Legislators / Calvin Roberts
Calvin Roberts
Republican · House District 46
Hear from them directly
Contact Rep. Calvin Roberts
- Email: croberts@le.utah.gov
- Office: 350 N State Street, Suite 350, Salt Lake City, UT, 84114
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Watch or join a meeting
Every committee hearing and floor session is open to the public and streamed live on le.utah.gov. Each committee's agenda has the link to watch or join online, and how to sign up for public comment.
Calvin Roberts serves on:
- Transportation and Infrastructure Appropriations Subcommittee
- House Business, Labor, and Commerce Committee
- House Rules Committee
- House Transportation Committee
- Government Operations Interim Committee
- Transportation Interim Committee
- Federalism Commission
What they've said
135 remarks on 19 billsH.B. 507 State Coordination of Regional and Local Economic Development Projects Amendments · House floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026
Explains the conference committee changes, including pit protections so cities are not liable for bad pit debt, a coordination clause, and removal of a duplicative energy zone and tax increment process so the Energy Council keeps its role.
▶ Watch at 1:19:27Read what they said
Yeah, just in, uh, the changes from the last sub, we added some additional pit protections to make sure that cities aren't liable for bad pit debt. And we added a coordination clause with some legislation from the representative from Ogden. Um, and then most importantly, I'd say we removed a duplicative process around energy zones and tax increment to make sure that the Energy Council maintains its position, um, in energy development and incentives. And with that, I'm open to questions.
H.B. 492 Transportation, Infrastructure, and Housing Amendments · House floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026
Moves that the House refuse to concur with the Senate amendments to H.B. 492 and ask the Senate to recede from its amendments.
▶ Watch at 2:11:22Read what they said
Thank you Mr. Speaker Motion to refuse to concur with the Senate amendments and we ask the Senate to recede Not the Cow Bell.
H.B. 492 Transportation, Infrastructure, and Housing Amendments · House floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026
Moves to adopt the conference committee report on H.B. 492.
▶ Watch at 3:31:18Read what they said
Thank you Mr. Speaker. Motion to concur. Thank you. Sorry. That's adopt the conference Committee report. Motion to adopt the conference Committee report.
H.B. 492 Transportation, Infrastructure, and Housing Amendments · House floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026
Says the bill gives the legislature more control over Salt Lake County road money and reduces the amount spent on Third West under a private company agreement.
▶ Watch at 3:31:31Read what they said
Yes. The two major changes here, colleagues are number one, this puts the legislature more in control of how Salt Lake County Road money gets spent. It puts us in the driver's seat, which is important. And then number two is it reduces the amount of money being spent on Third West as part of a larger agreement with, uh, a, a private company to pitch in to the overall development. So with that, I'm open for questions.
H.B. 68 Housing and Community Development Amendments · House floor debate (day 44) · Mar 5, 2026
Explains that the Senate amendments move the bill's effective date from July 1 to May 6.
▶ Watch at 4:40Read what they said
Will. The changes the effective date was July 1st. We're moving it to May 6th.
H.B. 507 State Coordination of Regional and Local Economic Development Projects Amendments · House floor debate (day 44) · Mar 5, 2026
Says the bill was about protecting the property tax base and constraining increment tools, and that some work remains.
▶ Watch at 44:13Read what they said
I would. This bill was about protecting our property tax base, constraining increment tools and we have some work to still do.
H.B. 507 State Coordination of Regional and Local Economic Development Projects Amendments · House floor debate (day 44) · Mar 5, 2026
Explains the motion is to refuse to concur with the Senate amendments and ask the Senate to recede from them. · speaker not certain
▶ Watch at 44:27Read what they said
To refuse to concur with the Senate amendments and ask that they recede from their amendments.
H.B. 475 Development Planning and Coordination Amendments · House floor debate (day 44) · Mar 5, 2026
Explains a Senate amendment that exempts certain purchases of print materials and furniture supplies from the Division of Corrections, so those office materials can be obtained more quickly.
▶ Watch at 1:56:02Read what they said
Yeah. There's a change that exempts goo from purchasing print materials, furniture supplies from the division of Corrections, which is our prison system. It just will allow them to get office materials quicker. We added that into the bill.
H.B. 575 Fuel Tax and Supply Amendments · Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee · Mar 4, 2026
Presented the bill as addressing gas supply by easing permitting for private fuel infrastructure, citing a 12.5% production increase agreed with five North Salt Lake refineries, and a 6-cent gas tax cut starting July 1 as short-term relief.
▶ Watch at 1:15:05Read what they said
I will give you a very brief presentation. Well, first thank you Mr. Chair, uh, for allowing me to come back to hear this. So the major issue with gas prices in our state and the region, it's a supply issue. And what this bill is trying to do is to cut red tape around private infrastructure investment into our state that will bring more supply. That's the primary thing it's doing. The second thing about the bill is that we've got an agreement with private industry, our five refineries here in North Salt Lake area to increase production by 12.5%. And over the next five years, that's about 23,000 barrels per day into our market that will help bring …
S.B. 230 Consumer Credit Amendments · House floor debate (day 43) · Mar 4, 2026
Explains that S.B. 230 removes certain prepayment penalties on consumer finance products, requires upfront disclosure of financing fees, and provides transparency and certainty to borrowers and lenders, and urges support.
▶ Watch at 11:06Read what they said
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, colleagues. The, uh, the prepayment of debt statute was passed in the seventies. It's a confusing statute. What this bill does is it removes prepayment penalties in certain conditions, uh, for consumer product, consumer finance products. And then what it also does is it requires financing fees. So these are fees that you charge upfront to be disclosed upfront to the consumer. Uh, and it also provides some transparency and certainty to borrowers and lenders in our state. We are a leading state for finance and banking. This is good for the consumer and finance is supported by all the industry trade groups and I'd encourage your support.
H.B. 249 Federal Funds Modifications · Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee · Mar 2, 2026
Said the bill will help the community and thanked the committee.
▶ Watch at 1:42:44Read what they said
We think we'll do great things for, for, uh, the, the, the community. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
H.B. 492 Transportation, Infrastructure, and Housing Amendments · Senate Transportation, Public Utilities, Energy, and Technology Committee · Feb 27, 2026
Introduces H.B. 492 as a bill the committee should not miss.
▶ Watch at 1:07:47Read what they said
Now this is a bill we cannot miss. That is bright. You also can't miss it 'cause it's just really good policy. Oh wow. I opened up the door for that, didn't I? Ooh, Uh oh. Uh oh. I invited the, yeah. Hey,
H.B. 492 Transportation, Infrastructure, and Housing Amendments · Senate Transportation, Public Utilities, Energy, and Technology Committee · Feb 27, 2026
Presents H.B. 492, which creates a county highway fund from local option sales tax money and a revolving loan facility for regional infrastructure that supports planned housing.
▶ Watch at 1:08:10Read what they said
Questions? Yeah, I'm in trouble. I should have been more humble. Um, let me just set the stage briefly. So we've been trying to tackle housing for years. Increasingly there's a chasm between where median wages are today and where median home prices are. The traditional fight up here, as many of you know, as we fight over land use and what the state role is in land use and what the local government role is in land use, we've tried to think differently about the housing policy, this go this time around. And if you listen to the league and to a private industry, they'll tell you we have 190,000 entitled units throughout the state. And those are probably …
H.B. 492 Transportation, Infrastructure, and Housing Amendments · Senate Transportation, Public Utilities, Energy, and Technology Committee · Feb 27, 2026
Explains that the funding comes from the TIFF and UDOT sources and that a board will decide city-driven applications.
▶ Watch at 1:11:07Read what they said
It, the, the funding piece comes from the public float from the UD or udot. On the tiff. The administration of it happens through a board that's created. There'll be a senate pick a house, pick goo udot, there'll be a board that will receive the applications, but they're city driven. So the city has to come and say, we want this infrastructure. Here's our application for the loan, here's how we plan to pay it back. And then the funding comes through the udot source. Um, the decision making happens within that board at goo. Does that answer your question? Yes.
H.B. 492 Transportation, Infrastructure, and Housing Amendments · Senate Transportation, Public Utilities, Energy, and Technology Committee · Feb 27, 2026
Says the funding is flexible and is expected to be repaid through developer-paid impact fees over several years.
▶ Watch at 1:11:56Read what they said
It's tried to keep it purpose, uh, purposefully flexible because if we, the money has to have a payback mechanism. So usually what what we anticipate will happen is it will be paid back via impact fees. So those are developer paid impact fees. Alright. Um, to pay the loans back, let's say over the course of seven years or 10 years. Um,
H.B. 492 Transportation, Infrastructure, and Housing Amendments · Senate Transportation, Public Utilities, Energy, and Technology Committee · Feb 27, 2026
Explains three funding sources, including a revolving loan from prior TIFF money and Salt Lake County sales tax bonding authority that would increase to $140 million.
▶ Watch at 1:12:45Read what they said
Yeah, so think of it, there's, I would call 'em three buckets of money. There's the revolving loan facility that's coming from the old p tiff money that we had, we had allocated as part of that old program a few years ago that took the flow, the cash flow from the tiff and used it to be, uh, uh, co-mingled with bank money to go in, uh, lend to directly to private developers at sub-market interest rates. We're taking a hundred million from that. And instead of using it for that program, we're saying we're gonna use it for this. We, we think it's a better use. So there's that bucket of money. And then there's the second bucket, …
H.B. 492 Transportation, Infrastructure, and Housing Amendments · Senate Transportation, Public Utilities, Energy, and Technology Committee · Feb 27, 2026
Agrees the entity should be renamed to GOED. · speaker not certain
▶ Watch at 1:15:56Read what they said
Yeah, I think yeah, we absolutely need to rename goo to Goed. Um, it'll make it much clearer, but
H.B. 492 Transportation, Infrastructure, and Housing Amendments · Senate Transportation, Public Utilities, Energy, and Technology Committee · Feb 27, 2026
Says demand for the Salt Lake County funds is strong and oversubscribed, and that the application process is now being put in place.
▶ Watch at 1:16:26Read what they said
I think I'll have some friends I'm sure who will come up who can publicly speak the demand for the 70 million, it's oversubscribed. So we've had a, a bunch of cities in Salt Lake County who've made application for the money. We have been slow on our part getting the application process in place and getting that money out the door. But the demand has been very strong. And so it felt like there was a need to expand, to meet, um, some of that capacity infrastructure supporting Happen. The way I'm saying this is, it's a grant, it's not a loan for the Salt Lake County money. And we are alleviating developers of some of their duties to …
H.B. 492 Transportation, Infrastructure, and Housing Amendments · Senate Transportation, Public Utilities, Energy, and Technology Committee · Feb 27, 2026
Describes developer requirements for smaller owner-occupied homes and says the state should help fund regional infrastructure for housing.
