An abundance of changes have been seen around the state of Utah for nearly 11 years while Gov. Gary Herbert has been in office. Now that his time as governor is coming to a close, he addressed Utah citizens at his final State of the State address.
On Jan. 29, 2020, he gave his final address at the Salt Lake City Capitol Building. In this address, he not only said his goodbyes, but also talked about the bright future of Utah and everything that is in store for our land.
In his address, Herbert spoke to the people of Utah.
“You are kind-hearted people. You do good wherever you live. It is your hard work that helps bolster our economy. It is your hopeful spirit and work ethic that make Utah the best place in the nation to live, to work, and to raise a family…Thank you for all that you do to make Utah great.”
He talked about the environment and how he wanted to promote public transit. The reason for promoting public transportation is to decrease any damage to the environment and to make it as easy as driving your car.
“…In my budget recommendations, I set aside $66 million for fast electric vehicle charging stations, to help accommodate the growing use of electric automobiles on Utah’s roads. This $100 million investment in our transportation and mass transit is a necessary step toward improving the air that we breathe.”
He spoke of the higher education programs scattered throughout Utah, and Southern Utah University is no exception to that. During his time in office, Herbert has made education a large focal point in his work.
Moving past secondary education, since the recession, the unemployment rate has dropped down to 2.3 percent and there has been 312,600 new jobs created. This will greatly impact students across the state as graduates move forward into the workforce.
Herbert touched on how important it is to gain an education, and not only that but also expressed appreciation for teachers all across the state that help us to learn.
“Together, we can be like the pioneers of the past and sow the right seeds, and prepare the trail for those who are yet to follow,” said Herbert in his closing remarks.
Along with education, he emphasized an importance on school counseling and resources for mental health. Utah has been using anti-bullying campaigns and the SafeUT app helps those that are struggling with mental health to speak with mental health professionals.
“This session we can continue to strengthen and enhance our mental health resources, because every person matters.”
Herbert has less than 40 days left in office, but over the past 11 years there have been significant changes that have helped the beehive state to blossom with improvements.
To hear more from the State of State address, click here to access the full speech.
Story by Lacy Truman
lace.truman@gmail.com
Photo Courtesy of St. George News
