Cox launches ‘Disagree Better’ Initiative at governors conference
Jul 14, 2023, 9:03 AM | Updated: May 16, 2024, 7:55 am
Gov. Spencer Cox speaks to reporters about his newly-released initiative that challenges American governors to find better ways of solving problems. Gov. Cox will be with President Biden at a publice appearance in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Aug. 10, 2023. (Lindsay Aerts/KSL NewsRadio)
(Lindsay Aerts/KSL NewsRadio)
SALT LAKE CITY — Gov. Cox wants American governors to disagree better, and he announced an initiative along those lines on Friday, right after he became the Chair of the National Governor’s Association.
In the Disagree Better initiative, Cox calls for all American governors to set an example for how to disagree better. He spoke about it Friday at the National Governor’s Association.
“I truly believe that all the issues, pick your issue, as a Republican or Democrat … it may be immigration, today we learned about the incredible dangers of fentanyl in our country. It might be energy policy … Whatever your issue is, we cannot solve it if we remain divided as we are today.”
Cox said the initiative is not about simply being nicer to people. He said it’s about learning to disagree in a way that helps people on opposite sides of issues find solutions.
And he said it’s imperative to begin.
“Our country is in trouble. We can’t solve the biggest issues if we can’t even have a conversation. If we want to solve policy, we have to start disagreeing better,” he said on Friday. “We have to be in a room together.”
How the Disagree Better initiative will work
The Disagree Better initiative will use service projects and public debates that Cox believes will show Americans better ways of working through divisive issues.
Cox admits he is no stranger to using the same tactics he’s trying to change.
“My job is to try to set a good example and when I screw up to apologize and try to do better.”
Utah @GovCox is now the chair of @NatlGovsAssoc. He’ll lead the Gov’s in policy efforts for the next year.
He also gets to pick an initiative. @GovCox choose Disagree Better: Healthy Conflict for Better Policy.
Here’s what @SpencerJCox says about falling short sometimes. pic.twitter.com/lH6d49VGA2
— Lindsay Aerts (@LindsayOnAir) July 14, 2023
As a means of setting an example, Cox said the Disagree Better initiative will focus on immigration, what the governor calls a “real-world policy challenge that needs resolution.”
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