Sen. Mike Kennedy, Reps. Kay Christofferson, Jon Hawkins and Brady Brammer, along with Cindy Davis from the State School Board, made up the panel for this event.
As they answered questions there was an emphasis on working together as legislators and members of the government to make positive changes for the state.
Sen. Kennedy said how grateful he is to work with the other legislators to help the state.
“There are disagreements, I know there are, but we can agree most of the time on things and move forward in positive directions. And I love that. It's been a real privilege to try to serve you in the ways that I see that I should,” Kennedy said.
Rep. Christofferson of district 53 emphasized that what makes the government work is the legislators being able to work together and respect one another.
“Everyone has an expertise that we can draw on and then we depend on each other," Christofferson said. "And unlike some states, we work together a lot better. And kind of Utah's secret sauce is we're able to say, let's work together. It's not about the egos, it's about the issues.”
One question asked was whether the legislative branch gives itself more power than the other branches.
Rep. Hawkins of district 55 discussed the state’s checks and balances and what falls under the responsibilities of the legislature.
“We respect the Office of the Governor, and we respect the work that the judiciary does, but there are things that are allocated to us in our Constitution to fulfill," Hawkins said. "One of those is to make it pass the laws of the state. The other major bucket is to make the budget and to allocate funds to those things that the legislature deems appropriate.“
The members of the panel concluded with thanks, and explained how important it is for those living in Utah to be involved in and educated on what is happening in state government and specifically the current legislative session.
