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Utah Governor Calls for New Inspector General's Office

Gov. Gary Herbert urged investment in what he called Utah's next "greatest generation" in his State of the State speech Wednesday night by addressing needs including education, transportation and health care for the poor.

Gov. Gary Herbert urged investment in what he called Utah's next "greatest generation" in his State of the State speech Wednesday night by addressing needs including education, transportation and health care for the poor.

MORE: Text, highlights and video of every governor's annual address.

 

Herbert's annual speech, delivered in the House to a joint session of the Legislature, also called for a new state inspector general's office that would act independently "to ensure the highest levels of ethics and official conduct in state government."

 

And the governor said the state must "stand up and speak out to ensure that our most precious religious liberties are protected," as anti-discrimination legislation for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Utahns is advanced.

 

"I am confident that, as elected officials, we can work together with religious, business and civic leaders, as well as the LGBT community, to develop policies that treat all people with dignity and respect," he said.

 

The governor's support for protecting "the personally held values of people on all sides of this issue" comes one day after LDS Church leaders called for religious freedom to be coupled with protecting LGBT Utahns from discrimination.

 

The Republican governor's speech held no surprises for the GOP leaders of the House and Senate, who found little to criticize.

 

New House Speaker Greg Hughes, R-Draper, said he appreciated the governor offering a "shout out" to both he and Senate President Wayne Niederhauser, R-Sandy, for their commitment to take action on Medicaid expansion.

 

"I think it was a conciliatory tone," Hughes said of Herbert's acknowledgement that there are differences of opinion among lawmakers over his Healthy Utah alternative to Medicaid, one of the most controversial topics this session.

 

Niederhauser said lawmakers were already "very familiar with Healthy Utah, as well as all the other options we've been discussing," including limiting coverage to only the medically frail rather than all Utahns earning below poverty limits.

 

A big chunk of the governor's speech was devoted to Healthy Utah, intended to help low-income Utahns obtain private health insurance using money available to the state under the Affordable Care Act.

Caroline Cournoyer is GOVERNING's senior web editor.
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