▶ Watch at 1:17:12Read what they said
I, what, how I would look at it is we will be requiring in rule, uh, for developers to build missing middle, middle missing housing, housing that we're not seeing, which is that if you look in the bill, we directed them to find that single family detached, owner occupied housing. So think really small lots. Um, oftentimes on these projects, these are large master plan communities. You need some kind of water treatment facility or a Big Water tank that will serve all the different subdivisions of this, let's say this big greenfield development. And, um, you know, it doesn't, the math doesn't work for a private developer to bring the housing online and the cities, of course are …
H.B. 492 Transportation, Infrastructure, and Housing Amendments · Senate Transportation, Public Utilities, Energy, and Technology Committee · Feb 27, 2026
Summarizes that the bill funds public regional infrastructure rather than subdivision-level improvements.
▶ Watch at 1:24:37Read what they said
Just make one brief point 'cause I think what you said Senator, uh, is, is fair. We've tried to make this a it's public infrastructure and it, just to be clear, it's not subdivision level infrastructure. So it's not curb and gutter, it's not meant to be a subsidy for a particular builder with 50 lots. It's meant to be regionally significant capacity infrastructure that serves a whole area. And I think it will unlock more housing and hopefully slow down that rate of growth in housing, uh, to make it more affordable going forward. So thank you.
H.B. 491 State Highway Designation Amendments · House floor debate (day 38) · Feb 27, 2026
Presents the substitute bill and yields the remainder of his time to Representative Shallenberger.
▶ Watch at 1:13:36Read what they said
Thank you Mr. Speaker ProAm. I yield the remainder of my time to Representative Shallenberger.
H.B. 475 Development Planning and Coordination Amendments · Senate Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Feb 26, 2026
Presents HB 475, which renames GO Utah back to GOED, creates an economic coordinating council, and requires a report on opportunity zones to the Economic Development Interim Committee.
▶ Watch at 47:25Read what they said
Well, thank you. So the bill is, is massive, but it's massive because all it's doing is changing Go O's name back to Goed. And I know, I know we just did this like four years ago, but, um, what's happened, if you talk to executive director Jeff Moss, who's requested, this is the goo name, is confusing to the Economic Development Committee outside of the state of Utah, and they're doing a big rebrand over on the executive branch side. So they wanted to have the name go back to Goed. So that's the primary thing the bill is doing. Very simple. There's two other things it's doing. The second one is it creates an, an economic coordinating council. …
H.B. 475 Development Planning and Coordination Amendments · Senate Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Feb 26, 2026
Says the name change is requested by the executive director because the GO Utah name is confusing to outside economic development audiences and matches a broader executive branch rebrand.
▶ Watch at 49:57Read what they said
No, I don't think so. Here's what they say. On a practical level, they'll go to economic development conferences, you know, they'll be meeting different companies or industries. Most other economic development agencies at other states have ED in their name. And so it's just a practical challenge when they say we're from goo. It's confusing to the marketplace, and it is part of the big rebrand on the executive branch side. They wanted to make this name change ahead of that so that it is a request. Just to be clear, um, from the governor's office,
H.B. 475 Development Planning and Coordination Amendments · Senate Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Feb 26, 2026
Says this bill creates no new land authority or economic development tools, unlike last year's bill, and only aims to coordinate economic development strategy and bring the right parties together to discuss it.
▶ Watch at 50:58Read what they said
Yeah, that was a, I got, I was a freshman Legisl, I still am, but that, that was my first year and I got swept up into that. That was an interesting upfront, uh, look at how things work, but the totally different that Bill was granting land use authority to this new state land authority. So think Inland Port or MAA that was creating a new land authority called the Beehive Development Authority. That name we shall never utter again. Right. But, um, the last time, so it was creating a land authority and giving it all of these economic development tools like tax increment finance and, and, and then it had this super ability to take land use …
S.B. 197 Transportation Funding and Governance Amendments · House Transportation Committee · Feb 26, 2026
Explains that the bill's funding grows as a 5 percent share of projected sales tax growth, starting around $16 million. · speaker not certain
▶ Watch at 1:05:19Read what they said
So, on that question, so what it is is 5% of future growth or 0.05. So it's 5%, uh, based on estimates of growth. So in 2028, it'd be 16 million, 20, 29, 20 5 million, 20, 30, 30 3 million. It keeps moving up based on projected revenues in 2035, it'd be like 82 million. So that's kind of, that's kind of the pattern just based on estimates.
S.B. 172 Airport and Air Amendments · House Transportation Committee · Feb 25, 2026
Moved that the committee favorably recommend SB 172.
▶ Watch at 54:06Read what they said
I move that we favorably recommend SB 1 72 Airport and Air Amendments. Uh, that motion's in order.
H.B. 507 State Coordination of Regional and Local Economic Development Projects Amendments · House floor debate (day 36) · Feb 25, 2026
Says the bill adds an interim working group to study how to protect the property tax base.
▶ Watch at 1:31:43Read what they said
This just adds a working group list in the interim to focus on how to protect our property tax base into the future.
H.B. 507 State Coordination of Regional and Local Economic Development Projects Amendments · House floor debate (day 36) · Feb 25, 2026
Says the bill adds a working group in the interim to study how to protect the property tax base.
▶ Watch at 1:31:43Read what they said
This just adds a working group list in the interim to focus on how to protect our property tax base into the future.
H.B. 507 State Coordination of Regional and Local Economic Development Projects Amendments · House floor debate (day 36) · Feb 25, 2026
Presents the bill, which would sunset four tax increment tools and replace them with one, prohibit non-contiguous project areas, require disclosure to home buyers, create automatic dissolution of project areas once debt is retired, and create a summer working group on the property tax base.
▶ Watch at 1:32:16Read what they said
Thank you, Mr. Speaker colleagues. Our property taxes have increased, partly because we've given away so much of our property tax base in the form of economic incentives. We've recently seen a proliferation of state tax increment finance tools. What this bill does is it tries to Sunset four of those tools and replace them with one tool that's less rich in the economic incentive, and that lasts for a shorter time of duration. The other thing the bill does is it tries to reform PIs. It does three things. Number one, it disallows or prohibits non-contiguous PIs. Number two, it, um, it requires disclosure for ultimate home buyers who are in these pit districts who oftentimes don't have any …
H.B. 507 State Coordination of Regional and Local Economic Development Projects Amendments · House floor debate (day 36) · Feb 25, 2026
Says the bill sunsets four tax increment tools and replaces them with one tool with less incentive and a shorter duration, reforms PIDs by prohibiting non-contiguous districts, requires disclosure to home buyers, and creates automatic dissolution once debt is retired, and creates a summer working group on protecting the property tax base.
▶ Watch at 1:32:16Read what they said
Thank you, Mr. Speaker colleagues. Our property taxes have increased, partly because we've given away so much of our property tax base in the form of economic incentives. We've recently seen a proliferation of state tax increment finance tools. What this bill does is it tries to Sunset four of those tools and replace them with one tool that's less rich in the economic incentive, and that lasts for a shorter time of duration. The other thing the bill does is it tries to reform PIs. It does three things. Number one, it disallows or prohibits non-contiguous PIs. Number two, it, um, it requires disclosure for ultimate home buyers who are in these pit districts who oftentimes don't have any …
H.B. 478 Residential Rental Modifications · House Business, Labor, and Commerce Committee · Feb 24, 2026
Asked whether a lease could reserve the landlord's right to raise rent up to 20 percent and whether the bill would prohibit that.
▶ Watch at 1:11:37Read what they said
My question is, uh, similar to Representative Dunnigan, I just wanna make, if I'm a landlord and I wanna put in my contract or my lease that I reserve the right to raise your rent up to 20% on my discretion, would that be disallowed by this?
H.B. 478 Residential Rental Modifications · House Business, Labor, and Commerce Committee · Feb 24, 2026
Said a landlord could reserve the option to raise rent by five percent under a contract provision.
▶ Watch at 1:11:59Read what they said
I'm just saying I reserve the option as the landlord to raise your rent up to 20%, and I just, just at, and I'm gonna put that in my contract. It's a provision, the lease ends and I say a week before it ends. Well, I, I told you I reserved the right to raise it up to 20%. I'm gonna raise it five. Would I be able to do that?
H.B. 478 Residential Rental Modifications · House Business, Labor, and Commerce Committee · Feb 24, 2026
Said contract provisions could be used to avoid the notice requirement and that market reasons might make prescribing contract terms in law difficult.
▶ Watch at 1:13:06Read what they said
No, I, I appreciate what you're trying to do. What I, what I'm trying to get at is just mm-hmm. You know, whether or not it's the right practice or a good practice, it seems like it'd be fairly easy to just create a provision to get around it. Mm-hmm. Um, and look, I think at the end of the day, there are reasons, market reasons why somebody might not be able to alert their tenant of an increase 60 days, whereas they could over 30 days. So I just, when you try to prescribe in law what you should do in contract mm-hmm. It can just get difficult. But thank you.
S.B. 45 Kratom Adjustments · House Business, Labor, and Commerce Committee · Feb 24, 2026
Roberts asked whether 7-OH produced by the body from extracts is as toxic as 7-OH taken directly.
▶ Watch at 1:59:27Read what they said
Yeah, thank you Senator for the hard work on this. And we, we've seen a couple of these bills already, so I'm, I'm trying to get my head around. Does the, the, the extract, yeah, it converts. It sounds like it converts your, your body metabolizes it into seven oh h does it do it at the same level of toxicity? Like is it as bad as regular old seven oh HC?
S.B. 45 Kratom Adjustments · House Business, Labor, and Commerce Committee · Feb 24, 2026
Roberts asked whether other states regulate kratom leaf while banning extracts and 7-OH as this bill does.
▶ Watch at 2:00:08Read what they said
Okay. So it has the same impact ally. It is the same thing. Correct. Okay. And then I know we've gone back and forth with the different bills on the regulatory structure or in, you know, which product we're gonna regulate and which one we aren't. Juab. Is there precedent with other states in how we're doing it in your bill? Like do other states ban the leaf and, or excuse me, keep the leaf regulated, but ban these other two pieces? I'm just trying to get some context. I guess.
S.B. 45 Kratom Adjustments · House Business, Labor, and Commerce Committee · Feb 24, 2026
Roberts asked where kratom leaf could legally be sold and distributed under the bill.
▶ Watch at 2:01:34Read what they said
And the last question, Mr. Vice chair. So you have, does the leaf, you, you regulate the leaf, does it just get regulated at the rts bs? Or where can you like legally sell and distribute the leaf?
S.B. 45 Kratom Adjustments · House Business, Labor, and Commerce Committee · Feb 24, 2026
Roberts asked how the state would keep kratom from being sold illicitly through vape shops that are not licensed tobacco specialty shops.
