STATE OF THE STATE

Governor addresses youth and state’s water woes

In this year’s State of the State address, delivered Jan. 19 by Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, was a bit unconventional but was overall well-recieved. Cox encouraged to bring their children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews to join them for the event on the House floor.

Rurally-raised Cox and first lady Abby Cox were likewise accompanied by their youngest daughter, Emma Kate. The focus of the speech emphasized hope for the future and letting “faith not fear” guide them in their “pursuit of happiness” while navigating the state’s most pressing issues.

“To anyone who believes that the next generation in Utah will be worse off than their parents, my message is simple,” Cox said. “Not now. And not on our watch.”

Gov. Spencer Cox’s message pointed to recent polling that demonstrates, “more young people than ever before believe that, for the first time in our nation’s history, their generation will be worse off than their parents.”

He emphasized that many Utahns seem to be accepting that any efforts to create a better world are useless.

Speaking directly to the youth in attendance, Cox said, “Your moms and dads and grandparents seated next to you tonight were once young, too,” and worried about “a lot of things you can probably relate to.” He described hiding under desks to “practice for the nuclear bombs we were sure Communist Russia was sending our way.”

He said the previous generation was worried about “overpopulation, acid rain,” and even the Great Salt Lake flooding and destroying towns in 1983. Most of all, he said, they worried about “something known as the hole in the ozone layer,” which at the time was described as an “environmental disaster (that) would be especially dire in Utah.”

“If you haven’t heard much about the hole in the ozone lately, that’s probably because we’ve been busy fixing it, and good news doesn’t seem to sell as well as gloom and doom,” Cox said. “The world came together with the United States leading the way, and our planet is restoring that critical part of our atmosphere.”

All these problems have a common root, Cox said. “Fear. And Fear destroys happiness.”

So Cox said he had a message for “every young person grappling with fear,” whether it be fear of finding a successful career, fear of affording a home, or “fear of a planet in peril.”

“The future of our state is not written in the stars. It is for us, the free men and women of Utah, to dictate our destiny,” Cox said.

He then encouraged Utah’s youth to “turn your fears” into “faith.”

“I don’t mean faith in the religious sense, although I am a proponent of that, too,” Cox said. “I mean faith in good things to come. Faith in us and faith in yourselves. Faith in our capacity and commitment to solve today’s hard problems together. Faith in a future worth being excited about.”

Agriculture Roots

In true Cox fashion, the Governor then focused his speech on his farming upbringing in addressing one of the most current, ongoing and pressing issues facing Utah and other western states: The drought and supply of water for the future.

Despite the well-recieved wet winter, Cox said, “We find ourselves in the greatest drought in the western United States in over 1,200 years. Earlier this month, a report predicted that in just five short years the Great Salt Lake will completely disappear. We are not going to let that happen.”

Cox noted that last year lawmakers passed 12 “major water conservation bills and $500 million in new funding.” More importantly, Cox said Utahns upped their conservation efforts.

Cox also recounted the summer of 2021 when he asked residents to pray for rain. Despite getting “mocked both at home and abroad” for the prayers, he said he makes no excuses for his beliefs.

“I am grateful — and I thank God every night — for the impressive amounts of snow we have received so far this season....the Great Salt Lake has already risen more than it did all last year,” Cox said.

He asked again “that we join together to ask for relief from this drought.” He said he believes “God can fill the lake. But if not, then we must.”

So this year, Cox said state leaders “have to maintain a continued focus on water conservation and agriculture optimization,” and he noted he’s proposed another $500 million in water conservation investment, as well as new policy changes to reduce use.

He also called on Utahns to “look beyond those that would demonize our farmers. Our farmers and ranchers are the backbone of our nation and state...I promise they will be a huge part of the solution, just like you and me. Let’s continue to help them modernize their operations so that we can both save water and increase food production.”