During the session, I often get e-mails and calls from constituents urging me to vote this way or that way on a particular issue. Sometimes I even get feedback from folks after the fact that think I voted on the wrong side of an issue and wonder what on earth I could possibly have been thinking! The considerations that go into a vote are many and varied, but the most important consideration is you.

The Legislature considers nearly 1,000 bills every year in the short timeframe of 45 days. I employ a range of strategies to help me get a sense of how the communities I represent feel about the issues of the day. Obviously not everyone is united on a course of action, so one of the most important factors I consider when casting a vote is the feedback from my pre-session legislative surveys. Each year, before the session begins, I compile a list of questions on the hot topics that are expected to come before the Legislature and ask my constituents to let me know what they think. This year I asked about topics ranging from possible budget cuts to liquor licenses to immigration reform. I would like to thank everyone that took the time to complete and return the survey.

Several of the survey questions dealt with difficult budget questions. Though our budget picture is much rosier than a year ago, we knew before the session started that we would have to either make additional budget cuts or raise taxes in order to cover our existing budget needs, let alone fund any growth or inflation. When I asked you to rank your highest budget priorities, the two highest ranked items were fixing the deficit and funding growth in public education. Our latest budget proposal presented last Tuesday included funding for the 14,700 new students expected to enter Utah schools next year and sought to ensure we used on-going revenue sources for on-going programs so as to avoid cuts when one-time sources ran dry. In short, we put together a balanced budget.

Another question asked whether taxes and corresponding services should increase, decrease or remain the same. Just over 60 percent of respondents said they wanted taxes and services to remain at current levels. I have worked to resist any calls for tax increase knowing that the majority of my constituents are comfortable with the existing levels and our fragile economic recovery could be threatened with any increased tax burden on families.

Another hot topic this year has been proposals to change our alcohol laws. I compiled a list of the most probable proposals and asked for respondents to mark all the proposals they supported. I received a wide range of answers to these questions, but the two proposals that received the highest number of votes involved more strict use of driver interlock devices after a DUI and scanning driver’s licenses to verify the age of those patronizing bars, taverns, and clubs. There are several bills this year dealing with DUI penalties and strengthening the provisions related to inter-lock devices. In addition, Sen. John Valentine, R-Provo, has proposed a major overhaul of our alcohol laws looking at items including the number of restaurant liquor licenses and enhanced enforcement on age restrictions and inspections.

I asked three different questions on the subject of immigration reform that reflected various proposals by legislators. Though the questions dealt with very different approaches to our broken immigration system, by your responses, you seemed to like having all options on the table. Eighty-six percent of respondents said they supported enforcement-based immigration laws, 85 percent supported the development of a guest-worker program, and 71 percent supported the repeal of in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants. Each of these issues is the subject of several individual bills and one comprehensive immigration bill that attempts to take pieces from every approach. The results tell me that my constituents believe these issues need a multifaceted response from the state and no one bill is the answer.

We take our charge very seriously to represent you and to reflect the values and beliefs of our communities. Don’t be afraid to reach out and let your legislators know how you feel about the issues of the day. We can’t represent you if we don’t know your views.