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Howard A. Stephenson (born November 7, 1950) is a Utah politician who represented the State's 11th senate district in Salt Lake County including Draper from 1992 through 2018.
Howard A. Stephenson | |
|---|---|
.JPG) Stephenson in February 2013 | |
| Member of the Utah Senate from the 11th district | |
| In office 1992–2018 | |
| Succeeded by | Dan McCay |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 7, 1950 |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Julie |
| Residence | Draper, Utah |
| Occupation | Public Administrator |
Stephenson received a B.S. degree in psychology and aerospace studies from Brigham Young University, and a Master of Public Administration (1977), also from Brigham Young University.[1] Since then, he has worked as a taxpayer advocate, and from 1988 to 2021 he served as president of the Utah Taxpayers Association.[2] He currently consults and speaks nationally on digital teaching and learning, advocating for personalized teaching and learning and K-12 dual language immersion. Stephenson is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS).[3]
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Regarding Utah teachers using technology in the classroom, "...are we going to have to wait like Moses did...wandering 40 years in the wilderness for the old ones to die off before we can really embrace this with fidelity?" [4]
Regarding college and university degrees which don't produce jobs suitable for the recipient, "...degrees to nowhere."[5]
Regarding his announcement of retirement from the state senate, "I’ve never experienced air being sucked out of a room before."[6]
As a Utah state senator, Stephenson is well-positioned to influence Utah legislation relating to education and to state revenues. As a state senator, Stephenson has won the following awards:
- Utah Republican Hispanic Assembly Recognition
- Utah Council for Exceptional Children Legislator of the Year
- Utah Association for Gifted Children Community Service Award
- Coalition for People with Disabilities 1995, 1998, 2001, 2002 "Hero on the Hill" Award
- Alpine School District Children's Behavioral Therapy Unit Autism Preschool Recognition
- Education Leadership Coalition Recognition
- Utah Valley Autism Preschool Recognition
- Utah Food Industry Association 2001, 2004 Outstanding Legislative Service Award
- Utah Farm Bureau Federation Friend of Agriculture Award
- Utah Information Technology Association Recognition
- National Federation of Independent Business Guardian of Small Business Award
- Utah Taxpayers Association Friend of the Taxpayer Award
- Utah Restaurant Association Legislator of the Year, 2003, 2004
- Utah Health Insurance Association Legislator of the Year
- Utah Correctional Industries Award
- Sandy City Outstanding Elected Official
- Grassroots Distinguished Service Award
- Utah Association of Realtors Distinguished Service Award
During his 26 years in the Utah Senate, Stephenson served on the following committees:[7]
- Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee
- Health & Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee (Senate Chair)
- Public Education Appropriations Subcommittee (Senate Chair)
- Senate Education Committee (Chair)
- Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee (Chair)
- Administrative Rules Review Committee (Senate Chair)
Election
2014
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Howard Stephenson | 13,195 | 63.1% | |
| Democratic | Michele Weeks | 7,713 | 36.9% | |
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2016 sponsored bills
| Bill Number | Bill Title | Bill Status |
|---|---|---|
| S.B. 38 | School Funding Amendments | Governor Signed 3/23/2016 |
| S.B. 87 | Administrative Rulemaking Act Modifications | Governor Signed 3/17/2016 |
| S.B. 88 | Administrative Rules Reauthorization | Governor Signed 3/29/2016 |
| S.B. 93 | Computer Science Initiative For Public Schools | Governor Signed 3/28/2016 |
| S.B. 112 | Property Tax Assessment Amount Amendments | Governor Signed 3/29/2016 |
| S.B. 120 | Property Tax Notice Amendments | Governor Signed 3/28/2016 |
| S.B. 139 | Board of Education Approval Amendments | Governor Signed 3/23/2016 |
| S.B. 143 | Competency Based Learning Amendments | Governor Signed 3/28/2016 |
| S.B. 152 | Accelerated Foreign Language Course Amendments | Governor Signed 3/18/2016 |
| S.B. 163 | Kindergarten Amendments | Senate/Filed for bills not passed 3/10/2016 |
| S.B. 165 | Public Education Appointment and Hiring | Senate/Filed for bills not passed 3/10/2016 |
| S.B. 176 | Office of the State Board of Education Amendments | Senate/Filed for bills not passed 3/10/2016 |
| S.B. 204 | Free Market Protection and Privatization Board Act Amendments | Governor Signed 3/22/2016 |
| S.B. 211 | Private Use of Drones | Senate/Filed for bills not passed 3/10/2016 |
| S.B. 224 | Student Assessments | Senate/Filed for bills not passed 3/10/2016 |
| S.B. 228 | Multicounty Assessing and Collecting Levy Amendments | Governor Signed 3/25/2016 |
| S.B. 237 | Immigration and Alien Related Amendments | Governor Signed 3/18/2016 |
| S.B. 239 | School Governance Amendments | Governor Signed 3/28/2016 |
Notable legislation
Stephenson is a proponent of year-round schools. He believes that moving public schools to a trimester schedule will save money.[10] On his campaign website, he states that he supports "tuition tax credits or vouchers."[11]
He has proposed a bill which would require surety bonds for guest workers, to "ensure that . . . the people who are here have no criminal background, are disease free, and are paying their own cost of policing."[12]
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