1. In its last session, the Utah State Legislature did not reach a consensus on a plan for Utah’s
healthcare system, and so, the debate continued this morning at the Chamber’s Public Policy
Forum. We were honored to catch a glimpse of that debate as we hosted the Majority Speaker
for the House of Representatives, Greg Hughes, and Representative Dean Sanpei. They
provided chamber members with great insights into the heated discussion happening at the
Capitol Building.
Representative Sanpei expressed his enthusiastic support of the event by saying, “We need to
get into the details, which is why I appreciate forums like this.”
Dave Gessel, Assistant Director of Utah Hospital Association and Dave Patton, Director of the
State Department of Health were also present on our panel and added much to the
conversation. While much of the discussion dealt with numbers and statistics, Dave Gessel
brought the focus back to what he feels is the critical component in these types of decisions:
“We have to be honest about costs, but we can’t forget these are real people. We have the
opportunity to do something good for Utah.”
Healthcare plans like Healthy Utah and Utah Cares were a part of the dialogue, and panel
members discussed the effects of healthcare on both a state and national level. The overall tone
of the forum was very positive and forward-thinking. Speaker Greg Hughes reassured Chamber
members that, “We’re going to get something done in a way that is beneficial and safe for our
taxpayers.” All of the panel members are committed to making life healthier for Utah residents.
We had a wonderful turnout and we are grateful for the Public Policy Committee, Board of
Directors, Board of Governors, and Executive Roundtable members who were in attendance.
Your questions and insights helped to create a lively conversation. Forums like this are great
opportunities to help form the Chamber’s Policy position.
We would also like to thank the Provo Recreation Center for letting us utilize their beautiful
facility. The Public Policy Committee will be meeting at the Provo Recreation Center again next
month to discuss clean air. Check back on our blog to hear the latest Chamber updates!
Written by Kali Brown and Emily Kapral Roberts