Political career
Adams is a former chairman of the Utah State Transportation Commission. He served as chairman of the Military Installation Development Authority (MIDA). [6] Prior to his legislative service,Adams served nine years on the Layton City Council. [6]
Adams served for over four years in the Utah State House of Representatives (June 19,2002 –December 31,2006). He commenced his service in the Senate on September 16,2009. [7] He was appointed to both of these positions. [4] In 2004,then-Representative Adams was named the 2004 Legislator of the Year by the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce,the 2004 Legislator of the Year by the International Code Council,and the 2004 Representative of the Year by the Davis County Republican Women. [6]
In 2016,Adams served as the majority whip. [4] He has also served on the following committees: [8]
- Executive Appropriations Committee
- Infrastructure and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee
- Public Education Appropriations Subcommittee
- Senate Business and Labor Committee
- Senate Transportation and Public Utilities and Technology Committee
Sexual Activity Law
In 2024,he suggested a law change that meant an eighteen-year-old,if enrolled as a high school student,who engaged in sexual activity with a thirteen-year-old could be charged with unlawful sexual activity rather than child rape (the former being a third-degree felony while the latter is first-degree). [9] The law was adopted by Utah as part of SB 213. [9] This allowed Adams's eighteen-year-old granddaughter to avoid serious punishment for raping a child. Adams denied that his family relationship was the reason he promoted the law change. [10]
COVID response controversies
During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic in Utah,Adams supported legislation to stockpile the experimental medication hydroxychloroquine. [11] Soon it emerged that Utah had purchased $800,000 worth of the drug,at vastly inflated prices,from a local pharmacy with personal connections to Adams. [12] [13]
In 2022,Adams,as the Utah Senate president,opened the 2022 general session of the 64th legislature in person,without a mask. Having contracted COVID-19 the week before,Adams said he had recovered before speaking to the Senate at the start of the session. It was later revealed that he had tested positive for COVID-19 twice that morning. Adams continued his legislative duties unmasked,conversing in close contact with fellow senators,staff,and dignitaries,only masking when meeting with members of the media. [14]
2021 congressional redistricting
In 2018,an independent redistricting commission was formed to better represent the public's voice when it came to redrawing Utah's congressional maps. A bipartisan group was formed to recommend congressional,state senate,state house,and state school board district boundaries based on public feedback and a strong focus on representation of "communities of interest." [15] On November 1,2021,the commission delivered its 12 recommendations that were vetted through 16 public hearings across the state to the legislature. The Princeton Gerrymandering Project gave favorable reviews to the maps the council drew. [16] The state legislature,under the leadership of Senate President Stuart,ignored the commission's recommendations and drew and approved their own maps. They divided Salt Lake County,the largest and most diverse county in the state,into the four congressional districts. [17]
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