A promise from Governor Cox
Public comment processes can be difficult to navigate. Comment dates and periods often come up and pass by quickly, or don’t happen at all. This leaves residents who want to have a say on how our state develops without an easy avenue to do so. Governor Cox wrote a letter to the legislature following the end of the last session addressing this concern and warning of vetos for bills that exclude public input.
“Please know that next year I will be paying close attention to these bigger, stand-alone issues that don’t receive a public hearing and will be much more likely to veto and call for a special session, even if it’s not in my own interest to do so,” Cox wrote in his letter.
He called out lawmakers who make adjustments to bills late in the session without widely notifying folks. This happened last session with a bill that was passed to remove restrictions for hunting mountain lions, despite a large and quick outcry from the public.
We applaud Governor Cox for taking this stand, and trust he will maintain it if a bill that overrides local jurisdiction’s authority reaches his desk. We will be watching to see what Governor Cox does next year regarding the proposed bill to prevent mining companies from bullying their way into communities, like Granite Construction’s ongoing attempt to mine in Parley’s Canyon, or Geneva’s attempt to expand at the Point of the Mountain.
