Convention of the States

 I wrote this in 2016 and it is still true. 

Convention of the States

The first problem is we haven't done this since we created our constitution in Sep. 17, 1787.  The last time we had a convention of the states we got a new US Constitution.

The 2nd problem is that the State Legislatures Tell Congress to call a convention. Congress fully believes based on our Constitution that they get to set the mode of ratification, the rules, etc.

In 2015 and 2016, I actively fought these resolutions, because they are binding on the state, and I don't trust the people in Washington DC to improve our constitution, even if the states have to agree with the changes. We have had one or more of these Convention resolutions  pass, but I have killed others of them in the House Judiciary and so they don't even get sent to that committee anymore.

Is the Federal Government out of control based on the US Constitution, yes. Is this the way to fix it, putting our whole US Constitution at stake to be re-written, No!

Town Hall Meetings in May and June 2024

 I have scheduled the following town hall meetings to learn what issues are important to you.

Saturday, May 11, 2024, 1pm to 2:30pm, Hunter Library Meeting Room, 4740 W 4100 S, West Valley City, UT 84120

 

Saturday, May 25, 2024, 1pm to 2:30pm, West Valley Library Meeting Room, 2880 W 3650 S, West Valley City, UT 84119

 

Saturday, June 1, 2024, 11am to 12:30pm, Hunter Library Meeting Room, 4740 W 4100 S, West Valley City, UT 84120

 

Fred C. Cox, 2024 Candidate for Utah House District 30,
"I believe we must stand up and be heard or watch our constitutionally protected rights disappear. We can't continue to let government take over our lives".

 

That was the reason I ran for office when my State Representative, Ron Bigelow, stepped down to help the Governor at the end of 2010, and it is still so today.

 

I had the opportunity to serve in the Utah House of Representatives in 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2016. During that time, I had a reputation of being willing to speak up and to fight for and vote for what I believed was right, no matter the opposition.

 

I also had the reputation of reading though all of the bills I would vote on, and after the 2016 session a comedy song joked that I might have known other legislators' bills better than they did. During my service, I had one of the best floor attendance records of anyone in the House, with the exception of one rare House Judiciary Standing Committee meeting called during floor time where I missed 12 votes in 2015. They were the only ones I missed that year. I wanted to be in the chamber during debates and voting so I could hear both sides of an issue and see if a bill was ready or needed to be amended or voted down. "Motion to Amend" was something I said more than once. I always voted for or against the bill no matter who the sponsor was or what party they belonged to.

 

I am the Convention Winner and I am backed by the party. The other candidate in the primary is on the ballot though signatures.

 

Please come to one of my Town Hall meetings and help me understand the issues that are important to you. Thank You to the many that came to my past Town Hall meetings. 

I ask for your vote.
Fred C. Cox

fred@fredcox4utah.com

https://www.fredcox4utah.com/

Fred C Cox for Utah House District 30 - Protecting your rights

 We had a great chance to talk at the Salt Lake County Meet the Candidate Night, just west of our district.

One of the delegates, said he was undecided. I have been thinking since then of what to say to him. I have a few things I want to tell him and you.

I have and will work with the legislative committees to improve and block bills. I will continue to be involved. I will continue to be transparent.

In 2011, working with others in the House Judiciary Committee, I blocked an attempt by the Utah Attorney General to further amend our 4th amendment rights. 

 

That didn't stop there and hasn't since.

I recently started to dust off my youtube channel. There isn't a lot there right now, but there is a very interesting video of a Utah House of Representatives floor debate from 2016.

https://youtu.be/XMl8ibPSuX8?si=uWBGJgU53sCpvK86

I was asked to run the bill by a couple in our district with an adult child in 2014. When I was elected in a hotly contested general election in 2014, I had the drafting attorneys for the legislature start working on the bill. In 2015 I was able to make a few changes to the law re: Adult Guardianship

In 2016 I was able to make changes to the law. This shows the debate. The parents had asked others in the legislature to run a bill. One was an attorney. Those were not able to help or they were not willing to help.

