Guest opinion: Empowering Utah’s regions is the key to our unity
by Scott Cuthbertson
I appreciate the Salt Lake Chamber’s thoughtful call for greater collaboration and alignment to avoid what it termed “economic balkanization.” Utah’s success, after all, has long been rooted in a spirit of partnership and shared purpose. However, the call for a unified approach to Utah’s economic development must also place equal emphasis on its local and regional organizations that are best positioned to innovate and meet each community’s diverse needs.
Utah’s strength has always come from building unity through local autonomy. Our history, culture, and even governance model reflect a deep respect for limited central authority and strong community decision-making. That is not fracturing—it is federalism in action. As our state continues to grow and diversify, it is “all hands on deck.” We need everyone to participate and pitch in. We need the state, the regional, and the local organizations because they all have a unique part to play in meeting the needs of each community. Furthermore, regional and local organizations should not merely augment centralized economic efforts but sit at the table as equal partners to help Utah realize its fullest economic potential....
Sustaining Utah’s economic success requires honoring our unique perspectives and roles while working together in support of common goals. By elevating local and regional voices and avoiding overreliance on the old way of doing things we can ensure Utah’s continued economic success — not as a single vision imposed from the center, but as a collective achievement derived from empowered communities across our great state. (Read More)
News Releases
Lee bill bans disparate impact from civil rights law
U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced the Restoring Equal Opportunity Act today to codify President Trump’s Executive Order prohibiting the use of disparate impact policies that incentivize racial hiring quotas. U.S. Representative Brandon Gill (R-TX) is the legislation’s co-lead in the House of Representatives. (Read More)
Owens confronts Georgetown leadership on campus antisemitism
At a full Education and Workforce Committee hearing titled “Antisemitism in Higher Education: Examining the Role of Faculty, Funding, and Ideology,” Vice Chair Burgess Owens (R-UT) questioned Georgetown University Interim President Dr. Robert Groves on the university’s repeated hosting of an antisemitic speaker who defended the October 7 Hamas terrorist attacks. (Read More)
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