▶ Watch at 2:02:08Read what they said
What stops us, what I worry about, we go through the regulated channel, but it somehow ends up in a vape shop and they got a box in the back and, you know, the kids know that they're selling it. How do we enforce it so that it doesn't just get submerged into the black market via the vape shops that aren't the R TSPs.
H.B. 507 State Coordination of Regional and Local Economic Development Projects Amendments · House floor debate (day 35) · Feb 24, 2026
Says a substitute bill has not yet been made public and he wants the body to have time to review it.
▶ Watch at 8:53Read what they said
Yes. There's a sub that's not Been been made public, but it will be soon. And I want to give the body a chance to review.
H.B. 575 Fuel Tax and Supply Amendments · House floor debate (day 35) · Feb 24, 2026
Presents the bill, which cuts the gas tax by 15% (about $45 million), streamlines fuel permitting, and aims to expand supply through an industry production commitment.
▶ Watch at 1:03:15Read what they said
Thank you Mr. Speaker. Pro tem colleagues, Utah is the number nine oil and gas economy in the United States. The UN a basin is booming. We have five refineries in our state when other states have zero. We also have an expansive, extensive pipeline infrastructure network throughout our state, and yet our gas prices are consistently higher than the median. Why is that? Well, partly it's because we are a part of a regional market and our neighbors on the west coast are regulating their refineries out of existence. California has announced two closings of major refineries. When you pull supply down, what happens to price? It goes up and you're feeling that at the pump here in Utah. …
H.B. 575 Fuel Tax and Supply Amendments · House floor debate (day 35) · Feb 24, 2026
Says there is no replacement funding; local road B and C funds will be held harmless, the transportation fund will be affected with some maintenance projects delayed, and the gas tax was already expected to fall about 10% next year.
▶ Watch at 1:05:27Read what they said
Great question. There is no replacement mechanism. So this will be about a $45 million cut the local road B and C money, which is the money that, um, is used to pay for local roads, cities, and county roads is going to be held harmless. Um, but in terms of the impact of the transportation fund, you will see an impact. We've worked closely with UDOT to understand those impacts. What will likely happen is you'll see some delay in some maintenance projects. Now, I will point out to my colleagues, the way the gas tax currently works is it fluctuates. It floats with where the rack prices are at. That's basically the wholesale cost of gas. We're set …
H.B. 492 Transportation, Infrastructure, and Housing Amendments · House floor debate (day 35) · Feb 24, 2026
Says the substitute makes two minor changes, requiring the committee to report to two interim committees and adding clarity on uses of the bill's proceeds.
▶ Watch at 1:15:57Read what they said
That's in order. We'd like to speak to it. Yeah. Colleague this as 2, 2, 2 minor things. One, it, it, uh, requires that this committee goes back and reports to the economic development interim committee and the political subdivisions interim committee. And then it makes some, it has some clarity around uses of the proceeds in the bill.
H.B. 492 Transportation, Infrastructure, and Housing Amendments · House floor debate (day 35) · Feb 24, 2026
Says the substitute requires the committee to report to two interim committees and clarifies uses of the proceeds in the bill.
▶ Watch at 1:15:59Read what they said
Colleague this as 2, 2, 2 minor things. One, it, it, uh, requires that this committee goes back and reports to the economic development interim committee and the political subdivisions interim committee. And then it makes some, it has some clarity around uses of the proceeds in the bill.
H.B. 492 Transportation, Infrastructure, and Housing Amendments · House floor debate (day 35) · Feb 24, 2026
Argues that housing costs have outpaced wages and that the bill funds infrastructure capacity, through a revolving loan facility repaid by developer impact fees, to support planned housing.
▶ Watch at 1:16:41Read what they said
Colleagues, what should the role of state government be in the housing market? That's the fundamental question that we oftentimes ask ourselves. Since 1985, the median home price in Utah has grown on average year over year at 5.2%. Meanwhile, median wage growth has only been 3.2%. That 2% gap year over year for 40 years. Compounding creates a massive chasm for where medium incomes are today and where median home prices are. We know it's a problem. Middle class Utahans increasingly are unable to afford a starter home in our state. Now, we've worked hard over the last year. We've worked with mayors and city council people and city managers and private industry to try to think about the …
H.B. 492 Transportation, Infrastructure, and Housing Amendments · House floor debate (day 35) · Feb 24, 2026
Says the bill sets up a 100 million dollar revolving loan facility so cities can build capacity infrastructure for already planned housing, repaid mainly through developer-paid impact fees.
▶ Watch at 1:16:41Read what they said
Colleagues, what should the role of state government be in the housing market? That's the fundamental question that we oftentimes ask ourselves. Since 1985, the median home price in Utah has grown on average year over year at 5.2%. Meanwhile, median wage growth has only been 3.2%. That 2% gap year over year for 40 years. Compounding creates a massive chasm for where medium incomes are today and where median home prices are. We know it's a problem. Middle class Utahans increasingly are unable to afford a starter home in our state. Now, we've worked hard over the last year. We've worked with mayors and city council people and city managers and private industry to try to think about the …
H.B. 492 Transportation, Infrastructure, and Housing Amendments · House floor debate (day 35) · Feb 24, 2026
Explains that the bill repurposes $100 million from the transportation infrastructure investment fund float, which had been underused.
▶ Watch at 1:21:14Read what they said
Yeah, let me, let me address that question where the money is coming from. So a few years ago, uh, this body new law was signed to create a fund using the public float, the cash in the transportation infrastructure fund to basically extend credit to private developers. And the idea was you would take this money, you would commingle it with bank money, and you would lower the interest rate. Whether or not that was good policy or or bad policy, my bill doesn't have anything to do with it, but what it says is we're gonna repurpose some of that money because it wasn't being used, it wasn't very effective. And so that was a $300 million slug …
H.B. 492 Transportation, Infrastructure, and Housing Amendments · House floor debate (day 35) · Feb 24, 2026
Explains that the bill repurposes 100 million dollars from the transportation infrastructure investment fund float, which was previously created to extend credit to private developers and was not being used effectively.
▶ Watch at 1:21:14Read what they said
Yeah, let me, let me address that question where the money is coming from. So a few years ago, uh, this body new law was signed to create a fund using the public float, the cash in the transportation infrastructure fund to basically extend credit to private developers. And the idea was you would take this money, you would commingle it with bank money, and you would lower the interest rate. Whether or not that was good policy or or bad policy, my bill doesn't have anything to do with it, but what it says is we're gonna repurpose some of that money because it wasn't being used, it wasn't very effective. And so that was a $300 million slug …
H.B. 492 Transportation, Infrastructure, and Housing Amendments · House floor debate (day 35) · Feb 24, 2026
Explains the loan goes to the Point of the Mountain Development Authority for backbone infrastructure on state-owned land, which the state is obligated to provide and which will be repaid from sales of the land.
▶ Watch at 1:23:14Read what they said
That's a very fair question. I'm glad you read it closely. So the state, so as part of the loan, the a hundred million dollars, there will be a loan extended to the point of the Mountain Development Authority. The way that that works is it's state owned land and we entered into a development agreement years ago with private developers and the state, um, to put in the backbone infrastructure of that project. Again, not here to litigate if that was good policy or bad policy, but we're obligated to put in some infrastructure at that site. Uh, they are planning to sell 50 acres with owner occupied single family detached product. And this was a way to kill …
H.B. 492 Transportation, Infrastructure, and Housing Amendments · House floor debate (day 35) · Feb 24, 2026
Explains the 100 million dollar loan goes to the Point of the Mountain Development Authority to build backbone infrastructure on state-owned land under a prior development agreement, to be repaid from sales of about 50 acres for housing.
▶ Watch at 1:23:14Read what they said
That's a very fair question. I'm glad you read it closely. So the state, so as part of the loan, the a hundred million dollars, there will be a loan extended to the point of the Mountain Development Authority. The way that that works is it's state owned land and we entered into a development agreement years ago with private developers and the state, um, to put in the backbone infrastructure of that project. Again, not here to litigate if that was good policy or bad policy, but we're obligated to put in some infrastructure at that site. Uh, they are planning to sell 50 acres with owner occupied single family detached product. And this was a way to kill …
H.B. 492 Transportation, Infrastructure, and Housing Amendments · House floor debate (day 35) · Feb 24, 2026
Says the state owns the land, which is within Draper City limits and not owned by a particular city or county.
▶ Watch at 1:24:37Read what they said
The people of Utah, the state. Not a particular city or county. It's within Draper City limits, but no, it's state owned land. We own the land.
H.B. 492 Transportation, Infrastructure, and Housing Amendments · House floor debate (day 35) · Feb 24, 2026
Says the bill supports such projects, using a Salt Lake County example, with payback from developer-paid impact fees that depends on development occurring.
▶ Watch at 1:27:15Read what they said
Yes, that's a, that's a good question. It does. I mean, the idea is that if, let's say a city entitled, I'll give you an example. There's, there's a major city here in Salt Lake County that has 2000 entitled units, um, in open space. They have $50 million worth of water infrastructure that needs to go in. Um, this bill would support that kind of project. Now it's gonna be important for cities and, you know, you've gotta trust the city to do the right work here, but to make sure that ultimately there's gonna be a payback mechanism, which is usually from the impact fees, developer paid impact fees. Um, and so in order, you know, in order …
H.B. 492 Transportation, Infrastructure, and Housing Amendments · House floor debate (day 35) · Feb 24, 2026
Says the bill would support projects such as a city with 2000 entitled units needing water infrastructure, with repayment from developer-paid impact fees that requires development to occur.
▶ Watch at 1:27:15Read what they said
Yes, that's a, that's a good question. It does. I mean, the idea is that if, let's say a city entitled, I'll give you an example. There's, there's a major city here in Salt Lake County that has 2000 entitled units, um, in open space. They have $50 million worth of water infrastructure that needs to go in. Um, this bill would support that kind of project. Now it's gonna be important for cities and, you know, you've gotta trust the city to do the right work here, but to make sure that ultimately there's gonna be a payback mechanism, which is usually from the impact fees, developer paid impact fees. Um, and so in order, you know, in order …
H.B. 492 Transportation, Infrastructure, and Housing Amendments · House floor debate (day 35) · Feb 24, 2026
Says the special district is not an economic development tool and that special service districts are often water districts needed for infrastructure supporting housing.
▶ Watch at 1:29:45Read what they said
Yeah, I, I think I know where the concern's coming from. To be very clear, this is not a pi, it's not an economic development tool. There is no special economic zone being created. Special service districts are oftentimes water districts. And so if you're gonna be delivering water infrastructure to support housing, uh, you want to have them in code because oftentimes that's what's going to facilitate that kind of infrastructure. So that's why they're included.
H.B. 492 Transportation, Infrastructure, and Housing Amendments · House floor debate (day 35) · Feb 24, 2026
Explains that special service districts, often water districts, are referenced in code so water infrastructure for housing can be delivered, and that the bill is not an economic development tool or zone.
