House Rules: Politics and Policy in Utah

In this episode of House Rules, Rep. Cal Roberts breaks down why Utah drivers continue to pay more for gas than neighboring states and what lawmakers are doing about it. Utah refines more fuel than it consumes; yet, prices remain higher due to regional market dynamics and refinery incentives that pull fuel to higher-priced West Coast states.
The Legislature plans to lower the gas tax and negotiate a better deal for Utahns by reexamining existing tax breaks and exemptions for refineries. The goal is to keep more of the economic benefit in Utah, reduce costs for families, and support long-term affordability.

In this episode of House Rules, Rep. Candice Pierucci joins Sen. Scott Sandall to discuss the recent court ruling that struck down Utah’s congressional maps and set a new redistricting process in motion.
As the new chairs of the Redistricting Committee, they reflect on the 2018 ballot initiative, the compromise that followed, and the hundreds of hours of public hearings that shaped the 2021 maps. They explain why the legislature is complying under protest, what the 30-day timeline means, and how lawmakers plan to balance rural and urban representation while pursuing appeals to the Utah and U.S. Supreme Courts.

Utah is building an innovative pipeline that could turn high school into a pathway to public safety careers. Rep. Matthew Gwynn is joined by Weber State University President Brad Mortensen and Utah Department of Corrections Executive Director Jared Garcia to discuss a new program that will let students earn concurrent enrollment credit, complete their Special Functions Officer certification, and step into a living-wage job in corrections – all for just $45.
The conversation covers how the idea came about, the partnerships making it possible, and why creating early career pathways matters for both students and public safety.

On this episode of House Rules, Rep. Paul Cutler joins DEQ Director Tim Davis to talk air quality, water conservation, and Utah’s approach to smart environmental policy.
They discuss how Utah has made historic progress on air quality, how the state is tracking dust from the Great Salt Lake, and how wildfire smoke is being monitored year-round. Davis outlines DEQ’s new strategic plan focused on innovation, problem solving, and community growth.
This is how Utah is using data and technology to protect air, land, and water as Utah’s grows.

Rep. Logan Monson talks with Redge Johnson, director of Utah’s Public Lands Policy Coordinating Office, about Utah’s continued fight to keep public lands in public hands, managed locally. Not from Washington.
They break down the differences between Senator Mike Lee’s federal public lands proposal and Utah’s own plan to create a state-run Department of Land Management. Rep. Monson and Johnson discuss the state’s recent lawsuit over unappropriated lands, the Supreme Court’s refusal to hear the case, and the impact of federal road closures, monument expansions, and top-down restrictions on rural Utahns.
This episode highlights Utah’s vision for conservation through access, multiple use, and responsible local stewardship, not fences and red tape.