Gov. Cox State of the State

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Gov. Cox State of the State 2024

Gov. Spencer Cox, State of the State Address to the Utah Legislature, Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024, at 6:30 p.m. MT.

Governor’s Recommended FY2024 Utah Proposed Budget

"Last month, Governor Spencer Cox announced his Fiscal Year 2025 budget and policy recommendations. You can find a summary of what was included in the Governor’s Budget here. "

A few notable recommendations from his budget:

$45M for ongoing statewide public transit investment: 

the governor recommends reallocating 1% of the state sales tax revenues from the Transportation Investment Fund (TIF) to the Transit Transportation Investment Fund (TTIF).

$2.5M one-time for a transit innovation grant pilot: 

which is a UEOC recommendation intended to help increase convenience and access to public transportation and boost ridership for programs like first/last-mile connection shuttles, K-12 fare pass programs, increased frequency to transit hotspots

$150M one-time for the “Utah First Homes” initiative, 

including $75M one-time for State Infrastructure Bank Expansion for Housing to provide low-interest loans for publicly-owned infrastructure to support the development of new housing.

$250K for a Housing Capacity Analysis: 

A recommendation from the UEOC, the study is intended to analyze likely and desired growth, capacity, and the rate at which the market will consume infrastructure investment.

UPDATE:

"Governor Spencer Cox joined both the House and the Senate Thursday evening for his annual State of the State Address. The Governor focused his remarks around the unique characteristics of Utah and its people that make the State a great place to live, and urged everyone to "keep Utah weird – good weird”.

He specifically noted an individual, his great uncle Cox, who spent his life in the service of his community of Fairview. The Governor remarked on needing more service-oriented, humble people looking not to change the world, but to simply help make their town a better place. It was a moving speech from the Governor that’s worth listening to. You can find the Governor’s remarks HERE."- Miranda C.

Message from Senator Keith Grover:

"We had the privilege of hearing from Governor Spencer Cox again in his State of the State address this week. In his remarks, the Governor highlighted what makes Utah the best state in the country. Utah’s uniquely beautiful landscapes, people, and culture are among the many reasons why our state consistently ranks highest in the country for social mobility and the creation of win-wins in government. To show how good governance positively impacts Utahns, the Governor pointed to the legislative wins we have crafted in recent years. The nearly $1 billion in tax cuts over the past three years, coupled with the largest direct teacher salary raise, demonstrate why Utah consistently comes out on top. Also, Utah’s impressive water conservation practices prove that Utahns can accomplish anything when we work together. His positive outlook for our state is refreshing and spot-on. I look forward to working with him and my legislative colleagues to deliver more wins for all Utahns. Listen to Governor Cox’s address here."