Gov. Michael Levitt urges tax cuts, major highway investment and expanded foster care in State of the State

Governor Michael Levitt spoke to a joint convention of the Utah Legislature in a State of the State address that stressed civic responsibility, fiscal restraint and targeted public investments.

"The foundation of the prosperity that we have is goodness, not government," Levitt said, framing the address with a personal anecdote and repeated calls for citizen involvement. He urged the legislature to work with him on a second consecutive year of tax relief, saying he had listed nine options in his budget message and that the important thing was to "get it done."

Levitt described strong statewide economic indicators and said Utah was among the nation's leaders on several measures. He emphasized the need to protect key employers and to plan for growth: planners, he said, estimate more than $6 billion will be needed for roads, water and building projects in the next 10 to 12 years. To start that work, he proposed "a record amount, dollars 81,000,000 in new funding" for highways.

On education, Levitt highlighted recent gains in test scores, graduation and college enrollment and said that by June the state would have 300 "centennial schools" intended to involve parents and encourage innovation. He proposed a 40% increase in class‑size reduction funds, targeted to schools with the heaviest needs, after describing a school he visited where many pupils face trauma, language barriers and overcrowded classrooms.

Health policy also featured in the speech. Levitt credited the legislature's prior adoption of "Healthprint" with expanding coverage and lowering costs, saying it had helped "tens of thousands" of Utahns obtain care. He proposed continued work to build on those reforms.

The governor called attention to children in the state's care and appealed directly for foster families and volunteers. He said about 75 children were temporarily in state shelters that night and that "we have 1,818 children with foster families in this state right now," urging citizens to contact the Division of Family Services if they can help.

On public safety, Levitt proposed creating a new criminal category, "serious youth offender," for 16‑ and 17‑year‑olds who commit violent crimes. He described the proposal as delivering a clear message: "commit an adult crime, you'll serve adult time," and said sentences under the proposal would be substantially harsher than current juvenile penalties.

Turning to federal fiscal matters, Levitt warned that rising entitlement and interest costs threaten future federal support and expressed support for consideration of a balanced‑budget amendment in the states, noting that Utah had passed a resolution that day to join a multi‑state convocation to examine the issue.

Levitt closed by announcing a "Centennial Values Initiative," a civic effort to convene community leaders to identify and promote the state's civic values as Utah approaches its centennial.

After the address, the joint convention approved a motion by Senator Peterson to spread the governor's remarks on the Senate journal by unanimous voice vote. Representative Christine R. Fox then moved to dissolve the joint convention; that motion passed by voice vote, and the House adjourned until 11:30 a.m. the following day.

The address combined policy proposals—tax relief, a large first installment for highways, investment in technology and schools, and a change to youth‑crime sentencing—with repeated appeals for volunteerism and family involvement as complementary to government action. No formal legislation was passed on the floor during the address; the session concluded with procedural motions and adjournment.