▶ Watch at 1:29:45Read what they said
Yeah, I, I think I know where the concern's coming from. To be very clear, this is not a pi, it's not an economic development tool. There is no special economic zone being created. Special service districts are oftentimes water districts. And so if you're gonna be delivering water infrastructure to support housing, uh, you want to have them in code because oftentimes that's what's going to facilitate that kind of infrastructure. So that's why they're included.
H.B. 492 Transportation, Infrastructure, and Housing Amendments · House floor debate (day 35) · Feb 24, 2026
Explains that moderate income definitions vary in code, that the bill keeps the definition flexible and prioritizes owner-occupied single-family homes, and that rules will be developed with interim committees.
▶ Watch at 1:30:27Read what they said
So throughout code, it's actually something that we need to clean up, not in this bill, but in some, some future bill, but there's a bunch of different definitions of what moderate income housing is. It can be 80% of a MI or 120% of a MI. Um, this bill tries to be flexible. It, it says we want this to be used for single family detached owner occupied homes because that is the product that we are so desperately in need of in the state. And so it directs the board to prioritize that and ultimately put rule in place in conjunction with the economic development interim committee and political subdivisions committee. But it doesn't give us specific definition …
H.B. 492 Transportation, Infrastructure, and Housing Amendments · House floor debate (day 35) · Feb 24, 2026
Explains that definitions of moderate income housing vary in code, that the bill intentionally avoids a fixed income definition, and that it prioritizes single-family owner-occupied homes with rules to be developed with interim committees.
▶ Watch at 1:30:27Read what they said
So throughout code, it's actually something that we need to clean up, not in this bill, but in some, some future bill, but there's a bunch of different definitions of what moderate income housing is. It can be 80% of a MI or 120% of a MI. Um, this bill tries to be flexible. It, it says we want this to be used for single family detached owner occupied homes because that is the product that we are so desperately in need of in the state. And so it directs the board to prioritize that and ultimately put rule in place in conjunction with the economic development interim committee and political subdivisions committee. But it doesn't give us specific definition …
H.B. 492 Transportation, Infrastructure, and Housing Amendments · House floor debate (day 35) · Feb 24, 2026
Says no resolution is needed, that the bill prioritizes single-family owner-occupied homes, and that the definition varies by county and development.
▶ Watch at 1:31:55Read what they said
There's no need for any resolutions. Um, the bill is clear. What we're trying to prioritize is single family detached, owner occupied homes. That's gonna vary depending on which county you're in, what the development looks like. And so it leaves the definition more flexible. It doesn't say it's gotta be 80% of a MI.
H.B. 492 Transportation, Infrastructure, and Housing Amendments · House floor debate (day 35) · Feb 24, 2026
Says no resolutions are needed, the bill is clear in prioritizing single-family owner-occupied homes, and the definition is intentionally flexible.
▶ Watch at 1:31:55Read what they said
There's no need for any resolutions. Um, the bill is clear. What we're trying to prioritize is single family detached, owner occupied homes. That's gonna vary depending on which county you're in, what the development looks like. And so it leaves the definition more flexible. It doesn't say it's gotta be 80% of a MI.
H.B. 68 Housing and Community Development Amendments · Senate Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Feb 23, 2026
Presented HB 68, which would consolidate state housing policy now run by several executive agencies into one division that reports to two legislative committees, with no fiscal note.
▶ Watch at 34:17Read what they said
Okay. I'm going to put this up on the screen if that's all right. Okay, that's fine. Okay. Well, thank you for having me chair. Um, so what HB 68 does is it tries to pull out all the housing policy that's currently administered at the executive branch level and put it into one box, put that box over in goo, put a division director in charge of that box. It'll be senate confirmed governor appointed much like homelessness. And then that division director will have to report back to not one standing committee, but two, uh, we'll have them report back to political subdivisions and economic development. But really, the, what the problem it's trying to solve is right …
H.B. 68 Housing and Community Development Amendments · Senate Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Feb 23, 2026
Said the biggest challenge was deciding where housing should sit, and the bill places it in the economic development office rather than DWS after feedback from the governor's office.
▶ Watch at 37:32Read what they said
Yeah, it's a great question. The, the har the biggest challenge was deciding where should it sit, should housing stay with DWS, should we put it in goo? Ultimately, we landed on GOO because we thought there was some overlap in terms of economic development and the pressure that that puts on housing and housing policy. And admittedly, the first draft of this, we were going to just keep it in DWS, but we had a lot of feedback from the governor's office that it would be a challenge to keep it in. D-W-S-D-W-S is really focused on administering, you know, social welfare programs in the labor market. And so there just wasn't, perhaps you, you could say the expertise …
H.B. 249 Federal Funds Modifications · House floor debate (day 34) · Feb 23, 2026
Presents the bill, saying it creates a fiscal health dashboard to assess risk from federal revenues and a process for LFA budget stress test information to go to the Federalism Commission.
▶ Watch at 1:39:49Read what they said
Thank you Mr. Speaker. Pro TE colleagues, $8.5 billion of our budget comes from the federal government. But the problem with that is over the next several years, 25% of the federal revenues will be consumed by interest expense. So that obviously adds risk to certain components of our budget. What this bill does before you today, we worked on it with the Federalism commission over the interim and with LFAs, it's, it does two things. Number one, it creates a process to create a fiscal health dashboard, which will allow us to better assess risk as it's related to the federal government revenues. And then number two, it creates a simple process whereby LFA gives budget stress test information …
H.B. 249 Federal Funds Modifications · House floor debate (day 34) · Feb 23, 2026
Answers that USU's computer science and data analytics department was selected after interim review of public higher education institutions.
▶ Watch at 1:42:06Read what they said
It's a great question. The Utah State, uh, university has an incredible department with computer science and data analytics. And during the interim, we worked with various public institutions, higher ed institutions to find the right fit. And they had the right department and personnel we think to execute, uh, on the project. So that's why we went with them.
H.B. 475 Development Planning and Coordination Amendments · House floor debate (day 31) · Feb 20, 2026
Presents the bill, which changes the economic development agency name from Goo to Goed and creates an economic development coordination committee, and states it adds no new economic development tools or expanded powers.
▶ Watch at 1:57:35Read what they said
Thank you Mr. Speaker ProAm, colleagues, this bill does two main things. Number one, it changes the name of goo back to Goed. Now I know, I know we just did this, we just changed the name to Goo a few years ago. But if you talk to executive director Jim Mo, uh, Jeff Musk, excuse me, he'll tell you that the goo name is confusing to the economic development community outside of the state of Utah. So the bill looks very, very long, and it's mostly because you're just seeing goo change to goed. The second part of the bill is that it creates an economic development committee. What it's trying to do is pull together political leadership and …
H.B. 475 Development Planning and Coordination Amendments · House floor debate (day 31) · Feb 20, 2026
Presents H.B. 475, which would change the name of GOED back to Goed and create an economic development committee to coordinate state economic development strategy, and states the bill creates no new economic development tools or expanded powers.
▶ Watch at 1:57:35Read what they said
Thank you Mr. Speaker ProAm, colleagues, this bill does two main things. Number one, it changes the name of goo back to Goed. Now I know, I know we just did this, we just changed the name to Goo a few years ago. But if you talk to executive director Jim Mo, uh, Jeff Musk, excuse me, he'll tell you that the goo name is confusing to the economic development community outside of the state of Utah. So the bill looks very, very long, and it's mostly because you're just seeing goo change to goed. The second part of the bill is that it creates an economic development committee. What it's trying to do is pull together political leadership and …
H.B. 492 Transportation, Infrastructure, and Housing Amendments · House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Feb 18, 2026
Presents HB 492, which creates a fund for regionally significant infrastructure to support already-planned housing, with a focus on single-family starter homes.
▶ Watch at 48:27Read what they said
Just gimme one second, Mr. Chair. Okay. Ready? Yep. All right. Well, colleagues, uh, we've talked about this issue a lot, uh, um, lately. Let me just set the stage on some data. I think that's important. Since 1985, the median home price has increased on average year over year, 5.2% for 40 years. If you look at median wage growth, it's down at 3.2%. Now, you don't need a advanced math degree to understand that that 2% gap between where housing prices have been on average growing versus wage becomes a massive chasm over, over a 40 year period. Back in 1985, you could buy a median home with a wage, a median wage that about 2.8 times the …
H.B. 492 Transportation, Infrastructure, and Housing Amendments · House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Feb 18, 2026
Explains the Point of the Mountain loan funds state backbone infrastructure under a development agreement and will be repaid from sales of land for smaller homes.
▶ Watch at 55:33Read what they said
Um, well, so here's the thing. So the state owns the point of the mountain land. That's our land, that's the state land. We entered into a development agreement three or four years ago, um, with some private developers as part of our obligation to the point of the mountain was that we needed as the state to put in the backbone infrastructure. If we don't put in the backbone infrastructure, we're, we're, we're, we're, uh, in breach of our development agreement. And so, uh, this seemed like we had this problem we needed to solve to get some infrastructure into the point. And this fund was a, an easy way to do it. The repayment of that $18 million …
H.B. 492 Transportation, Infrastructure, and Housing Amendments · House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Feb 18, 2026
Says loan rates are meant to fall within 150 basis points of the federal funds rate and that the structure is intentionally flexible.
▶ Watch at 57:44Read what they said
Yeah, great. Great question. It it's meant to be a, a bandwidth, uh, a band. So plus or minus 150 basis points on Fed funds. So this is cheap money. Um, if you go below the Fed funds rate, it's very cheap money. That's, yeah. There is a, there is a small return, obviously to the state. I think the Fed funds rate right now is something like 3.5%. So this would look like anywhere between two to 5% money. The idea here is not that we want to make a great return for the state from an economic perspective, it's that we want to try to support, excuse me, regionally supportive, a regionally significant infrastructure with a nexus to …
H.B. 492 Transportation, Infrastructure, and Housing Amendments · House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Feb 18, 2026
Says projects providing single-family detached starter homes would be the priority and that demand from cities is still to be seen.
▶ Watch at 59:43Read what they said
Uh, it's, it's a good question. I, yes, I mean, the way, the way I ideally like to see it play out is that those projects that can get the biggest bang for their buck in terms of the housing product we want, which again, I'm just gonna double emphasize it, it's the single family detached starter homes that those are gonna be the priority. And, you know, I'm sure there'll be some give and take and some decisions. We'll see what the demand is for this, right? I mean, we want to put it out there. We want to see do cities find this useful? I think from all the cities I've talked to, we had a great even …
H.B. 492 Transportation, Infrastructure, and Housing Amendments · House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Feb 18, 2026
Says the funds come from a cash float in the transportation investment fund that was previously set aside for other investments.
