ELECTIONS, POLITICS, & GOVERNMENT
Gov. Cox outlines priorities for the 2025 legislative session
Jan 17, 2025, 12:00 PM
Gov. Spencer Cox speaks during the PBS Utah Governor’s Monthly News Conference at Eccles Broadcast Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (Laura Seitz/Deseret News)
(Laura Seitz/Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — Gov. Spencer Cox has outlined his priorities for the legislative session, which include housing, energy production and cutting the tax on Social Security benefits.
Housing goals
During his monthly news conference on PBS Utah, the governor said his first priority this year is the same as it was last year — housing.
The governor made it clear he wants to lower the price of housing and look at building more to ensure that Utahns who want to stay in Utah, can.
“Our ability to build more and to lower the price of housing so our kids and grandkids can live here and can own real property [and] achieve the American dream,” said Cox.
Energy production
Cox said another main concern is energy production.
He said his office has been already working on it, with moves like launching Operation Gigawatt in October — a plan to double Utah’s power production over the next 10 years.
Tax and higher education
Cox also said he also wants to finalize plans to cut the tax on Social Security benefits. Utah is one of the nine states that still taxes the credit to senior citizens.
Cox said he’s also working with lawmakers to consider cuts to higher education.
Mail-in voting and election oversight
Lawmakers could take up changes or limitations to mail-in voting when the session begins next week.
Related: Are Utah voters confident in the mail-in voting system?
In his monthly news conference, Cox said he thinks the state should make some changes to deadlines.
“I think one of the areas where we start to lose trust is when there isn’t a decision on election night. And there’s lots of ballots out there and somebody may have been winning on election night and then five days later they are losing a race,” said Cox.
The Legislature is also juggling with the idea of removing the lieutenant governor’s office from election oversight.
Cox said he doesn’t think it needs to be that extensive, and said he thinks Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson has done a great job overseeing elections.
Support for the Trump administration
Cox also said he is getting ready to start helping President-elect Donald Trump on day one when he starts signing executive orders.
The governor said he asked Trump about his plans during a visit to Mar-a-Lago last week.
“The message from President Trump was that literally on day one… go into the Capitol and start signing orders.”
Cox said the state is prepared to assist and he expects some of those executive orders to directly affect Utah.
