Candidate Information Form: Utah House – District 62

Name: Claralyn Hill

Registered Party: Democrat

District: 62

Address: PO Box 7014, Provo, UT 84602

Phone: 801-636-2102

Email: claralyn@voteforhill.org

Website: www.voteforhill.org

Candidate Background Information

Occupation: Attorney

Education: BA English Education; MA Counseling Psychology; JD

Prior Experience: Attorney, Court of Appeals, Guardian ad Litem, counselor, mediator, teacher, many community and family responsibilities

Questions

The League of Women Voters has made every effort to present accurately the candidates' responses as they were submitted.

1. If elected, what two things do you hope to accomplish as a member of the House of Representatives for the people of Utah ?
   
   1.   Support Utah families by funding education (see below) and reforming health care to be portable and affordable. Market-based health care reform along with smart government regulation is overdue. Health care costs are ballooning in relation to the gross domestic product, stunting the growth of otherwise viable businesses and hurting individuals and families. We need people in the legislature who strongly believe this situation can be improved
   
   2.      Reform government ethics. We need to upgrade our expectations for our government officials; reduce the influence of lobbyists and special interests; and reform campaign finance laws.
   
   
2. How would you address the following issues? (Please answer each question in 200 words or less.)
   - Adequate funding for education, including funding for disadvantaged populations such as non-English-speakers and prison inmates
   
   A good public education system is essential to democracy and to strong economic stability in Utah. Utah has special funding problems resulting from our young populace. In spite of this, the proportion of tax support for education has declined. As a member of the Provo School Foundation Board I am keenly aware of the special challenges we have in our district and of our need to increase accessibility to higher education. We need to enhance student learning by doing what is necessary to retain quality teachers. To promote integration and community, English must be included in the curriculum of immigrant students. We must also ensure that UVU receives the funding necessary so it can serve as a first-rate regional university. Funding solutions are not going to be found in raising taxes during an economic downturn, but we cannot continue to cut taxes. We must monitor the new 2008 income tax to ensure that it creates sufficient funding for education. We must implement long-term planning, target funding and prioritize education so essential programs are not pre-empted by impulse appropriations such as the soccer stadium and legislators' less essential pet projects.
   
   - Energy resource development and clean air
   
   We must reduce our dependence on foreign oil and clean up the unhealthy air in Utah County. State government's role in energy development is to open the doors to exploration of all feasible sources of energy while encouraging conservation and protecting the environment. Utah has ample wind, solar, and geo-thermal possibilities. Development of these renewable resources should be encouraged by reducing regulatory roadblocks and, in some cases, providing incentives. Although Utah has abundant oil shale, oil production from shale has not yet proved to be cost effective. We must accelerate the arrival of mass transit to Utah County, including Front Runner, light rail and bus rapid transit, along with creating convenient transportation hubs to encourage the use of mass transit. This and the development of alternatives to coal fired power plants will help clean up our air.
   
   - Water development and conservation
   
   We cannot wait for a crisis before we begin water conservation in Utah. Although we are a dry state we consume more water per capita than many other places. Water development is not a long term solution. We need to change our thinking. Attractive xeriscaping is common in many arid places, and is often associated with pricing incentives we do not have in Utah. It is time to implement market mechanisms that encourage voluntary conservation, in addition to the media conservation campaign. We need to promote the use of water treatment facilities in Utah to reclaim waste water and to repeal laws that inadvertently discourage water conservation.
   
   - Better communication between elected officials and their constituents
   
   Over the course of this campaign, I have been privileged to meet with many of my good neighbors of North Provo, and have heard their concerns. I have learned a lot from them and intend to continue to communicate with them after I'm elected. Our area is made of many small, well-defined neighborhoods, and doesn't have a central meeting place. This makes continued dialog with my constituents even more important, through personal visits, regular meetings, mail, email, my web site, and responding to phone calls. I intend to report at larger community meetings whenever I am invited. I plan to survey my constituents from time to time to ensure that I know what issues are important to them. As an attorney who has helped many of my neighbors with their estate planning, I understand the concept of representation. As a community leader, I understand the importance of keeping track of community issues. I have the good fortune to be able to cut back on my other work when I am elected so that I will have plenty of time to communicate with constituents, along with my job as a grandmother.
   
   
3. If the State had a revenue surplus of $100 million, how would you allocate the money? (Response should include $______________ for ________________________________.
   
   Assuming this is a one-time revenue surplus:
   
   $45M Upgrade school buildings to conform to current safety and earthquake standards
   $10M Targeted one-time funding for Utah Valley University
   $30M Seed money to accelerate the development of mass transit into Utah County
   $10M Incentives for development of alternative energy resources
   $5N Upgrade technology to provide better information for consumers of health care