▶ Watch at 1:01:09Read what they said
It's, it's, it's a little funky. The fund, the, the funding mechanism. So if a few years ago there was a bill passed that, uh, used basically the cash float from the transportation investment fund, which that fund is what we used to build pretty big. Say that again. Yeah, it's Pretty big. So there'd be a decent amount of float coming off, Correct? Correct. And so you've, you've got this float and the idea was, hey, we use that money to invest in apple's corporate bonds and this thing and that thing. You know, can you carve out a little slug of that to go and invest directly back into the state of Utah? And it was structured as …
H.B. 492 Transportation, Infrastructure, and Housing Amendments · House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Feb 18, 2026
Says the funding comes from public sources and the treasurer-managed cash float, not from private investors seeking returns.
▶ Watch at 1:02:27Read what they said
Okay. Grants, gifts, loans or other funding from federal government or other public or private sources. This isn't something that the philanthropists could say, Hey, I'm gonna invest in this fund and get a return on it. Uh, That's certainly not the intent. And I'd be open to some kind of amendment if that is unclear. No, the, the, the money, I know where the money's coming from. It's, it's coming from the P tiff money. It's not gonna go out there and open up the coffers to private investors who wanna make, you know, 2% return on their money with the these loans, which, you know, if anybody wants to do that, I'd say they're crazy. Anyways. And this …
H.B. 492 Transportation, Infrastructure, and Housing Amendments · House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Feb 18, 2026
Says the bill does not touch the Midas bill and is a housing bill, not economic development.
▶ Watch at 1:04:02Read what they said
Mida? No. And in fact, that's my next bill representative. This is the housing bill, not economic development. Thank You.
H.B. 492 Transportation, Infrastructure, and Housing Amendments · House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Feb 18, 2026
Says the $100 million amount was worked out with UDOT to fit within existing programmed projects.
▶ Watch at 1:04:33Read what they said
Yeah, that, that is the smart question, so I'm glad you asked it. That was always my concern. Anytime you take public, you take the float of these funds, um, you could, if you take too much potentially delay projects that have been programmed, uh, at Udo, we have worked hard, I don't know if I have friends here from Udo, but we, we've, we have gotten comfortable that this number, the a hundred million is a number that, that, uh, can work within the existing programming.
H.B. 492 Transportation, Infrastructure, and Housing Amendments · House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Feb 18, 2026
Says a larger amount would have affected programmed projects and that the $100 million figure is expected to have little impact.
▶ Watch at 1:05:04Read what they said
Let me put it this way, if it, if the number was larger, then yeah, you, you would, you would be pushing back already programmed projects. Um, you know, that that was sort of one of the potential impacts of that original 300 million a couple years ago. This a hundred million, though, I feel really good about, have worked closely with folks at UDOT to make sure that that's a number that felt like it wouldn't have an impact on already planned projects.
H.B. 492 Transportation, Infrastructure, and Housing Amendments · House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Feb 18, 2026
Says oversight and city repayment through impact fees would act as a check, with some risk if deals are structured poorly.
▶ Watch at 1:05:46Read what they said
Yes. I mean, that is certainly like a risk of potential deals and what you hope happens, and I would really invite this committee to have a lot of oversight in the interim over this process, really to see how it's playing out. But you would hope that ultimately in the deal structure, that, you know, if, if the city let, let, lemme actually, lemme put it this way, the city's gonna pay back the loans with impact fees. You gotta have the development. And so in some ways, the cities will act as the, the, uh, the gatekeeper of that because it would be against their interest to go take the money from the state, put the money in …
H.B. 492 Transportation, Infrastructure, and Housing Amendments · House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Feb 18, 2026
Describes the state's options, including forgiving the loan portion or extending repayment, and a fiscal note set-aside for potential losses.
▶ Watch at 1:07:23Read what they said
Yeah, you're asking all the great questions. Um, yes. I mean, there has been thought to that ul ultimately the state would be in a position to go two routes, if that was to be the case. Well, lemme first say this, the nature of the cash flows that are gonna be securing these loans to pay them back is that they are very safe, reliable cash flows depending on, you know, the way you structure it, whether it be some kind of an additional assessment or some kind of impact fee, they're, they're very reliable. Now, that doesn't mean that there's no scenario in which, you know, the payback isn't there. If it's not there, the state would've two …
H.B. 492 Transportation, Infrastructure, and Housing Amendments · House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Feb 18, 2026
Says rulemaking will guide project grading and that the committee can engage in interim oversight; open to tightening statute or amendments.
▶ Watch at 1:10:31Read what they said
Yeah. Uh, I, I appreciate the conversation. I actually really do, it's a, another really good question. I, what the bill tries to do is to leave rulemaking available to the agency, which is gonna be goo. And if that housing bill, the reorg bill passes, you know, that division will probably have some say in it. And so it, it does give general just some latitude. It, the bill specifically says, what we want is this kind of housing product, single family detached, um, uh, owner occupied housing, right? That it says that's what we want to try to get. Now that's pretty broad, right? And it leaves the rest of it up to rulemaking and there's some latitude. …
H.B. 492 Transportation, Infrastructure, and Housing Amendments · House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Feb 18, 2026
Says the bill does not exclude infill or transit-oriented projects and that it emphasizes single-family homes to reflect voter and public preferences.
▶ Watch at 1:13:40Read what they said
Yeah, it's another good question. Um, so first of all, the bill doesn't exclude the ability to use this for, let's call it more infill. And there's been a healthy conversation around how this could be used to support infill projects. And what do I mean by infill? So take, take for example, we have what are called station area plans. It's an important part of the housing policy that the legislatures passed over the last several years. It basically said to cities, Hey, we want you to plan within a half mile radius of all transit stops, more housing density. Now we, you know, I'm not here to litigate if that was the right policy or not. It's in …
H.B. 492 Transportation, Infrastructure, and Housing Amendments · House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Feb 18, 2026
Says regional capacity infrastructure serves many developments and private developers and cities cannot easily coordinate or finance it, so the state can facilitate.
▶ Watch at 1:18:11Read what they said
I can, yeah. So, and then That, to me, that segues into what you're buying with the Yes. What you wanna buy with the loan proceeds. Yeah, it's a, it's a, a good question. So, um, oftentimes the capacity infrastructure, and it could be regional roads, it could be regional, um, we infrastructure, like, you know, what's laid out in the bill, but oftentimes that infrastructure serves multiple subdivisions, multiple housing divisions. And you have a situation where you just, you can't get the coordination amongst the private actors. So let's say I've got this big master planned area, and there's a bunch of different landowners and they've got their entitlements from the city. Um, they can't all the time …
H.B. 492 Transportation, Infrastructure, and Housing Amendments · House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Feb 18, 2026
Says the funds could be used for regionally significant roads but are not meant for subdivision-level infrastructure.
▶ Watch at 1:20:11Read what they said
Yeah, you could use it for that. It's not meant to be subdivision level infrastructure. And so what I mean by that is like sewer or, um, you know, curb and gutter, it's not meant to, to help this little subdivision with 50 homes put in their sidewalks, right? It's meant to say, we got 2000 planned units over here and there's 20 different landowners or 10 different property owners. Um, but we can't serve that because we don't have, we're lacking the capacity infrastructure, whether it be sewer or water or road. And, you know, you don't have the easy financing mechanism on the city side. And, you know, the private, the, the profit motive isn't there for the …
H.B. 492 Transportation, Infrastructure, and Housing Amendments · House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Feb 18, 2026
Responds to Shelley's concerns, arguing the bill adds housing supply through infrastructure rather than demand-side subsidies.
▶ Watch at 1:34:02Read what they said
No, I, I appreciate it. Let me just, uh, rep, uh, comment maybe on, or respond to one of one comment from Representative Shelley, which I think is a fair comment. And, and, uh, I think it's a fair argument. What I'd, what I'd say is there's two sides of this. There's the demand side and then there's the supply side. And that's what creates price. And what I think this will do is generate more supply. And, and if you ask the question around, well, what is the role of government in housing? I don't think it's putting money on the demand side. Now we've done that. And when I say we, I mean this body has done, have …
H.B. 507 State Coordination of Regional and Local Economic Development Projects Amendments · House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Feb 18, 2026
Sets up the screen for the presentation slides.
▶ Watch at 1:36:08Read what they said
Yeah. Gimme one second. I'm gonna, can I, oh, do we have screens here? Yeah, we Do. Okay. Yeah, let me, let me just pull, put this up on the screen 'cause I think it'll help frame this issue. Gimme one second. Okay. Thank you.
H.B. 507 State Coordination of Regional and Local Economic Development Projects Amendments · House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Feb 18, 2026
Presents HB 507, which would sunset several state-created tax increment tools and replace them with one tool capped at 60% of the increment for up to 25 years, and would also make changes to public infrastructure districts.
▶ Watch at 1:36:33Read what they said
As a packet, is this, is this our homework that you're handing out? Eight page summary. Wow. Yes, there'll be an exam after, it's an exam after written and oral 10 page summary. Come on. A glossary of terms. I love it. Expect you to Read that. Yeah, I, yeah, yeah. It's our syllabus, so, Okay. Uh, well thank you. Committee. I'll, I'll, I'll try to be quicker. Unfortunately, like this is probably a longer discussion than the last bill, but I'll, I'll try to, I'll try to tighten it up. Here's, let me just frame this issue on the economic development side. So over the last several years, the legislatures created what I think are just too many economic …
H.B. 507 State Coordination of Regional and Local Economic Development Projects Amendments · House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Feb 18, 2026
Explains that the bill targets state-created tools and not the local CRA/RDA tool.
▶ Watch at 1:47:05Read what they said
Or is you're standing No, No, there, so there's state created tools, like let's, let's take, you know, HTRZ or fizz, right? Those are tools that the state created in statute and said cities, you can use this tool if it meets these, these policy objectives. One of which was, you know, putting density around transit stations. Another one of was to try to create affordable housing. Um, it's basically saying we're gonna Sunset those. The city tool is the C-R-A-R-D-A and it's not touching that Tool. So that will still be available, correct. They're not gonna touch that. They still have a redevelopment area that they wanna focus on.
H.B. 507 State Coordination of Regional and Local Economic Development Projects Amendments · House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Feb 18, 2026
Says the 60% cap does not apply because the bill does not touch the local tool.
▶ Watch at 1:47:51Read what they said
Nope, you're not just, you're not touching up. Just the state created those state created tools. Uh, C-C-R-Z-H-T-R-Z, fizz hops.
H.B. 507 State Coordination of Regional and Local Economic Development Projects Amendments · House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Feb 18, 2026
Says the bill does not touch the land authorities and that their guardrails could be a future discussion.