There are still major issues with the information provided to parents, and many of the links on the state website are still wrong. 

More work on this issue is needed.

https://www.utcourts.gov/en/self-help/case-categories/gc/guardianship.html

I ask for your vote so I can continue to work on this issue and other issues important to those living in our district and also the state.

Vote for Fred Cox

Fred reads though and votes on bills based on what the bill says and would do.

This independence concerns a few “powerful” groups who are afraid of that and are already spending tens of thousands of dollars in this race.

Why would these groups be concerned re: Fred C. Cox

1. The 2019 Tax Referendum.

https://www.abc4.com/news/former-state-representative-leads-referendum-against-tax-reform-bill-passed-in-thursday-special-session/

https://www.deseret.com/utah/2020/1/21/21075525/tax-reform-referendum-enough-signatures-november-ballot/

We blocked the increase in the food tax, taxes on services and an increase for the fuel tax and other issues. 

Rep. Judy Weeks Rohner was a key leader in this fight.

Rep. Judy Weeks Rohner has filed to run for State Senate District 12, and so House District 30 is an "open" seat race.

 

I am the Convention nominee with the backing of the party. The other Republican candidate gathered signatures besides running through convention. I did not gather signatures. There is a primary this June. Let me know if you need a yard sign.

 

Please come to one of my Town Hall meetings and help me understand the issues that are important to you.

 

I ask for your vote.

 

Fred C. Cox

fred@fredcox4utah.com

 

https://www.fredcox4utah.com/

2011 Tax increase or Not - Example of fighting taxes

 In 2011, shortly after winning the special election to replace Rep. Ron Bigelow (who was appointed to be the Governor's Budget Chair) and being appointed and taking the oath of office, I remember being in the House Republican Caucus room, full of members and guests and media. The Governor's budget office was there, Ron Bigelow was there. I am also pretty sure the Governor was there.

The Governor's budget for this year had this statement:

Governor Herbert proposes strengthening Utah’s
tax policy by requiring taxpayers to remit quarterly
estimated income tax payments for taxes on
non-withheld income, beginning in tax year 2012.
Of the 42 states with an individual income tax,
Utah and Idaho are the only states that do not
require quarterly remittance. Quarterly payments
for non-withheld income are already mandated
for the federal income tax and Utah’s corporate
income tax.

Instituting quarterly estimated payments would
bring Utah’s remittance schedule in line with the
federal schedule and add stability to State revenue
forecasts. It would also accelerate revenue
collections two quarters into perpetuity, resulting
in a one-time increase of $130,000,000 to the
Education Fund.

I stood up and spoke against this change in state law.

Utah does not require quarterly estimated tax payments for individuals or many small businesses, but that was being proposed to change.

The Governor was proposing his budget with this extra $130 Million and was promoting it as not a tax increase. I told everyone that from a cash flow point of view, it would feel like one for individuals and small business owners, many of which were still recovering and hurting from the 2008 downturn. I knew I was. I could feel any interest in the idea evaporate after my comments.

It was one of the first times I remember realizing as a legislator I could make a difference. This wasn't even a floor vote or a committee vote. It was the Governor trying to get support for this idea. It didn't work.

Some in the legislature are now working to solve some other structural imbalances. A term that is used to say a tax policy isn't friendly to the state to get taxes from Utahns. It makes budgets harder. That is sometimes actually a good thing. .

https://www.standard.net/news/government/2024/apr/09/utahs-last-tax-reform-attempt-crashed-and-burned-what-now/

Vote for someone that is not afraid to stand up to these ideas, as I have several times before.

Vote for Fred C. Cox for House District 30.

One example was the 2019 Tax Referendum.

https://www.abc4.com/news/former-state-representative-leads-referendum-against-tax-reform-bill-passed-in-thursday-special-session/

https://www.deseret.com/utah/2020/1/21/21075525/tax-reform-referendum-enough-signatures-november-ballot/

We blocked the increase in the food tax, taxes on services and an increase for the fuel tax and other issues. 

