ON THE ISSUES

Utah’s government has spent too long with their heads in the sand on this crucial issue, and they are letting our communities down. Children, the elderly, and the disabled are not just inconvenienced by the air in the valley- their lives are in danger. And every Utahn will be affected if the Great Salt Lake continues to disappear. Rep. Stoddard has passed historic legislation regulating emissions to help clean up our air, and he will continue to take concrete steps to preserve air quality that will grow and strengthen Utah’s economy.

Passed Legislation: Tax Credit for Alternative Fuel Heavy Duty Vehicles

Halogen Emissions Amendments

Rep. Stoddard unequivocally opposes the proposed Stratos Data Center in Box Elder County, and believes that it would be detrimental to our environment and the health of the Great Salt Lake. He also believes that unaccountable state boards like MIDA should be reformed so that major economic and environmental decisions aren’t made behind closed doors without real transparency and accountability from elected officials.

It is easy to see the housing crisis facing Utahns. Home prices and rents continue to rise, pricing hard-working citizens out of the American Dream. Rep. Stoddard is committed to passing real solutions to lower housing costs for Utah families, including down payment assistance loans, rent assistance, and other programs to help create secure and long-lasting places to live for Utah residents.

Right now, working families are struggling with skyrocketing costs on everything from groceries, to gas, to rent, to childcare, and more. Rep. Stoddard supports increasing the minimum wage, removing the state tax on food, increasing access to affordable child care options, and strengthening protections for workers, including laws that encourage and permit workers to associate, laws that provide paid parental leave, and increasing access to workman’s compensation, unemployment insurance, and new job training for displaced workers.

Rep. Stoddard is committed to building a safer community. Having worked as a city prosecutor, he has seen first hand the challenges brought by the rapid development in this part of the valley, including populations experiencing homelessness and an increase in pedestrian accidents. He is also deeply concerned about gun violence and the impacts it has on our communities and especially our kids. As our legislator, Rep. Stoddard will fight to implement common sense public safety reforms to keep our neighborhoods and our schools safe.

Passed Legislation: Disease Testing Amendments; POST Certification Amendments; Prohibited Persons Amendments

An educated citizenry is the cornerstone of a strong community. Rep. Stoddard will make fully funding Utah’s schools a priority, and work to free teachers from constraints that keep them from bringing out the best in their students. Education doesn’t stop at high school and he will take action to empower higher education - not just at four-year universities, but also through state support of trade education, community college, and other programs that will create a dynamic, self-sustaining workforce to usher Utah into the tech age. He will also continue standing up against efforts to bring culture war politics into the classroom, micromanage educators, or remove public employees’ right to collectively bargain.

As a former prosecutor, Rep. Stoddard has seen where the criminal justice system works, and where it doesn’t. He wants to reform the process to make it more clear and accessible. Rep. Stoddard believes many minor offenders need to receive mental health, drug treatment, and other services to be rehabilitated into productive members of the community, and he has worked on common sense legislation to make the criminal justice system work better.

Passed Legislation: Murder Mitigation Amendments; Expungement Amendments; Intimate Image Distribution Prohibition Revisions; Diversion Fees Amendments; Inheritance Disqualification Amendments

Healthcare is too important to be treated like just any business. Rep. Stoddard supports programs that improve access and affordability for healthcare and that help patients make informed decisions about what care they want and what it will cost. He is dedicated to advocating for patients and working to expand access to resources and lower costs for Utahns across the state.

Rep. Stoddard believes that immigration policy must be driven by compassion, not fear. Utah was built on a welcoming spirit, and our state government must reflect that value and welcome people from all over the world, serving as a safe haven for refugees, asylum seekers, and victims of trafficking, crime, and domestic violence. He does not support the reckless and illegal actions of Trump’s ICE, and he supports holding them accountable, stopping the proposed detention center in Utah, and protecting our immigrant communities and their constitutional rights.

Passed Legislation: Victim Guidelines for Prosecutors