For more than 30 years, the nonprofit Sutherland Institute has contributed research and policy analysis to Utah’s public policy discussions. Guided by the timeless principles of faith, family and freedom, it focuses on issues including parental empowerment in education, civil dialogue and economic opportunity.
Sutherland Institute’s nonprofit status means it cannot endorse candidates or tell voters who to vote for. Its currency is ideas, research and policy analysis — not partisan political influence.
As President of Sutherland, my responsibility is to lead an extraordinary team of scholars and policy experts as we analyze the long-term challenges facing Utah. As a State Senator, my duty is to represent my constituents faithfully, deliberate on legislation objectively and adhere strictly to Utah’s legislative ethics rules.
These professional and legislative duties can be kept separate and transparent just like they are for the teachers, doctors, farmers and business owners serving in the Utah Legislature.
I am eager to lead Sutherland into its next chapter by expanding our outreach, cultivating the next generation of liberty-minded leaders, and helping craft thoughtful policy solutions for Utah’s future. At the same time, I remain fully committed to serving the people of Senate District 8 with the integrity and independence that has been expected from me for the last fourteen years.
Utah is at its best when principled ideas meet practical public service. I look forward to continuing both endeavors on behalf of the state we love.
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