SALT LAKE CITY—The 2024 Legislative Session ended last Friday and a lot happened over those 45-days. From education to water – bills ran the gamut. Some were controversial and met with resistance while others sailed right through. Over all, Senate President J. Stuart Adams thought it was a successful session.

“We funded education one more time,” he said. “We made a 5% increase to the WPU (Weighted Pupil Unit) and funded a record half billion.”

 The legislature also made another tax cut this year, he said. “We’ve cut taxes again, again, again and again. It’s the fourth year of tax cuts. We reduced income tax from 4.65 to 4.55. It started out at 4.95 four years ago down to 4.55 this year. These small tax cuts equal the most tax cuts in the history of the state.”

Adams said they also put funding into infrastructure and continued to work on energy. “We’re trying to drive down energy prices. People are feeling that at the pump.”

Utah had the lowest priced electricity in the nation this last year, he said. “That’s because of the energy policies we put in place. We have one of the best economies in the nation. We’ve been working on energy for a few years. Especially this year.”

When gas prices go up it causes inflation, said Adams. “When inflation increases we see higher interest rates to curb inflation. When higher rates happen it slows the economy.”

Sen. (Scott) Sandall ran legislation to keep using fossil fuel, he said. “It’s a viable option while we move to renewable energy.”

Water was another big issue this session. “We’re going to have a water state agent who will work with other states to solve our water problems,” said Adams. “Nevada is working with California on their desalination plants. We’d like to do the same type of things in Utah. We want to work with Idaho and Wyoming and we might look as far as Oregon and Montana and all the surrounding states to solve our water problems.”

Adams said the legislature also worked on affordable housing. “We passed legislation that will allow cities to use RDA funds if they zone developments for affordable housing for first time homeowners.”

The legislature allocated $60 million to homeless housing, he said. “Of that $8 million to $9 million went to Davis County to build a facility on the Layton/Kaysville border. It’s a Davis Behavioral Health 60-bed facility for those with mental health disabilities.”

Adams said there were two big things that came out of the session as well. “We were able to put into place a process for a National Baseball League and National Hockey League to come to Utah. “It’s exciting everything we did to bring professional sports to Utah. Hockey would be in the downtown area and the power district area for baseball on North Temple and close to Redwood Road. It’s minutes away from the airport.”

It provides for a project area set up to attract teams, he said. “They can use the economic impact they generate from restaurants and businesses in the project area to help build the stadium.”

The combination of everything the legislature did increases the quality of life by bringing sports, cutting taxes, funding infrastructure, government services, education and roads, said Adams. “If you can do all of that together that is the highlight of the session. That’s a major accomplishment.”