In Utah’s remarkable Capitol, just off the House floor, there’s a hallway leading to the Majority Caucus Room, where portraits hang of every man and woman who has served as speaker of the House. When my colleagues elected me as speaker in 2018, I did not know much about most of those people who preceded me in the position I would eventually hold, nor did I know much about the policies they championed.
Now, as I prepare to end my tenure as speaker, I have grown to appreciate even more the foundation of sound policy and selfless service left by my predecessors and the important lessons I’ve learned during my time in the legislature.
Trust determines our success
The Friday after Thanksgiving 2012, then-Speaker Becky Lockhart sat in my Layton office. As a relatively new legislator, I felt like the principal had come to my classroom to give me some sort of punishment. My trepidation was unfounded. What she told me was, “Brad, I see potential in you, and I trust you.” She asked me to serve as vice chair of the Executive Appropriations committee, a significant responsibility that thrust me into the heart of budget negotiations and decisions early in my legislative service.
Of all the things that Speaker Lockhart could have focused on — my experience running a business or the modest list of legislation I had passed — she emphasized trust. I learned that day, and in the many days since, that trust determines our success. In politics, trust with constituents, colleagues and other leaders is our only currency. I’ve seen time and again that the most successful lawmakers prioritize trust above all else.
Trust has been even more critical as I’ve worked with the Senate president, Stuart Adams. The natural tension between the House and Senate can strain the relationship between the leaders of each body. President Adams has become one of my closest friends and most trusted confidants. Throughout the years, we have fostered a relationship built on trust and understanding. We can’t always give each other what we want, but I know he’ll be honest and transparent with me, and he trusts that I’ll be completely open with him. That trust has helped us navigate tough issues and ensured we could work productively to the benefit of the entire state.
Taking the long view pays dividends
Nearly every pressure point in politics drives elected officials to think short term. All too often the temptation is to solve the immediate problem with an eye on the upcoming election. We’ve worked hard in the House to lay out a long-term vision that minimizes that pressure while establishing a culture that values doing the hard things with the greatest long-term benefit to our constituents.
That commitment to thinking big, investing and delaying gratification has paid off as the Legislature took on challenges like relocating the state prison to unleash the state’s largest economic development opportunities, addressing drought and water supply concerns to ensure stability in the future, reducing taxes by over a billion dollars, modernizing Utah’s higher education system and investing in transportation, infrastructure and outdoor recreation.
Few decisions came without significant challenges and vocal opposition; none had clear or painless solutions; but all benefited from our commitment to doing the right thing for Utah.
The Utah Way is the right way
During my time in office, I’ve adopted the phrase “The Utah Way” as shorthand for the unique way we work together as a community and the way we, as elected officials, work together to craft effective policies. The phrase encompasses our ability to work across the aisle and between levels of government. Undoubtedly, this characteristic is driven by the fact that ours is still very much a citizen legislature, made up of everyday Utahns, not career politicians, who have to live with the policies they pass. It’s also driven by our compassion to care for our neighbors, take care of our resources and do the right thing, even when it’s hard and unpopular.
In the years ahead, another fresh-faced legislator will walk in those same steps — one who will eventually lead the House — and I’ll be just as unfamiliar to him or her. I hope the legislative work I have been a part of will have added to the legacy left to me, and I expect future elected officials will build on the contributions my colleagues and I have made.
The people come and go, but the institution of the Legislature —the “voice of the people” — continues forward with strength.
Brad Wilson will be resigning from his position as the speaker of the Utah House of Representatives on Nov. 15. Wilson is a candidate for U.S. 2024 Senate race.