By Elena Patel and Natalie Gochnour

Originally published in the Deseret News.

Approximately 1 in every 10 Utah children 0-5 years of age lives in poverty. Without additional help, many of these 28,000 children will continue to suffer food insecurity, poor living conditions and lack of opportunity. Fortunately, Utah now joins with 13 other states, offering a state child income tax credit that helps low-income families pay for basic needs. This week, the Utah Legislature passed out of committee HB316, Child Tax Credit Amendments, by Rep. Mark Strong. If the bill passes, Utah’s existing credit will expand to include all children under 6 years old (Utah’s existing credit only includes 1- to 4-year-olds). Lawmakers would do well to seriously consider this bill.

A child tax credit provides an income tax break focused directly on children. The credit boosts after-tax income for qualifying families on a dollar-for-dollar basis. The extra funds help offset some of the many costs of raising children. Utah’s child tax credit allows eligible families to claim up to an additional $1,000 per child each year. When combined with the federal child tax credit (up to $2,000 maximum), the credits provide sizable income support for low-income families, reaching as high as $3,000 per child.

Originally published in the Deseret News.

This week I attended Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson’s timely speech on the 2024 elections. She spoke with authority, courage and grace as she explained that attacks on our elections and the people who run them are attacks on the very institutions that protect our liberty. She said Utahns must support our election process, commit to accept the results of the 2024 elections and take responsibility for our own ballot. I applaud her courageous leadership.

She delivered the substantive and polished speech to a standing-room-only crowd at the University of Utah’s Hinckley Institute of Politics. Ninety percent of the room was students — a point not lost on me. Those in leadership positions today owe a special obligation to the rising generation. They listen to our words and watch our actions.

Originally published in the Deseret News.

As the Tokyo Olympics take center stage, it’s natural for Utahns so ask, “Why should Utah do this again?” I think the answer is simple: Approximately a million people who live in Utah today were not here in 2002. That’s nearly one in every three residents.

I want all these people, and those who were too young to remember (like my son), to experience the magic of and be inspired by an Olympic Games.

Originally published in the Deseret News.

Ninety minutes. That’s all it took. I gained a deeper understanding of how data informs an elected official’s thought process regarding racial and ethnic disparities in Utah. He, in turn, reviewed the data and considered how he might incorporate this data into policymaking. Both of us acknowledged the importance of the issue, need for increased opportunities and inherent strengths that can help Utah improve.

This is how progress occurs. Data and dialogue work together to open new doors. When we are at our best in Utah, data and dialogue create common ground.

Originally published in the Deseret News.

Economist Natalie Gochnour is director of the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute at the University of Utah and is an associate dean in the David Eccles School of Business. She has a long history of public service and continues to be a key economic advisor to state political and business leaders.

We asked this seasoned professional to answer six questions in relation to the economic difficulties presented by the 2020 coronavirus pandemic and how Utah will weather the storm in 2021.