Image above: Representative Thurston stands with BYU student Mckya and Provo Mayor Michelle Kaufusi
To my constituents and friends,
The second to last week of the session is over and we are now headed into the last week! This session has passed by fast, yet I am proud of everything that we as a legislature have been able to accomplish so far. Between the many bills that have been introduced this session so far, I truly believe that the legislature has done a good job passing legislation that will positively impact the lives of Utahns.
Topic on the Hill: MLB Tax Hike
On Friday, the House Government Operations Committee passed H.B. 562- Utah Fairpark Area Investment and Restoration District. Despite its passage, I voted not to advance the bill out of committee. It concerns me that a tax hike would be placed on those who would not benefit from it. For my constituents, it’s not worth it for them to pay more in taxes when Provo and Springville won’t be getting any of the benefits of MLB baseball.
BYU Women’s Soccer Team
On Tuesday, we welcomed the Brigham Young University Women’s Soccer Team. These remarkable women are some of the best athletes in the nation and exemplary examples to everyone of what hard work can achieve. They brought with them their semifinalist trophy from their remarkable college cup run and I got to talk with them about their gameday experiences. I have so much love for BYU sports and look forward to supporting the Women’s Soccer Team in their future endeavors.
Image above: Representative Thurston and his colleagues pose for a picture with the Brigham Young University Women’s Soccer Team.
Provo Student Body Visit
On Thursday, students from the student bodies of Timpview High School and Provo High School came up to the Capitol. Joined by Representative Judkins, I talked with them about their thoughts on state politics and hear about certain legislation that they were interested in.
Image above: Representative Thurston and Representative Judkins talk to students from Timpview High School and Provo High School.
Final Bills and Bagels
Thank you to everyone who attended the final Bills and Bagels town hall this past Saturday. It was a huge success and I’m glad for those that showed up. It’s important for us as legislators to hear from those that we represent, otherwise we can’t create effective legislation. I further extend my appreciation to everyone that got involved in this session and attended a town hall. If you didn’t get a chance to attend or still want to stay involved, you can give me a call, text me, or send me an email.
Utah’s Economic Outlook
Utah’s prudent and responsible budgeting practices have helped our state maintain a robust economy, even during times of downturn for neighboring states. While surrounding governments rack up billions of dollars in debt, Utah continuously passes balanced budgets, allowing our economy to continue to grow and flourish. Utah is a great example of fiscal responsibility, and as the session wraps up, I look forward to supporting and passing legislation that reflects that.
The Fred Cox Award
The Fred Cox award is a trophy presented around to house representatives that do an exceptional job catching small, yet important details or mistakes in bills. This award is named after Fred Cox, a former Utah house representative, who was famous for his meticulous reading of bills. I was awarded it a couple of weeks ago. This past week I was able to award it to my colleague, Representative Teuscher, for a mistake he caught in a bill in a committee.
Image above: Representative Thurston and Representative Teuscher pose for a picture with the Fred Cox Award
An Update on My Bills
We have now reached the point of the session where many of the bills that I have run or are sponsoring are getting ready to be signed into law. This is a rewarding point for me, to see my hard work pay off, but this is also a rewarding point for you as Utahns. I hope that once these bills are signed into law that they will have a meaningful impact on your lives.
For bills that I have run this session, the following bills are ready for the Governor’s signature:
- HB 53- Property Valuation Amendments– To ensure the proper evaluation of property, this bill allows funds from the Multicounty Appraisal Trust to be used to hire professional appraisers
- HB 104- Property owner Association Amendments– This bill stops HOAs from prohibiting an owner from making modifications to their residence for radon mitigation.
- HB 216- Eliminating Minimum Time Requirements for Professional Training– Out of 386 separate licenses across 14 agencies, only 7 still have a minimum time requirement. This bill gets rid of the minimum time requirement for those 7 licenses.
- HCR 7- Concurrent Resolution Encouraging the Repeal of the Jones Act– This resolution adds Utah’s support into the growing national push to repeal The Jones Act, which has damaged the U.S. economy and raised prices on U.S. consumers for decades.
For bills that I am sponsoring this session, the following bills are ready for the Governor’s signature:
- SCR 1- Concurrent Resolution Recognizing School Support Staff– This resolution recognizes the effort, contribution, and impact of school support staff on students’ culture of success and achievement, and encourages celebrations of them on the local level.
- UPDATE: This bill was signed by the Governor last week
- SB 94- Election Records Amendments– This bill protects the name and address of individuals whose election ballot has been either rejected or not yet resolved.
Norm in the News
MLB tax hike plan gets base hit, but two vote ‘no’– KJZZ
Secondary Students Visit Capitol Building and Discuss House Bills– Provo City School District