▶ Watch at 1:48:14Read what they said
It doesn't touch MA a, which is one of the land authorities. So the, the big land authorities in the state are MAA and the inland port. Um, it doesn't have an impact on those, those land authorities, but I think it, there's an important conversation to be had in our body about whether or not those tools are, are, are pushing forward and, um, the public good. And I think there's some conversations that we could have about how to potentially try to put better guardrails in place around the land authorities. This bill, though, is not trying to tackle that issue.
H.B. 507 State Coordination of Regional and Local Economic Development Projects Amendments · House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Feb 18, 2026
Explains that land authorities can go up to 75% of the increment, compared with the negotiated levels for local CRA/RDA deals.
▶ Watch at 1:48:58Read what they said
Yeah, I mean, if you look at that chart I showed up, you'll see that the, the, the land authorities have up to 75% on real property that's lower than where typically, um, the CRAs RDAs, they can go up to a hundred percent. But here's the thing with the C-A-R-D-A, you have to go get the school district and the county to participate. And so what happens typically is that deal gets negotiated down somewhere in the sixties, right? So they can go statutorily up to a hundred, but oftentimes practically, because you have to get all three of those local taxing jurisdictions on board, and in a participation agreement, the deal gets negotiated down into the sixties. If …
H.B. 507 State Coordination of Regional and Local Economic Development Projects Amendments · House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Feb 18, 2026
Says the land authorities can assess additional mills for certain projects and that their scope may have grown beyond its original intent.
▶ Watch at 1:50:35Read what they said
Can? Yeah, so it's a good question. If you look at what some of those independent land authorities can do is they, they have some additional, uh, mills that they can assess on, uh, for certain projects. And so they can go above and beyond the property tax and they can assess, um, richer property tax, not the increment, just the actual new tax stream. And again, I think it's an important conversation that we need to have ultimately about, you know, whether or not that is, is driving at the public good or not. It, it seems to me, um, their initial scope was based around military installations. What's their current scope? Yeah, you know, you, you'd have to …
H.B. 507 State Coordination of Regional and Local Economic Development Projects Amendments · House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Feb 18, 2026
Explains that state-created tools allow up to 40 years and the replacement tool would use 25 years.
▶ Watch at 1:52:29Read what they said
Yeah, so depends on the tool and depends on the authority. Um, I can pull, pull it back up, but the, the way that the state created tools work is you have a 25 year period plus a 15 year extension. And so you could have a situation where the increment, let's say it's 80%, so property tax assessment today, new development comes on, property value goes up, 80% of that incremental tax is diverted away from the taxing entities for up to 40 years. And, um, what this is trying to do is, in a small way, say that's too long and we need to be, we need to tighten that up. And so it's the tool that's replacing …
H.B. 507 State Coordination of Regional and Local Economic Development Projects Amendments · House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Feb 18, 2026
Explains that the tool starts with city applications and a board approval process, and that county involvement is still open for discussion.
▶ Watch at 1:53:39Read what they said
Yeah, well, ultimately, so the way the governance works is you'll have, you'll have a board much like the HTRZ. So right now, the way the HTRZ works is you've got this board cities bring an application, you know, to do, to use the HTRZ tool, and there's this approval process. It basically creates a similar process. Um, so city initiated, cities have to choose to want to use the tool. If a city doesn't want to use it, it doesn't get used, right? So it starts with the city. It's not the state coming in and forcing a tool on somebody's head. There was a bill last year that got a lot of press that, that tried to do …
H.B. 507 State Coordination of Regional and Local Economic Development Projects Amendments · House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Feb 18, 2026
Explains the state reinvestment account, including how a portion of increment could fund statewide purposes, and uses a data center example.
▶ Watch at 1:55:46Read what they said
it's a, it's, I should have mentioned that in the description. Um, one of the, one of the arguments I'd make is that these, um, some of the, the way our economic de policy, economic development policy works is that, um, you know, too often the state facilitates the creation of these economic development opportunities, and yet there's not a statewide capture of the benefit back to the, the Utah taxpayer. And, and so what it's trying to do is to say you're gonna have this tool, you've got all the increment tools available to you, that committee in, in discussion with the cities, you know, with the city who's ultimately gotta put in the application, they can, they can …
H.B. 507 State Coordination of Regional and Local Economic Development Projects Amendments · House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Feb 18, 2026
Says local taxing entities choose whether to use the tool.
▶ Watch at 1:59:45Read what they said
In Correct. Now you might say, well, well what about the local taxing jurisdiction in the city? Don't they want it? They'd Have to participate. They, well, They, it's their choice, right? Like they, if they don't want to use the tool, they don't have to use the tool.
H.B. 507 State Coordination of Regional and Local Economic Development Projects Amendments · House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Feb 18, 2026
Agrees that a deal could benefit a larger area and describes it as an option.
▶ Watch at 2:00:13Read what they said
Correct. I could see that being an attractive way to do an economic development deal to say, okay, it's not just my city that's benefiting, I'm gonna benefit and state with this Great spot on that. That's what it's trying to do.
H.B. 507 State Coordination of Regional and Local Economic Development Projects Amendments · House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Feb 18, 2026
Explains that the large load definition is a baseline that could be refined and refers to last year's SB 132 construct.
▶ Watch at 2:00:43Read what they said
That's the data center piece, it, that definition. And I do think I have friends from the league here, maybe not. Um, but that there, we could probably find a better way to define that because there's other things beyond data centers that are a hundred meg users could, and we could be Yeah, we don't, we don't want to grab those in there. And so I think there's an ongoing discussion, but right now it's, yeah, it, it's sort of, that's the, that's the, the, the baseline. But it's basically saying you can't incentivize somebody that's gonna come and use all our electricity unless you do some things. Well, remember last year we passed, uh, was senate bill 1 …
H.B. 507 State Coordination of Regional and Local Economic Development Projects Amendments · House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Feb 18, 2026
Says the intent is still under discussion, that some local data centers exist, and that related Senate bills may address this area.
▶ Watch at 2:13:32Read what they said
It, it's hard because, um, there's a lot of ongoing discussion about where that lands. Here's what I'd say. There's some data centers right now in local cities. I can, I can think of one Eagle Mountain. That's the one I'm thinking of. Yeah. And so we don't want to get in the way of obstruct or block what they're currently trying to do. Um, but what we are recognizing is that we need to have a sensible approach to the way the data center policy works. And so, yeah, I mean that, that Basically saying, if, if, if you're, if you're gonna, if you're gonna incentivize a data center, go through this new tool and let's get broader agreement …
H.B. 507 State Coordination of Regional and Local Economic Development Projects Amendments · House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Feb 18, 2026
Says the bill was meant to pull back tax increment tools, and that data centers are now part of the discussion about sensible policy.
▶ Watch at 2:15:48Read what they said
The intent of it was to try to pull these things back. But the data center is the, the thing in the room, because it's the big investment, they're looking, you know, to go everywhere. And, um, we wanna have a sensible policy on how that investment works in the state, who it benefits, how it works. And so that is entering that conversation is entering its way into this bill. And my commitment is to try to preserve that some of those local priorities around how they're doing that while also, you know, having some kind of state benefit.
H.B. 507 State Coordination of Regional and Local Economic Development Projects Amendments · House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Feb 18, 2026
Confirms the process must start with local governments.
▶ Watch at 2:16:45Read what they said
No's, this has to start with the locals and Come back. All right. All city driven.
H.B. 575 Fuel Tax and Supply Amendments · House Revenue and Taxation Committee · Feb 18, 2026
Presents HB 575, describing a one-time 6-cent gas tax cut, midstream pipeline permitting changes, an expanded high cost infrastructure tax credit for fuel storage, and oversight of refinery production.
▶ Watch at 1:27:29Read what they said
Uh, well thank you Mr. Chair. Um, this bill's gotten a lot of press. I have expected the Idaho Calvary to be here, the battalion, but no, it's become, uh, I think a lot less controversial. If you look at all the polling throughout the state, you'll see that one of the main issues on the top of many Utah voters' minds is cost of living. And what this bill is trying to do is address some of those concerns. Um, Utah gas prices are generally higher than the national average, especially during the winter, or excuse me, during the summer. And part of the reason why that is, is it's just a, a pure supply story. If you look …
H.B. 575 Fuel Tax and Supply Amendments · House Revenue and Taxation Committee · Feb 18, 2026
Says there is no offset; the cut is a one-time hit to the transportation fund that pulls forward a scheduled gas tax drop.
▶ Watch at 1:33:44Read what they said
So there is no offset. It's, think of it as a one time hit to the transportation fund. As you know, as you know, Mr. Chair Wells, the chair of the transportation committee, the, the, the gas tax fluctuates based on what's called the rack price. And the rack price is like the wholesale price of fuel. So crude comes out of the ground, it gets put on a truck, it goes to the refineries, they do their magic chemistry on it, they turn it into manufactured fuel. It then usually gets on either a pipeline or a truck. If it's domestic, it gets on a truck. They drive it to what's called the rack, that's like the Costco of …
H.B. 575 Fuel Tax and Supply Amendments · House Revenue and Taxation Committee · Feb 18, 2026
Says the bill makes no change to upstream, refinery, production, or export taxes, and that the storage credit expansion is not expected to be used soon.
▶ Watch at 1:35:36Read what they said
Correct, there's no new tax change to upstream, which are the guys in the you in a basin who pull the fuel out of the ground. No changes there. There's no refinery tax, no production tax, there's no export tax, none of that. You, you are increasing the high infrastructure, uh, tax credit it looks like for, to encourage some pipelines. We're expanding it to include storage for manufactured fuel. So there's actually this interesting site down, I think by Delta, the salt caverns and you can store, it's a private solution. They're, they've built this massive cavern where you can store millions of gallons of manufactured fuel. In fact, you can store up to 13 days worth. What happens, …
H.B. 575 Fuel Tax and Supply Amendments · House Revenue and Taxation Committee · Feb 18, 2026
Says the gas tax fluctuates, the reduction accelerates a scheduled drop, and UDOT has been anticipating it and will adjust programming.
▶ Watch at 1:38:07Read what they said
Yeah, the way it works and, and I think Lisa's here from you dot I wouldn't, I would, I would invite her to come up if she feels comfortable talking to that as well. But she's here the way the, the way it works right, is it fluctuates. And so post COVID, because of the inflationary boom, you've, you had a basically a real, a large jump up in the gas tax. It floated up to 39 cents. And because inflation's come down and the rack prices have come down, that gas tax is set to drop. And they, I, you know, I have tremendous trust and respect for Carlos and team, and I think they've budgeted out and have …
H.B. 575 Fuel Tax and Supply Amendments · House Revenue and Taxation Committee · Feb 18, 2026
Says the bill does not change the natural gas tax, the related code change is a cleanup item, and the only tax impact is the 15% gas tax reduction starting in July.
