SALT LAKE CITY — In the spring of 2024, the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute hosted two forums titled What’s Past is Prologue: Public Policy Lessons from the Past Quarter Century. The forums featured Utah’s 14th governor, Michael O. Leavitt, many of the people who served with him, and several of today’s policy leaders, creating an influential public policy discussion around the past, present, and future. Following the forums, the Gardner Institute assembled six summaries highlighting significant policy priorities, as described by participants and informed by lessons learned from Governor Leavitt’s administration.
“These proceedings come at a critical time in Utah, marked by significant change,” said Natalie Gochnour, director of the Gardner Institute. “Our state is experiencing significant in-migration, population growth, housing price appreciation, and a realignment of the federal government. These summaries reflect the “big gears,” important insights, and expertise from Gov. Leavitt and our panels of community leaders to help policymakers make informed decisions during a time of change.”
The six “big gears” highlighted in the proceedings are as follows:
Public Education - Public education underpins Utah’s economic prosperity. Utah will benefit if state leaders coordinate statewide efforts to address teacher burnout, invest in early learning, and support schools in promising modernization practices. Utah’s public education system often finds itself at the forefront of addressing societal challenges like poverty, homelessness, and mental health concerns. Strong leadership can help students and teachers thrive despite these complexities, positioning Utah’s education system for long-term success.
Human Services - As Utah’s population grows and ages, human services require attention upstream and across sectors. Addressing social determinants of health, disrupting intergenerational poverty, and improving access to health care can reduce health disparities and improve outcomes for all Utahns. Leaders can sustainably invest in social capital and physical and mental health services. Utah leaders agree that to improve health outcomes for all Utahns, we must collaborate across sectors and invest in prevention efforts. Private-public collaborations are key to developing, testing, implementing, scaling, and sustaining effective interventions and initiatives.
Taxation - Utah’s leaders face challenging decisions when weighing tax reform options. They must keep laser-focused on Utah’s changing economy and aging population. In the past quarter century, Utah leaders recognized vital opportunities to maintain the sales tax base and increase fairness by taxing e-commerce sales. State leaders face new challenges to improve Utah’s tax structure’s predictability, fairness, and viability today.
Technology Capital - Utah’s engineering and computer science jobs more than doubled from 2000 to 2022, significantly outpacing the nation and firmly establishing Utah as a technology capital. Many Utah leaders credit this increase and the emergence of Silicon Slopes directly to the Utah Engineering and Computer Science Initiative and the recruitment of Silicon Valley firms by the Leavitt Administration. Utah will benefit from bold investment in workforce development and technology training in public and higher education to meet expected growth and capitalize on opportunities in the tech sector.
Transportation - As Utah’s population grows and becomes more diverse, Utahns must be prepared to invest in transportation choices to maintain the state’s mobility, health, economy, and life quality. Utah’s rapid population growth puts significant pressure on the state’s transportation infrastructure. Leaders can anticipate transportation needs and plan for the future. State investments intersect with environmental stewardship, strategic planning, and evolving technology.
Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games - Utah welcomes the world in less than a decade. The decisions made during the 2002 Olympic Winter Games prepared Utah to host again, but the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games will be larger and present different challenges and opportunities. Utah and the nation face ongoing economic challenges, which could shift in the next decade. Detailed planning for the 2034 Games must begin now to ensure success. Bold leadership will shape a lasting impact. Population growth, war and geopolitical tensions, pandemics, rising temperatures, and more add complexity to the planning of Utah’s second Olympic Winter Games.