R. Neil Walter

• S.B. 34 Public Education Revisions · House floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026

  Moves that the House concur with the conference committee's amendment and adopt the conference committee report.

  Read what they said

  Representative Walter. Thank You Mr. Speaker. I move that we concur with the amendment, uh, move that we, uh, prove the conference committee.

  ▶ Watch at 1:27

• S.B. 34 Public Education Revisions · House floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026

  Says the committee addressed a technical change in a few minutes and was a very good committee.

  Read what they said

  Uh, we were able to address the technical change in just a few minutes. It was very good committee.

  ▶ Watch at 1:38

• H.B. 514 Utah Energy Council Amendments · House floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026

  Says the bill was revised with input from electric cooperatives, municipal utilities, and Rocky Mountain Power, including changes requested by the Treasurer's Office on bond approval and a narrower Special District area around the Intermountain Power Project at those members' request.

  Read what they said

  Yes. Uh, we work to do, uh, one very important thing that, uh, we work very closely with, uh, uh, the, uh, co-ops, the, uh, munis and, uh, frankly, Rocky Mountain Power. The Treasurer's Office made a couple of adjustments. Uh, one was we accommodated the treasurer's, uh, office request to, uh, address, uh, the approval of the bonds that would be issued under the five 14. And then we narrowed the scope of the Special District two only area around the Intermountain Power Project, uh, at, at the, at those members' request.

  ▶ Watch at 27:32

• S.B. 206 Tax Amendments · House floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026

  Says the substitute clarifies how personal property tax is treated in tax increment and other public finance tools.

  Read what they said

  Yes. It just clarifies the proper treatment of property, uh, personal property tax, uh, in a, um, uh, at the end of a tiff or a, uh, uh, other kind of public finance tool. So it just, it's proper treatment to, uh, of personal property tax.

  ▶ Watch at 37:40

• S.B. 206 Tax Amendments · House floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026

  Says the substitute clarifies the proper treatment of personal property tax in tax increment and similar public finance tools.

  Read what they said

  Yes. It just clarifies the proper treatment of property, uh, personal property tax, uh, in a, um, uh, at the end of a tiff or a, uh, uh, other kind of public finance tool. So it just, it's proper treatment to, uh, of personal property tax.

  ▶ Watch at 37:40

• S.B. 206 Tax Amendments · House floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026

  Presents S.B. 206 as a reporting package for tax increment and other public finance tools, requiring authorization meetings, but-for analyses, 40-year projections, and annual reports to the new state data program starting January 1, 2027.

  Read what they said

  Thank you Mr. Speaker. Uh, Senate Bill 2 0 6 is the bill that some of you have been waiting a very long time for. If you've been concerned about or trying to understand what's actually going on with various kinds of tax increment financing. I'm talking about PIs, I'm talking about tiffs, I'm talking about, uh, crass. I'm talking about, uh, the authorities like the Inland Port and MAA and, uh, fair Park, et cetera. If you're, if you're just been trying to figure out how to get your arms around what's happening in this space, uh, this is a very important bill for you. Uh, so what we're doing here is, uh, first of all, uh, looping in …

  ▶ Watch at 38:18

• S.B. 206 Tax Amendments · House floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026

  Presents SB 206 and describes its reporting requirements for tax increment and other public finance tools, including authorization meetings, a 40-year projection, and annual reports to a new statewide data program starting January 1, 2027.

  Read what they said

  Thank you Mr. Speaker. Uh, Senate Bill 2 0 6 is the bill that some of you have been waiting a very long time for. If you've been concerned about or trying to understand what's actually going on with various kinds of tax increment financing. I'm talking about PIs, I'm talking about tiffs, I'm talking about, uh, crass. I'm talking about, uh, the authorities like the Inland Port and MAA and, uh, fair Park, et cetera. If you're, if you're just been trying to figure out how to get your arms around what's happening in this space, uh, this is a very important bill for you. Uh, so what we're doing here is, uh, first of all, uh, looping in …

  ▶ Watch at 38:18

• S.B. 206 Tax Amendments · House floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026

  Thanks the body and gives closing remarks on the bill.

  Read what they said

  I appreciate the body's time on this. I know this is a really important issue for many of our members and I'm really excited, uh, to learn about how, uh, we've actually deployed these tools. So thank you Mr. Speaker. I'll conclude my remarks.

  ▶ Watch at 42:54

• S.B. 206 Tax Amendments · House floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026

  Thanks the body for its time, says the issue is important to many members, and concludes his summation.

  Read what they said

  I appreciate the body's time on this. I know this is a really important issue for many of our members and I'm really excited, uh, to learn about how, uh, we've actually deployed these tools. So thank you Mr. Speaker. I'll conclude my remarks.

  ▶ Watch at 42:54

• S.B. 196 Wrongful Lien Act Amendments · House floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026

  Presented S.B. 196 as floor sponsor, saying it clarifies restrictions on wrongful liens tied to old transfer fee covenants and makes it easier for homeowners to have such liens removed.

  Read what they said

  Representative Walter. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Uh, a couple of decades ago, we started to see the emergence of what we call transfer fee covenants, uh, in the state of Utah. So when a developer would build a, uh, development, they would put a deed restriction on that, that would require the property owner essentially to pay them forever. They were bad, they're very, very bad. Um, a co, uh, 15 years ago, we prohibited transfer fee covenants in the state of Utah and, and, uh, made it, made sure that that kind of beha, that kind of, uh, tool wouldn't be able to, uh, continue. Uh, this is where SB 1 96 wrongful Lien Act amendments comes into play. …

  ▶ Watch at 2:18:37

• S.B. 78 Property Tax Relief Amendments · House floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026

  Said the amendment leaves the veterans program and the abatement or circuit breaker program untouched, keeping them status quo.