▶ Watch at 1:40:46Read what they said
No, you're, you. It looks like that actually, I had a member of media ask me that same question. It's, it's not changing it, it's just correlating with another piece of in the code. Um, so there's no change to the natural gas tax and, and if you look at the crosswalk of the bill, you'll be able to see in code. It's just a cleanup item. The only change, the only tax impact in this bill is this gas tax reduction of 15%. The sixth cents starting July.
H.B. 464 Parent Taught Driver Education Amendments · House Transportation Committee · Feb 17, 2026
Asked whether the testimony implies the driving test is inadequate, since passing it should show a person can drive safely.
▶ Watch at 1:38:06Read what they said
I I've got a question. Yes, sir. Isn't though the implication of your comments that our test just isn't very good? Because if you can pass the test, doesn't that suggest that you can drive and you can do so safely?
H.B. 464 Parent Taught Driver Education Amendments · House Transportation Committee · Feb 17, 2026
Said he cares only whether drivers are safe, and if the uniform test shows that, it should not matter how they prepared.
▶ Watch at 1:38:31Read what they said
But I don't care about the rate of passage. If, if the homeschool person wants to have to take the test 10 times, that's their prerogative. I just care that the person who gets on the road can do it safely. And if we have a test that's uniform and you've gotta pass the test, and we think that test demonstrates that the person can safely drive on our roads, why do I care how they get to that test?
H.B. 464 Parent Taught Driver Education Amendments · House Transportation Committee · Feb 17, 2026
Said the issue appears to be the test and suggested it should be changed if it does not demonstrate safe driving.
▶ Watch at 1:39:26Read what they said
Yeah. And I'll just, it seems though that the issue is our test then, because if, if the test is there to demonstrate that they can safely drive and they pass the test, then why do we, why do we care? Perhaps it's safer to go through the formal course, but what that would suggest to me is that the test isn't very good and we should change the test anyways.
H.B. 249 Federal Funds Modifications · House Government Operations Committee · Feb 13, 2026
Presented the first substitute of HB 249, which directs LFA to send federal fund portions of budget stress testing to the Federalism Commission and funds a federal dependency dashboard.
▶ Watch at 42:06Read what they said
Great. Well, thank you, Mr. Vice Chair. Um, so colleagues, this bill came out of some work the Federalism Commission did. Um, and I, I believe Mr. Vice Chair, you're on that commission with me. But this was a, some work we did around assessing the fragility of our budget in relationship to federal funds. So, two facts. Number one, the, um, social Security Trust Fund is projected at this point to be insolvent over the next several years. And if you look at the total interest expense as a percentage of the federal government, it, it'll end up being 25% of tax receipts over the next several years. And what that means is we're on a sustain an unsustainable …
H.B. 249 Federal Funds Modifications · House Government Operations Committee · Feb 13, 2026
Explained that the bill was narrowed from a broader process, that the review is meant to give a second look at federal funds, and that budget work already runs through EAC.
▶ Watch at 45:06Read what they said
Well, in the original draft, we had a, a much broader process in place. Um, one of the, one of the good members of EAC had a bill that was gonna address some of the federal funds that our body actually voted out on. And there was some duplication there, so we ended up pulling it out in this sub. Um, but the idea is just to have a second pair of eyes on the federal funds that are coming into the state. Oftentimes, like we as a state have the ability to prioritize, uh, that money. And this just gives a second pair of eyes and a recommendation to EAC. Could we go to the broader legislature, I suppose, …
H.B. 119 Automotive Repair Business Amendments · House Transportation Committee · Feb 13, 2026
Thanked the sponsor for the consumer protection work and said he supports the motion as striking the right balance.
▶ Watch at 1:40:53Read what they said
Thank you Mr. Chair. I thank you to the sponsor. I think it's important work that you've done here on the consumer protection side. And I, I think I would support the motion as well. I think it, it strikes the right balance.
H.B. 68 Housing and Community Development Amendments · House floor debate (day 25) · Feb 13, 2026
Moves to adopt the third substitute of House Bill 68.
▶ Watch at 1:30:16Read what they said
Thank you Mr. Speaker Prote, I'd like to move to adopt the third substitute in my name.
H.B. 68 Housing and Community Development Amendments · House floor debate (day 25) · Feb 13, 2026
Says the idea came from a representative from Southern Utah and that the substitute adds more controls and reporting around the Utah Housing Corporation.
▶ Watch at 1:30:29Read what they said
Uh, no. The, the idea came from the good representative from Southern Utah. It's gonna put more controls and reporting around the Utah Housing Corp.
H.B. 68 Housing and Community Development Amendments · House floor debate (day 25) · Feb 13, 2026
Explains that the bill moves scattered housing programs into one office under a deputy director, says it is policy neutral with no new positions or spending, and opens the floor to questions.
▶ Watch at 1:32:46Read what they said
Thank you Mr. Speaker Pram, colleagues, when I wanted to engage in housing policy, I found it really difficult to navigate the maze, the labyrinth of how housing policy is made at the executive branch. And the reason why I found it so difficult was because you've got 40 different housing policies and programs that previous legislators have put, or legislatures I should say, have put into motion that are scattered amongst four different executive agencies, DWS Goo, uh, GOPB and udot. And by the way, a public-private corporation in the Utah Housing Corp. What HB 68 is trying to do is to pull out all of those housing policies that have been, have accumulated over the last decade or …
H.B. 68 Housing and Community Development Amendments · House floor debate (day 25) · Feb 13, 2026
Explains that the bill consolidates about 40 housing policies and programs from several executive agencies under one deputy director and report to legislative committees, with no new positions or new spending, and says it does not create new housing policy.
▶ Watch at 1:32:46Read what they said
Thank you Mr. Speaker Pram, colleagues, when I wanted to engage in housing policy, I found it really difficult to navigate the maze, the labyrinth of how housing policy is made at the executive branch. And the reason why I found it so difficult was because you've got 40 different housing policies and programs that previous legislators have put, or legislatures I should say, have put into motion that are scattered amongst four different executive agencies, DWS Goo, uh, GOPB and udot. And by the way, a public-private corporation in the Utah Housing Corp. What HB 68 is trying to do is to pull out all of those housing policies that have been, have accumulated over the last decade or …
H.B. 68 Housing and Community Development Amendments · House floor debate (day 25) · Feb 13, 2026
Answers that the programs being moved already exist and are being transferred to a new location with no new appropriations, and that redundant entities are being removed.
▶ Watch at 1:38:54Read what they said
That's a great question. So if you look colleagues, you'll have a piece of paper on your desk. If you look on one side that says current housing org, you'll see within that current housing org, there's a lot of policies and programs you probably may have never heard of each of those policies and programs. Some are federal, has money behind them. Um, all this is doing is simply taking that function or the entity and moving it to a new spot. So again, no new additional appropriations, no new money. And what I would say too is if you look at the sheet, we want to consolidate and streamline and simplify the way housing policy is administered. And …
H.B. 68 Housing and Community Development Amendments · House floor debate (day 25) · Feb 13, 2026
Responds that the programs are being moved rather than newly funded and that the change streamlines housing administration and reduces redundant entities.
▶ Watch at 1:38:54Read what they said
That's a great question. So if you look colleagues, you'll have a piece of paper on your desk. If you look on one side that says current housing org, you'll see within that current housing org, there's a lot of policies and programs you probably may have never heard of each of those policies and programs. Some are federal, has money behind them. Um, all this is doing is simply taking that function or the entity and moving it to a new spot. So again, no new additional appropriations, no new money. And what I would say too is if you look at the sheet, we want to consolidate and streamline and simplify the way housing policy is administered. And …
H.B. 68 Housing and Community Development Amendments · House floor debate (day 25) · Feb 13, 2026
Says the bill creates no new salaried positions and moves money currently allocated to the governor's housing advisor into the new entity.
▶ Watch at 1:40:23Read what they said
No, that's, sure. You yield to that question. I Will yield. No, that's false. This is not creating any new, any new salaried positions. You're taking money that's currently sitting in GOPB that's currently allocated to the housing advisor of the governor. Many of us know who that is, and you're taking that money and you're, you're moving it into this new entity. So there is no new additional monies being spent.
H.B. 68 Housing and Community Development Amendments · House floor debate (day 25) · Feb 13, 2026
Says no new salaried positions are created and that the funding is moved from an existing governor's housing advisor allocation at GOPB.
▶ Watch at 1:40:23Read what they said
No, that's, sure. You yield to that question. I Will yield. No, that's false. This is not creating any new, any new salaried positions. You're taking money that's currently sitting in GOPB that's currently allocated to the housing advisor of the governor. Many of us know who that is, and you're taking that money and you're, you're moving it into this new entity. So there is no new additional monies being spent.
H.B. 68 Housing and Community Development Amendments · House floor debate (day 25) · Feb 13, 2026
Summarizes that the bill will help the body engage on housing policy and removes the Community Housing Authority from the organization chart so the Legislature leads housing policy.
▶ Watch at 1:47:41Read what they said
Yeah, colleagues, theirs frustration in our body with the way housing has played out. The answer is to not disengage. The answer is to engage more and it's difficult to engage in housing policy if you don't have a good sense of how the housing policy is working. I think that this will help us engage better. And the last thing I'd say is, uh, I'm the chair of CHA and you'll notice on the org chart we are getting rid of cha. And the part of the reason why is because we don't want cha to act as the gatekeeper to housing policy. We want this body to lead out in housing and I would welcome all colleagues who …
H.B. 68 Housing and Community Development Amendments · House floor debate (day 25) · Feb 13, 2026
In summation, says the bill will help the legislature engage on housing policy and removes the Commission on Housing Affordability from the org chart so the Legislature leads housing policy.
▶ Watch at 1:47:41Read what they said
Yeah, colleagues, theirs frustration in our body with the way housing has played out. The answer is to not disengage. The answer is to engage more and it's difficult to engage in housing policy if you don't have a good sense of how the housing policy is working. I think that this will help us engage better. And the last thing I'd say is, uh, I'm the chair of CHA and you'll notice on the org chart we are getting rid of cha. And the part of the reason why is because we don't want cha to act as the gatekeeper to housing policy. We want this body to lead out in housing and I would welcome all colleagues who …
H.B. 475 Development Planning and Coordination Amendments · House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Feb 12, 2026
Presented the bill, which renames Goed, creates a coordinating council of economic development entities, and requires a report to the committee on opportunity zone designations.
▶ Watch at 1:57:18Read what they said
Great. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'm grateful the committee's taken this very serious. These are important weighty issues. Um, so this bill is simple. It does three things. Number one, it changes Go E's name to Goed. And you might be wondering, why didn't we just change this from Goed to Goyo? It's been challenging for, uh, Goyo. When they go to national conferences and they talk about what they do, most of their peers are known they have some kind of economic development in their title. And so there's this big rebranding happening at the executive branch level around all the agencies. And so they'd like to, as part of that rebrand, go back from Goo to Goed. So …
H.B. 475 Development Planning and Coordination Amendments · House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Feb 12, 2026
Confirmed that the council adds no new powers, gave the prison site development as an example, and said the bill only requires the entities to convene.
