Leavitt’s 2003 State of the State pushes competency-based education, new funding priorities and praises Guard

Governor Michael O. Leavitt delivered the 2003 State of the State to a joint convention of the Utah Legislature, calling education the state’s top long-term economic priority and laying out five proposals to protect school funding, reform financing for roads and water, collect unpaid remote sales taxes, and expand online government services.

Leavitt framed the address around the legacy of the 2002 Winter Olympics and a broader economic plan he called the "thousand day plan," saying the state’s competitiveness depends on education. "In the economic race of this century, the society with the best educated people win. Period," Leavitt said.

The governor voiced support for the state school board’s recent move toward competency-based high school graduation standards and proposed giving the board authority to test a new financing mechanism he called a "weighted competency unit." He urged a summer summit of district leaders, legislators, parents and academics to plan the transition. "This isn't a nibble around the edges program…It's a transformation and I want it clear, I support it," he said.

Leavitt drew attention to statewide funding shortfalls, saying Utah is "fiftieth among 50 states in per student funding" and is roughly "40% below the national average." He proposed a six-year target to close half the gap with neighboring intermountain states while warning against reducing education appropriations in the coming year.

On charter schools, Leavitt argued for equal financial footing and proposed a revolving loan fund to help nonprofit charter schools meet building needs. He announced the state is creating six high-technology charter schools, including the Academy of Math and Science and Engineering on the Cottonwood High site.

The governor presented five specific proposals: maintain or increase education funding ("no backsliding"); reconsider using sales tax for highway construction; develop a permanent, conservation-minded funding approach for water projects; collect taxes owed on remote sales (Internet, catalog, telephone) to level the playing field; and hold administrative costs through expanded online services, including easing use of credit cards for fees. He said about 1,200,000 Utahns used state online services in the previous month.

Leavitt also announced an economic development deal he said would yield 1,000 new technology jobs over three years—largely in medical informatics—and highlighted the state's 18 rural "smart sites" as sources of employment outside Salt Lake County. He described GenData, a state–University of Utah–Huntsman Cancer Foundation nonprofit to combine genealogic and medical data for research, and called for strong privacy protections around voluntarily contributed data.

Turning to homeland security and veterans, Leavitt recounted the combat service of Bravo Company (Utah National Guard) in Afghanistan and announced that Major Randy Watt, Sergeant Scott Hanson, Sergeant Allen Smithy and Sergeant Mark Evans would receive the Bronze Star with "V" device for valor. He warned the Legislature that Utah could bear a disproportionate burden if a conflict in Iraq unfolds and said units had been activated that day.

Procedural actions recorded in the joint convention: an unnamed senator moved to resolve into a joint convention to hear the governor, the motion carried by voice vote; at the end Representative Greg Curtis moved that the governor's complete address be journaled and that the joint convention be dissolved, and he subsequently moved to adjourn until 10 a.m. the following morning—both motions passed by voice vote.

The address combined policy proposals with ceremonial elements and personnel recognitions; Leavitt closed by thanking attendees and urging support for activated Guard members and their employers.