On Thursday morning, reporters met with Governor Spencer Cox for a monthly press conference with PBS Utah. He discussed a variety of topics, including the wildfires in L.A, homelessness in Salt Lake City and funding for higher education.
L.A. Wildfires
Cox opened the conference by thanking Utah firefighters currently helping California combat several wildfires in Los Angeles County. Cox said these fires are “obviously tragic” and praised the quick turnaround of Utah’s firefighter deployment.
“In record timing, the state of Utah was able to deploy three task forces, with 64 firefighters, from 17 different local fire departments across the state,” Cox said. This was all in less than 24 hours.
Cox also discussed potential forest fire concerns in Utah. Unlike Los Angeles, where many home insurance agencies declined to cover at-risk homes, Cox was confident that Utahns have access to home insurance, even if that means paying a higher premium for homes located in fire risk areas.
“Nobody likes to pay more,” Cox said. “I understand that, but you’ll like it a lot less when your house is gone and you don’t have any insurance coverage.”
The state of Utah also recently sued the federal government for control of federal land in Utah. In their argument, Utah said it needs control of the land for active maintenance to prevent forest fires. The Supreme Court declined to hear the case on Jan. 13.
Homelessness in Salt Lake City
In December, Cox threatened state intervention if homelessness in Salt Lake City was not addressed. Salt Lake Mayor Erin Mendenhall met the challenge Thursday, and shared a full plan for tackling homelessness. Cox met with Mendenhall earlier this week to discuss the plan, a meeting Cox said went “very well.”
“This is more collaboration than anything else,” Cox said. “There’s a role for the state to play, and we talked about that as well.”
Later that day, Cox and House Speaker Mike Schultz released a joint statement on the proposal.
“The safety and well-being of all Utahns is and will continue to be our common goal,” the statement read. “We are eager to see decisive steps taken to achieve that goal. We look forward to collaborating with Mayor Mendenhall, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County and all stakeholders to take meaningful action, implement the plan and restore public safety and confidence in our capital city.”
Education Funding
Cox also echoed the sentiments of the Utah House majority on potential budget cuts to state-funded education.
Speaker Schultz previously stated budget cuts for higher education could be as high as 10%. However, he did not specify what programs these cuts could be apply to.
“We would look at those degrees and certificates that are providing the most benefit for students, and those that are providing the least, and fund more on the one end and a little less on the other end,” Cox said. He also said he’s been working closely with the Utah Board of Higher Education, Utah’s university presidents and the commissioner of higher education to decide what these cuts will look like.
“It doesn’t mean that every decision has to be an economic decision, nor should it be,” Cox said. “We don’t want every degree in higher ed to just be an economic based degree, that’s not good for us. That’s not healthy. The arts are important, even if you can’t get the best job in the world with an arts degree.”
Cox also declined to specify where these cuts will be targeted, but said, “as long as tax payers are going to paying a significant amount of funding for higher education, they get a significant say in what gets funded.”
Sundance
Cox also discussed Utah’s work to keep Sundance Film Festival in Park City. The festival has been held in Park City since 1985, but it announced last year that it would be considering moving. Last September, Sundance announced it had narrowed potential locations to Cincinnati, Ohio, Boulder, Colorado and Park City, Utah.
“I believe that Sundance is an important part of the state of Utah, and it has been for such a long time,” Cox said. He said he’s been involved in conversations with Sundance’s executive committee and will continue to advocate for the festival to stay in Utah.
“Sundance is Utah and Utah is Sundance,” Cox said.
Cox called moving Sundance from Utah a “mistake,” but that “our economy will be okay.”
“It won’t take a hit if Sundance were to leave,” Cox said. “But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do everything we can to keep it here.”
Sundance 2026 will still take place in Park City. The festival will take up its (potentially) new residence in 2027.
President Donald Trump’s Inauguration
Cox told reporters that he will be at president-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration this Monday. He also said he’s prepared to take action on any orders Trump issues during his first day in office.
“We’ll be prepared from day one to start working together on whatever that is,” Cox said.
Some policies of interest to Utah include a northern transportation route in Washington County and an EPA decision regarding ozone in the Uinta Basin.
Regarding support of Trump’s plans to initiate mass deportations, Cox said “we’re going to work very closely with the administration.”
The full conference can be found at PBS Utah.