▶ Watch at 2:01:45Read what they said
Yes, that's a fair description. Let me give you a concrete example. Take the prison site development that state owned land. We own the land, the state does, and you have this new development happening at the point of the mountain. It's run by a guy named Mike Ombre, uh, who used to work for DFCM. We've got, uh, an agreement with some, a development partner. They're trying to attract the right kinds of economic investment into that site. It'll be good for the taxpayer of Utah, good for the region. Um, you want them working with Goo, who's got the economic incentive tools talking and sharing information and talking about opportunities and businesses. So that, that's all this is …
H.B. 475 Development Planning and Coordination Amendments · House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Feb 12, 2026
Explained how federal opportunity zones are designated and said the governor makes the decision, with Goed working on sites and reporting to the interim committee.
▶ Watch at 2:03:01Read what they said
Oh, I'll give you an example. There's a bunch of opportunity zones on north, on, um, north Temple over on the west side here. Um, as part of the first go around when the federal law came out that you've gotta designate these opportunity zones. One was, you know, one was, uh, designated just over here, um, where that new tracks line is going. It's a big area. And so the idea, the federal legislation, again, this, this has nothing to do. You know, we're not, we don't have any control over that. But the idea of the federal legislation was you could take these under these maybe more blighted areas and you could open them up for investment, business …
H.J.R. 24 Joint Rules Resolution - Appropriations Subcommittee Amendments · House Rules Committee · Feb 12, 2026
Supports the goal of spreading power in the budget process, likes lines 120 to 124, but opposes section C as potentially too contentious and will vote no.
▶ Watch at 1:21:18Read what they said
I appreciate the approach to try to disperse the power around, uh, EAC and the, the budget making approach. I like a lot lines one 20 to the 1 24. I think there's something to do there. I think, uh, section C could create a little bit too much of a sort of a conflict or a contentious situation. So I'd, I'd prefer to work through that and to think about it harder. So I'm gonna be voting no for that reason.
H.B. 387 Kratom Modifications · House Business, Labor, and Commerce Committee · Feb 9, 2026
Asked whether kratom products are marketed to children.
▶ Watch at 1:10:57Read what they said
Thanks, Mr. Vice Chair. One narrative I've heard is that these products are marketed to kids. Can you speak to that? Are these products marketed to
H.B. 245 Construction Wage Standard Act · House Business, Labor, and Commerce Committee · Feb 9, 2026
Asked whether out-of-state contractors bring in mobile labor paid below prevailing wage.
▶ Watch at 2:41:56Read what they said
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Thanks, Mr. Chair. Uh, couple questions. Are there contractors right now that come from outta state, who've got mobile labor, they bring it in, you know, guys that are making much less than the prevailing wage? Can you just speak to that?
H.B. 245 Construction Wage Standard Act · House Business, Labor, and Commerce Committee · Feb 9, 2026
Asked whether there is data on how many workers on UDOT projects are paid below prevailing wage.
▶ Watch at 2:42:51Read what they said
Do do we have any sense on data for, let's say a UDOT project and they, they hire a contractor, how many contractors they hire or laborers are getting paid less than the prevailing wage?
H.B. 245 Construction Wage Standard Act · House Business, Labor, and Commerce Committee · Feb 9, 2026
Summarized his understanding that the prevailing wage is a market-rate survey and the bill keeps public projects from hiring contractors who undercut it.
▶ Watch at 2:43:48Read what they said
Uh, one more Mr. Chair, if you're, if that's okay. Um, and I just wanna be clear, like you, you get, you get the prevailing wage, which is basically a survey of what the market rate is. It's not the government setting the rate, it's a market rate. That's a survey. And you're just saying that public projects cannot hire contractors who are gonna be pricing below that market rate. And, and, and I think what you're really trying to get at is, you know, and it could be in-state, but a lot of out-of-state folks coming in who are trying to undercut local utahns on what the market rate rate is. That's, am I getting
H.B. 245 Construction Wage Standard Act · House Business, Labor, and Commerce Committee · Feb 9, 2026
Asked why AGC would object if the bill would not raise wages. · speaker not certain
▶ Watch at 2:51:33Read what they said
Just wanna make sure I understand that. If, if there's no potential to increase the wage, then why would you care? 'cause the wages Aren't coming up. Sorry, adding 'cause
H.B. 245 Construction Wage Standard Act · House Business, Labor, and Commerce Committee · Feb 9, 2026
Said that if there is no evidence wages rise, he does not see why opponents would object. · speaker not certain
▶ Watch at 2:52:33Read what they said
And I, I just say, we can have the debate about whether or not the policy is needed. Maybe it's not needed, but if, if, if there's no evidence that the wages actually go up, then it seems to me like you wouldn't, you know, you wouldn't care. But thanks anyways. Appreciate it, Mr. Chair.
H.J.R. 2 Joint Rules Resolution - Resolution Amendments · Senate floor debate (day 17) · Feb 5, 2026
Says converting honor resolutions into citations would make legislative processes more efficient and avoid the multiple votes a recognition resolution requires, while still honoring Utahns who contribute to the state.
▶ Watch at 41:56Read what they said
This is like the resolution on resolutions and really just from a standpoint of helping make our legislative processes more efficient, that, uh, rather than run a resolution to recognize a person or a body, uh, 'cause when we run such a resolution, if that were to pass, it would have to get five different votes inside the legislature, plus be subject to veto and concurrence a minimum of five votes. Right. Um, and at the same time, expose some, you know, expose some people to say, put in a position where it's like, I don't like everything this organization does, but I don't know, do I need to vote? No. Um, a better way to, to do those honors …
H.B. 68 Housing and Community Development Amendments · House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Feb 4, 2026
Presents HB 68 to consolidate scattered housing policy from several executive agencies into one Senate-confirmed office under the Governor's Office, shows current and proposed org charts, and says the fiscal note is neutral.
▶ Watch at 1:39:55Read what they said
Okay, Mr. Vice chair. Um, well, thank you for having me. When I first started as a, as a legislator, I wanted to get involved in housing policy, but it's a challenge because right now over 40 housing policies are scattered across at least four different executive agencies. And so as a legislator, it's difficult to get your arms around how housing policy is currently being administered at the executive branch level. If you think about other major topics in our state, if you've got question about roads, who do you talk to? You know, Carlos Braceis, right? If you've got questions about homelessness, we know who it will be. It'll be our, our, our colleague Representative Clancy, if you …
H.B. 68 Housing and Community Development Amendments · House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Feb 4, 2026
Says the only change removes language on UDOT surplus land sales and the bill is otherwise the same concept, meant to be policy neutral.
▶ Watch at 1:45:00Read what they said
No, the only change, uh, was pulling out language that provided some clarity and some additional flexibility for udot when they sell their surplus land. This bill is meant to be policy neutral. It is not creating new housing policy. It's just merely shifting where it sits in the executive branch side. And so in the spirit of that, it didn't make sense, uh, for me to have that UDOT piece in. So we pulled that out. But otherwise, it is the same concept.
H.B. 381 Electric Mobility Device Amendments · House Transportation Committee · Jan 28, 2026
Roberts said his city has long struggled with the issue and asked how roadways are defined in the bill.
▶ Watch at 1:39:09Read what they said
Thank you. Representative Cutler. My city will seriously erect a statue of you if you get this passed because they, it's a been an issue for years. So thanks for working hard on it. You might have put this in your presentation already. Help me understand the definition of roadways. Is it class, is it all class A, B, C?
H.B. 381 Electric Mobility Device Amendments · House Transportation Committee · Jan 28, 2026
Roberts confirmed locals decide on trails and parks while the bill covers paved roads.
▶ Watch at 1:39:50Read what they said
But the key is locals get to make decisions around trails, parks. And then this though is a backstop for all local paved roads.
H.J.R. 2 Joint Rules Resolution - Resolution Amendments · House floor debate (day 8) · Jan 27, 2026
Rep. Roberts says H.J.R. 2 bars resolutions that recognize, honor, or express gratitude for places, people, events, or things, directs use of citations instead, and states that this codifies current practice.
▶ Watch at 50:11Read what they said
Thank you Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker. This resolution prohibits legislators from using resolutions to recognize, honor, memorialize, or express feelings of gratitude for any place, person, event thing. Um, and instead it directs legislators to use citations for those kinds of expressions. It has a simple enforcement mechanism. If a resolution violates this policy, it stays in rules. Uh, Mr. Speaker, we, you know, we as a body have important issues to tackle on behalf of the, the residents of Utah. This resolution really will reduce unnecessary floor time, unnecessary committee time, and unnecessary burden on staffed and drafting attorneys and colleagues. What I'd say is we're already doing this culturally. We've made this shift in the last year. This …
H.J.R. 2 Joint Rules Resolution - Resolution Amendments · House Rules Committee · Jan 20, 2026
Presented the resolution, which would place memorializing and recognition resolutions into the citation category, give the Rules Committee power to hold back such resolutions, and set out binding and non-binding resolution definitions; the first substitute makes the change effective immediately.
▶ Watch at 59:33Read what they said
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm gonna be speaking to the first sub and what that that does is just change the effective date to immediately. The original bill was in May, and maybe we can have a conversation about that after I talk through the bill. So we've, what this bill does, we've already begun this culture shift, um, within our body where we are pushing things that are memorializing or recognizing a person or an event or a celebration. We're pushing that to be a citation rather than a resolution. What this bill does is, or what this resolution does is it puts it into rule and then it creates an enforcement mechanism. And basically what it does is …
H.J.R. 2 Joint Rules Resolution - Resolution Amendments · House Rules Committee · Jan 20, 2026
Said the bill does not specifically address a resolution that combines a policy position with recognition, that this would be left to the Rules Committee's discretion, and that the sponsor could be asked to separate such a resolution into parts.
▶ Watch at 1:01:56Read what they said
I don't think this bill contemplates that specifically the way it's written. I would say it probably leads it to the discretion of the rules committee. And maybe there's a conversation that could be had had with that legislator to perhaps separate their resolution into one that would be a citation and one that might be a non-binding resolution. But the, the bill itself doesn't specifically contemplate that situation.
H.J.R. 2 Joint Rules Resolution - Resolution Amendments · House Rules Committee · Jan 20, 2026
Said the substitute makes the change effective immediately, that some drafted resolutions may not comply, and that the committee could allow leeway or discuss those cases with legislators.
▶ Watch at 1:03:47Read what they said
The only point I'd make is we're gonna make this effectively immediately in the first substitute. It's possible that we've got legislators who may have drafted a resolution that might not comply with this. So I just wanna point that out for the committee that perhaps there could be some leeway for some of those, or if there's any early resolutions that should be citations that this body can have the conversation with the legislator because it's effective now.
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