Rep. Judy Weeks Rohner was a key leader in this fight.

Rep. Judy Weeks Rohner has filed to run for State Senate District 12, and so House District 30 is an "open" seat race.

 

I am the Convention nominee with the backing of the party. The other Republican candidate gathered signatures besides running through convention. I did not gather signatures. There is a primary this June. Let me know if you need a yard sign.

 

Please come to one of my Town Hall meetings and help me understand the issues that are important to you.

 

I ask for your vote.

 

Fred C. Cox

fred@fredcox4utah.com

 

https://www.fredcox4utah.com/

PS,

Interesting reads. Look at the dates:

http://fredcox4utah.blogspot.com/2019/10/just-vote-no-on-utah-tax-reform.html

http://fredcox4utah.blogspot.com/2019/03/utah-2019-hb-441-tax-equalization-and.html

Fred C. Cox, 2024 Candidate for Utah House District 30

 Fred C. Cox, 2024 Candidate for Utah House District 30

"I believe we must stand up and be heard or watch our constitutionally protected rights disappear. We can't continue to let government take over our lives".

That was the reason I ran for office when my State Representative, Ron Bigelow, stepped down to help the Governor at the end of 2010, and it is still so today.

I had the opportunity to serve in the Utah House of Representatives in 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2016. During that time, I had a reputation of being willing to speak up and to fight for and vote for what I believed was right, no matter the opposition.

 I also had the reputation of reading though all of the bills I would vote on, and after the 2016 session a comedy song joked that I might have known other legislators' bills better than they did. During my service, I had one of the best floor attendance records of anyone in the House, with the exception of one rare House Judiciary Standing Committee meeting called during floor time where I missed 12 votes in 2015. They were the only ones I missed that year. I wanted to be in the chamber during debates and voting so I could hear both sides of an issue and see if a bill was ready or needed to be amended or voted down. "Motion to Amend" was something I said more than once. I always voted for or against the bill no matter who the sponsor was or what party they belonged to.

Rep. Judy Weeks Rohner has filed to run for State Senate District 12, and so House District 30 is an "open" seat race.

 

I am the Convention nominee with the backing of the party. The other Republican candidate gathered signatures besides running through convention. I did not gather signatures. There is a primary this June. Let me know if you need a yard sign.

 

Please come to one of my Town Hall meetings and help me understand the issues that are important to you.

 

I ask for your vote.

 

Fred C. Cox

fred@fredcox4utah.com

 

https://www.fredcox4utah.com/

Pre-register for and attend your Neighborhood Caucus Meetings March 5, 2024

 It is very important that you attend your neighborhood caucus meetings on Tuesday, March 5, 2024.

You will have the ability to elect precinct officers and state and county delegates.

You also will have a chance to vote in the Presidential Preference vote, which will help determine who our national delegates will vote for to select the Republican Party Nominee for President.

 

There will not be a Republican Primary for President this year in Utah. There are 3 candidates still left on your ballot. March 5th is Super Tuesday nationally where many states will be voting.

 

It will save you and everyone time if you pre-register prior to coming to caucus night. Bring the email you receive or print it out prior to coming.

 

If you don't, they will likely ask you to do so when you arrive. Doing it in advance gives you time to fix any issues with your voter registration if you have moved recently.

 

The pre-registration process only takes a few minutes. to Pre-Register for Caucus go to:

https://utgop.org/

and click on the Preregister for Caucus button.

 

I ask that you carefully select County Delegates at your Caucus meeting to represent you. Not only will they help to determine if there is a primary for Utah State House District 30, they will also vote on a county wide council race, district county council races, and a new county surveyor.

 

See more at:

https://slco.org/clerk/elections/current-candidate-list/

https://utgop.org/2024-candidates/

https://slcogop.com/

 

I am the only Republican candidate for State House District 30 that filed "convention only",

and so the Caucus meeting on March 5th at Granger High School and the Convention on April 12th and April 13th, matter to my race.

I ask for your vote.