  Read what they said

  Yes. That, uh, yes. This amendment leaves the Veterans program untouched. Uh, so a lot of people have been worried about whether veterans and the, um, abatement or the circuit breaker program would be, um, taken away. This ensures that it's untouched and remains status quo.

  ▶ Watch at 2:22:13

• S.B. 78 Property Tax Relief Amendments · House floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026

  Presented the bill, saying it repeals three state property tax programs including the renter's credit, lets counties choose whether to offer an abatement, and converts the state-funded 9 million dollar abatement into a deferral at 3 percent interest repaid on transfer, with surviving spouses and special needs trusts protected.

  Read what they said

  Presentation. Thank you. I appreciate that. So, uh, I'm gonna be brief, uh, colleagues, I know where we're out of timewise. Uh, Senate Bill 78 is a bill that was, uh, heard last year. It passed both bodies. Uh, it was vetoed by the governor. There was some improvements that were made this time. It took a long time for those improvements to be made, which is why we're here at this late hour. Uh, so let me briefly articulate what the bill does. First of all, it repeals three existing state property tax programs. The renter's credit, the homeowner's credit and abatement for indigen individual state property tax relief. I'm just gonna note that in some previous conversations I'd …

  ▶ Watch at 2:22:56

• S.B. 78 Property Tax Relief Amendments · House floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026

  Opposed the motion to circle, noting that some bills without hearings were circled and others were not.

  Read what they said

  Uh, thank you Mr. Speaker. I would, uh, ref, I would, uh, oppose the motion to circle. I'll note that some of the bills that did not have a hearing were circled, um, but others were not. And, uh, I would resist the motion to circle this bill.

  ▶ Watch at 2:27:56

• S.B. 78 Property Tax Relief Amendments · House floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026

  Summarized that the policy has improved since last year, that counties endorse it, and that the deferral lets property owners pay the tax later without shifting the burden to other county residents.

  Read what they said

  Thank you. I appreciate, uh, the body's, uh, consideration of this policy. Uh, I want to just note that the, uh, current policy is, uh, improved substantially from last year. Uh, the policy that was vetoed spent a a tremendous amount of time and effort to, uh, get to a place where the, uh, counties, uh, could step forward. And they've endorsed the policy. You have that endorsement. Uh, uh or haven't. They're, they've been very clear about their support of this policy. Uh, the issues that led to the veto have been resolved. Um, this is a policy that I think is, uh, the right policy for, from a tax standpoint in this particular case. We have a number …

  ▶ Watch at 2:29:17

• H.B. 535 Disposition of Public Property Modifications · House floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026

  Said the sponsors clarified language on easements and leasing in the disposition of real property so the bill works as intended, and resolved issues raised by Salt Lake County.

  Read what they said

  Would. Uh, we just clarified some issues around easements and leasing in the disposition of real property. Uh, to make sure that the bill operated the way that it was intended. There were some issues that were brought up by Salt Lake County that we resolved.

  ▶ Watch at 3:03:50

Show all 232 remarks →

From the official recordings' automatic captions, with speakers and summaries identified by AI. Use the ▶ links to check the recording before you rely on a quote.

How they voted

Their full voting record, attendance, and party-line score are still being compiled from the official roll calls. Each bill page shows their vote on that bill.

Bills they sponsored

• H.B. 31 Local Education Agency Financial Reporting · Did not pass
• H.B. 73 Public Employee Retaliatory Action Amendments · Governor Signed
• H.B. 377 Real Estate Amendments · Governor Signed
• H.B. 406 Homeowners' Association Modifications · Did not pass
• H.B. 426 Online Education Service Provider Amendments · Governor Signed
• H.B. 427 Tax Increment Financing Modifications · Did not pass
• H.B. 486 Fraudulent Deeds Amendments · Did not pass
• H.B. 499 Watercraft Modifications · Did not pass
• H.B. 514 Utah Energy Council Amendments · Governor Signed
• H.B. 521 Public Education Economic Stabilization Restricted Account Amendments · Did not pass
• H.B. 524 Public Education Financial Officers · Did not pass
• H.B. 535 Disposition of Public Property Modifications · Governor Signed
• H.B. 589 Decommissioned Asset Disposition Amendments · Did not pass

Carried in the House as floor sponsor

• S.B. 34 Public Education Revisions · Governor Signed
• S.B. 54 Carson Smith Opportunity Scholarship Program Amendments · Governor Signed
• S.B. 78 Property Tax Relief Amendments · Did not pass
• S.B. 84 Department of Commerce Amendments · Governor Signed
• S.B. 131 Charter School Eligibility · Governor Signed
• S.B. 196 Wrongful Lien Act Amendments · Governor Signed
• S.B. 206 Tax Amendments · Governor Signed
• S.B. 223 Sales and Use Tax Exemptions Modifications · Did not pass
• S.B. 228 Community Reinvestment Agency Amendments · Governor Signed

About

In office since

January 1, 2023

Counties

Washington

Profession

Real Estate

Affiliations

CFA Institute

Honors and awards

None listed in their official profile.

Committees

• Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee
• House Education Committee
• House Political Subdivisions Committee
• Education Interim Committee
• Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Interim Committee
• General Oversight Committee

Profile details come from the Utah Legislature's official legislator data.