Incumbent Joel Briscoe will face Grant Miller and Ramon Barthelemy in the June 25 Democratic primary.
(via campaigns) From left to right, Joel Briscoe, Ramón Barthelemy and Grant Miller, candidates for the Democratic nomination for House District 24.
| June 8, 2024, 8:00 am
Three candidates are running to become the Democratic nominee for House District 24 in the June 25 primary.
District 24 includes a swath of Salt Lake City south of 400 South, including the Liberty Wells and Ballpark neighborhoods, as well as parts of South Salt Lake north of Interstate 80. Democratic incumbent Joel Briscoe has represented the district since 2010 and runs against Grant. Miller and Ramón Barthelemy.
The Salt Lake Tribune sent six questions to 50 candidates in 23 elections scheduled for June 25. The Tribune gave these candidates a deadline and word limit, and informed them that their responses may be edited for clarity and length. This is how Briscoe, Miller and Barthelemy responded to the questionnaire.
1) Utah‘s largest electricity provider canceled plans to replace its coal-fired power plants with nuclear power and walked back comments about investing in clean energy.
Should Utah, while actively supporting housing and business development, also pursue more sustainable energy that is less dependent on fossil fuels and carbon?
Briscoe: Economic development and renewable and sustainable energy are not opposed to each other; They can complement and encourage each other. Pitching them against each other is a false dichotomy. Many more Utahns work in the solar industry than work directly in Utah’s coal mines, a fact that is rarely mentioned in the media. The Inflation Reduction Act signed by President Biden is generating billions of dollars of investment in clean energy technology across the United States, much of it in red states, but comparatively little in Utah. We need to welcome renewable energy, not coal.
Miller: Yes. Utah should aggressively pursue sustainable and renewable energy sources. The state Legislature should reaffirm Utah’s commitment to achieving net 100% renewable electricity by 2030. This not only protects Utahns from environmental harms, but also stimulates the growth of renewable energy businesses and jobs.
Bartholomew: Of course we should do more! Utah has begun and has the potential to continue to be a major leader in innovative energy sources, including the use of nuclear, solar and wind energy, geothermal, and other forms of alternative energy. The reality is that any Democrat running for the Utah Legislature would agree with those goals. However, the difference lies in the approach of the legislator. Our representation should make more persuasive arguments to legislative Republicans about the long-term business case for sustainable energy solutions. It is easy to speak well of renewable energy, but we must accept that incremental gains will be the only path to building a sustainable future given current political realities. As the only scientist in the program, I believe I will bring a professional perspective that will make me immediately effective in these topics.
2) Yes or no: Is climate change negatively affecting Utah?
Briscoe: Yeah.
Miller: Yeah.
Bartholomew: Yeah.
3) Water scarcity continues to be a challenge for the state. Recent legislation has attempted to conserve water and bring more water to the Great Salt Lake and Colorado River.
Should Utah do more to subsidize homeowners to conserve water? Should laws require large users to pay more for water? What other measures should the state government take to address water scarcity?
Briscoe: Some subsidies, such as replacing grass with water-efficient landscaping, should be expanded. I believe the best stimulus to reduce wasteful water use would be to charge users the full cost of their water. Too many government entities in Utah encourage water use by supporting water development with property taxes, so the end user doesn’t see the full cost on their water bills. The full cost of water should apply to all water users, homeowners, farmers, businesses, and government water users. We also need to accelerate our water conservation goals and objectives and make them more aggressive.
Miller: Yes, Utah should do more to subsidize homeowners looking to conserve water. This should include water metering and incentivizing waterproof landscaping. The state should use both incentives and restrictions to encourage water use efficiency in agricultural crops. Utah needs to apply water reclamation techniques (similar to the Las Vegas approach). The Great Salt Lake should have a minimum volume level standard.
Bartholomew: More must be done to conserve water, especially as Utah remains one of the fastest-growing states in the country. Since much of the growth is occurring in areas with particularly acute water needs, it is important that we have a mix of incentives and restrictions that help address water scarcity.
However, no matter what we do with residential water use, we will not move forward without taking real action on agriculture, which uses most of Utah’s water. We should significantly bolster funding for the state’s agricultural water optimization program and build relationships with rural legislators to help persuade other areas of the state about the importance of water conservation in our agricultural operations.
4) Yes or no: Do you support building the Lake Powell pipeline?
Briscoe: No.
Miller: No.
Bartholomew: No.
5) Pushed after the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, current Utah law prohibits almost all abortions except in cases of sex crimes, when there is a fatal fetal anomaly, or when the mother’s life is at risk . For now, that law is currently on hold in the courts and in Utah there is an active 18-week ban.
More or less: Should Utah’s activation law have more or fewer restrictions?
Briscoe: Less.
Miller: Less.
Bartholomew: Less.
6) For or against: Do you vote for or against the constitutional amendment that eliminates the requirement that income taxes be used for education and social services?
Briscoe: Against.
Miller: Against.
Bartholomew: Against.
Keynote USA
For the Latest Local News, Follow Keynote USA Local on Twitter.