 

Neighborhood Caucus Meetings for State House District 30

When: Tue, March 5, 6pm – 10pm

Where: Granger High School, 3580 3600 W, West Valley City, UT 84119

Meet and check in at 6pm. The meeting starts at 7pm.

Super Tuesday. Includes Presidential Preference.

 

Fred C. Cox

801-966-2636 home

fred@fredcox4utah.com

 

Vote for Fred C. Cox to represent State House District 30 at the Utah House of Representatives

Town Hall Meetings for Fred C. Cox, 2024 Candidate for Utah House District 30

 I have scheduled the following town hall meetings to learn what issues are important to you.

Saturday, February 17, 2024, 11am to Noon, West Valley Library Meeting Room, 2880 W 3650 S, West Valley City, UT 84119

Saturday, March 9, 2024, 3pm to 4pm, Hunter Library Meeting Room, 4740 W 4100 S, West Valley City, UT 84120

Saturday, March 16, 2024, 11am to Noon, West Valley Library Meeting Room, 2880 W 3650 S, West Valley City, UT 84119

Fred C. Cox, 2024 Candidate for Utah House District 30,

"I believe we must stand up and be heard or watch our constitutionally protected rights disappear. We can't continue to let government take over our lives".

That was the reason I ran for office when my State Representative, Ron Bigelow, stepped down to help the Governor at the end of 2010, and it is still so today.

I had the opportunity to serve in the Utah House of Representatives in 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2016. During that time, I had a reputation of being willing to speak up and to fight for and vote for what I believed was right, no matter the opposition.

 I also had the reputation of reading though all of the bills I would vote on, and after the 2016 session a comedy song joked that I might have known other legislators' bills better than they did. During my service, I had one of the best floor attendance records of anyone in the House, with the exception of one rare House Judiciary Standing Committee meeting called during floor time where I missed 12 votes in 2015. They were the only ones I missed that year. I wanted to be in the chamber during debates and voting so I could hear both sides of an issue and see if a bill was ready or needed to be amended or voted down. "Motion to Amend" was something I said more than once. I always voted for or against the bill no matter who the sponsor was or what party they belonged to.

Rep. Judy Weeks Rohner has filed to run for State Senate District 12, and so House District 30 is an "open" seat race.

 

There are 5 people who have filed to run. 3 Republican and 2 Democratic candidates.

 

I am the only Republican candidate that filed "convention only", and so the Caucus meeting on March 5th and Convention on April 12th and April 13th, matter to my race. I need your vote.

 

Please come to one of my Town Hall meetings and help me understand the issues that are important to you. Thank You to the many that came to my Town Hall meeting on January 13th.

 

I ask for your vote.

 

Fred C. Cox

fred@fredcox4utah.com

 

https://www.fredcox4utah.com/

Fred C. Cox, 2024 Candidate for Utah House District 30

Fred C. Cox, 2024 Candidate for Utah House District 30,
Former Member, Utah House of Representatives, 2016, 2015, 2012, 2011.


"I believe we must stand up and be heard or watch our constitutionally protected rights disappear. We can't continue to let government take over our lives".

That was the reason I ran for office when my State Representative, Ron Bigelow, stepped down to help the Governor at the end of 2010, and it is still so today.

I had the opportunity to serve in the Utah House of Representatives in 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2016. During that time I had a reputation of being willing to speak up and to fight for and vote for what I believed was right, no matter the opposition.

I also had the reputation of reading though all of the bills I would vote on, and after the 2016 session a comedy song joked that I might have known other legislators' bills better than they did. During my service, I had one of the best floor attendance records of anyone in the House, with the exception of one rare House Judiciary Standing Committee meeting called during floor time where I missed 12 votes in 2015. They were the only ones I missed that year. I wanted to be in the chamber during debates and voting so I could hear both sides of an issue and see if a bill was ready, or needed to be amended or voted down. "Motion to Amend" was something I said more than once. I always voted for or against the bill no matter who the sponsor was or what party they belonged to.

I have been asked by many in the district to run again. I would appreciate your support, whether by endorsement for 2024 or campaign contribution.