SUZANNE HARRISON
Salt Lake County Council At Large
2022 Campaign Announcement
I am excited to announce that I am running for Salt Lake County Council At Large!
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Meet Suzanne
I grew up in Provo where my parents both spent their careers working at BYU. I went to Timpview High School and then attended Stanford University where I met my husband, John, who was raised in Centerville, Utah.
After Stanford I graduated from medical school at the University of Utah, and completed my residency in anesthesiology at Harvard University. We’ve lived in District 32 for over a decade. Our children attend local public schools. John works as a VP of Engineering at Lucid Software.
I am a board-certified medical doctor at Riverton Hospital. I also volunteer in our community, schools, and in our church.
It has been an honor to represent the people of Sandy, Draper, and White City in the Legislature. I look forward to continuing my public service by representing you on the Salt Lake County Council. I am asking for your vote so I can can continue to fight for your family. I promise to remain an effective fiscal watchdog and to focus on the issues that affect everyday Utahns.
Issues
The Salt Lake County Council is a nine-member body, with three council members elected at large and six elected by the district. Their work impacts our community’s early childhood education opportunities, environmental health, housing, economic development, taxes, fire and rescue, policing, social care, parks and recreation, community safety, and arts and culture. Although these are all essential services that the Salt Lake County Council oversees, the county also plays a critical role in regional government. I am dedicated to being a team player and look forward to collaborating with cities and the state to find solutions around some of our biggest challenges.
Air Quality and Water Conservation
Utahns deserve clean air and water! Conservation and environmental stewardship are Utah values, and I am dedicated to a sustainable future. Two years ago, I launched Tier3Gas.org to help Utahns find cleaner-burning gasoline to reduce air pollution. I have also served as a co-chair of the Utah Legislature’s bipartisan Clean Air Caucus for the past four years. I will continue to prioritize policies and solutions that focus on cleaning up our air and conserving our water so that our kids can continue to live happy and healthy lives.
Fiscal Watchdog
I have a track record of looking out for taxpayers. When the Legislature raised the sales tax on food, I spoke out against the bill, voted no on the bill, and collected signatures in a successful effort to repeal it. When no-bid contracts were awarded during COVID, I was asking hard questions and seeking to make sure taxpayer dollars were protected. I voted for over approximately $300 Million dollars in tax cuts for Utah families and businesses since being elected to the Legislature. I co-sponsored legislation to eliminate the tax on social security benefits to help our seniors, and I voted for tax cuts for seniors, and retired military veterans. I am a fiscal watchdog and value keeping taxes low, and I’ll bring that same fiscal responsibility to the Salt Lake County Council.
Affordable Healthcare and Access to Mental Health Services
We must find ways to reduce healthcare costs and expand access to mental health services in our state. As a medical doctor, I will bring an important perspective to the Salt Lake County Council because I see firsthand how our broken healthcare system can harm Utahns and their families. During the 2022 Legislative Session, I passed HB80, Diabetes Prevention Program. This piece of legislation provides quality preventative care for diabetes to those on Medicaid. I also co-sponsored HB23, First Responder Mental Health Services — legislation that creates a grant program to provide first responders and their families with access to mental health resources. Let’s continue to work together to ensure that we can take care of our families’ physical and mental wellbeing by creating access to affordable healthcare.
Trails and Active Transportation
As a member of the Salt Lake County Council I will work and prioritize plans that will enrich our families lives by increasing access to trails so that everyone can enjoy outdoor recreational opportunities across the county. Together we can develop safer ways to get to school and work on bike or foot.
Managing Growth and Preserving Open Space
My family chooses to live here because we value quality of life and outdoor recreation. I will work to manage growth while preserving what makes Salt Lake County great by prioritizing trails, open space, and parks. Managing growth means being responsible with our growth. As the costs of housing and living increase, I will continue to work to find common sense solutions that help Utah families. I have a track record in the legislature of listening to constituents and bringing people together. I will bring that same collaborative, community focused, work ethic to the County Council. The county plays a vital role in regional planning, and I am committed to working with cities and the state to ensure that we support families and protect quality of life as our community grows.
Government Transparency
At every level the purpose of government is to serve you, the constituent. One of the best ways to ensure that government is properly focused is through transparency. Constituents deserve to see what information went into the decision making process so that they see how decisions are made and what is influencing those decisions. I have been an advocate for transparency and open meetings throughout my public service and will continue to do so.
2022 Legislative Wrap-up
The 2022 Legislative Session is over! This year, I passed four pieces of legislation. These bills dealt with issues like healthcare costs, patient safety, and helping our veterans and VA hospitals with trauma and substance abuse. I also co-sponsored bills on issues ranging from mental health care to water conservation to optional full-day kindergarten.
As a body, we passed over 500 bills (which I believe were too many). The bills that passed both the House and the Senate can be found here.
My 2022 Legislation
Passed
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HB 80 Diabetes Prevention Program
This bill provides quality preventative care for diabetes to those on Medicaid.
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HB 114 School Nursing Services Amendments
This bill will benefit the school children of the state of Utah. Thank you to all the school nurses and health advocates who have helped with this bill!
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HB 195 Auricular Detoxification Amendments
This bill helps veterans in our VA Hospitals and others suffering from trauma or substance use disorder. HB195 will help more patients receive a protocol to help reduce stress, drug cravings, and improve response to therapy.
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HB384 Anesthesia and Sedation Amendments
HB384 Anesthesia and Sedation Amendments will improve patient safety in outpatient settings.
Not Passed
While not all of my sponsored legislation passed this session, I am still proud of the conversations we started and will return to work on these issues in the future. Here are a few of those bills:
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HB 221 Air Quality Bill: Tax Credit for Alternative Fuel Vehicles
This bill would have enacted income tax credits for the purchase or lease of an alternative fuel vehicle. enacts a nonrefundable corporate and individual income tax credit for the purchase or lease of an alternative fuel vehicle, provides a process for a taxpayer to assign a tax credit to the dealer, requires the Air Quality Board to create a form to facilitate assignment of the tax, credit; and sets a termination date for the credit but requires legislative review before the termination date.
