SALT LAKE CITY — Governor Spencer Cox said Thursday he has not yet decided if he will sign a controversial bill on flags that could be another reason for the Sundance Film Festival to pack up and leave town.
Speaking to reporters at his monthly news conference on PBS Utah, the governor said he has not made up his mind about the bill. But he questioned reporting and an unnamed source in a Hollywood trade publication that suggested it was another reason the Sundance Film Festival would leave Utah.
The governor has been among those who has been lobbying Sundance to stay.
"I care deeply about Sundance. Sundance is an important part of Utah. I've said it before, Sundance is Utah," he said of the world famous film festival. "We’ve been told by the Sundance board very clearly that political issues have nothing to do with their decision. So I'm going to take the board at their word."
The Sundance Film Festival has been shopping itself around for a new venue, considering Salt Lake City and Park City (its home since 1978) as well as Boulder, Colo., and Cincinnati, Ohio. Quoting an unnamed "Sundance insider," Deadline reported that some within the festival administration were irritated with House Bill 77, which bans "non-sanctioned" flags from classrooms and government properties. The bill is largely aimed at the display of LGBTQ+ Pride flags. Salt Lake City itself has been flying a Pride flag at city hall in protest of the bill.
Trump and DOGE
At the news conference, the governor also weighed in on President Trump's tariffs.
"I hope President Trump is right when it comes to tariffs. I really do," Gov. Cox said. "I hope this works. I think it’s a huge gamble."
In response, the governor said Utah had convened a task force to help the construction industry weather tariffs and he was concerned about impacts to tourism.
Asked by FOX 13 News about federal layoffs, Gov. Cox did offer some praise for President Trump and Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency.
"I love the idea of DOGE. I think it’s really important. I’m grateful that finally someone is taking it seriously, that we can’t keep spending like this and we have to do more and so I'm very excited about it," he said. "Obviously there’s been examples where it’s been clumsy, it’s been done the wrong way. My concern there, Ben, is if done poorly, the backlash is so severe, it will end."
The governor said federal spending cuts are needed but he also demanded it be done with "compassion" for people losing their jobs. He said Utah's Department of Workforce Services has been offering resources to laid off federal employees to help them find other jobs.
Gov. Cox has expressed support for dismantling the U.S. Department of Education, penning an editorial in the Washington Examiner. He reiterated his stance on Thursday that education should be a states issue.
"We can do two things: we can actually get more money to the states and save the federal government more money in block granting to the states," he insisted. "I can tell you that is very popular on the right and the left when it comes to governors in this country.
Citizen referendum on union bill
Gov. Cox told reporters that he did believe it was the right of critics of a bill he signed banning public employee unions from collective bargaining to seek a citizen referendum.
"I don't know what the ultimate result of that will be," he said. "If the people want to overturn it? That’s great. It’s cool we have this tool to allow them to do that."
Labor unions are actively collecting signatures to force the issue on the ballot.
Too many bills
Gov. Cox once again criticized the Utah State Legislature for the sheer volume of bills they passed. He said he was reviewed more than 500 of the 582 passed.
"I'm just saying that we made it through last year without these 582 bills and did really well," he said.
The governor admitted to reporters he has not been as outspoken about bills in the past, changing his tactics to negotiating privately with lawmakers about bills he finds problematic. He said his tactic is to "praise in public and criticize in private." Still, the governor warned he would be vetoing some of the legislature's bills (but declined to say which ones).
Water and energy bills get support
Gov. Cox on Thursday expressed his support for a compact between Utah, Idaho and Wyoming to work on energy supply between the states. The compact passed the Utah State Legislature which adjourned Sine Die earlier this month.
Gov. Cox also told FOX 13 News he would sign into law a bill that changes how Utahns pay for water, moving toward a tiered rate system designed to force conservation because "everybody has to understand the true cost of water."
Watch the governor's entire news conference here:
