Walt Brooks

{{Short description|American politician (born 1973)}}

{{Infobox officeholder

|name = Walt Brooks

|image = Walt Brooks (2021) (cropped).jpeg

|caption =

|office = Member of the Utah House of Representatives from the 75th district

|term_start = September 21, 2016

|term_end =

|predecessor = Don Ipson

|successor =

|birth_name =

|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1973|1|21}}

|birth_place = St. George, Utah

|party = Republican

|spouse = Jennifer Brooks

|alma_mater = Southern Utah University

}}

Walt Brooks (born January 21, 1973) is an American politician who has served in the Utah House of Representatives from the 75th district since 2016.{{cite web|url=https://www.thespectrum.com/story/news/2016/06/29/walt-brooks-run-unopposed-district-75-house-seat/86500800/ |title=Walt Brooks to run unopposed for District 75 House seat |publisher=Thespectrum.com |date=2016-06-28 |access-date=2019-03-15}}{{cite web|url=https://house.utah.gov/rep/BROOKW/ |title=Rep. Brooks, Walt |publisher=House.utah.gov |access-date=2019-03-15}} He was appointed in September 2016 to replace Representative Don Ipson, who himself was appointed to the senate to replace Senator Steve Urquhart.

During the 2022 General Session, Brooks served on the Infrastructure and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee; House Business and Labor Committee; House Government Operations Committee; and House Rules Committee.

Personal life and career

Walt Brooks is from St. George, living with his wife and five children in the home his great grandfather built. His family is influential in the community, with his grandfather the namesake of the local Dixie High School football stadium (Walt Brooks Stadium).{{Cite web|last=Brooks|first=Meli|date=|title="Politics is a sewer…that's why we need good plumbers."|url=https://intermountainhealthcare.org/about/storycorps/meli-and-walt-brooks/|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=|website=Intermountain Healthcare StoryCorps}} He is the president of RxTrax, a software company dealing with pharmaceutical delivery services tracking.{{Cite web|title=Incumbent Brooks differs with Sullivan on guns, COVID-19 prevention in Utah House 75 race|url=https://www.stgeorgeutah.com/news/archive/2020/10/09/mgk-incumbent-brooks-differs-with-sullivan-on-guns-covid-19-prevention-in-utah-house-75-race/|access-date=2021-01-08|language=en-US}}

Notable legislation

  • 2022- Representative Brooks ran HB60, Vaccine Passport Amendments, which would make it unlawful for a place of public accommodation to discriminate against an individual based on the individual's immunity status.{{cite web|date=2022-02-22|title= Utah House approves bill blocking proof of COVID-19 vaccination|url=https://www.fox13now.com/news/local-news/house-approves-bill-blocking-proof-of-covid-19-vaccination}} The bill was heard in the House Business and Labor Committee, ultimately receiving a favorable recommendation to move to the House floor despite several nay votes from committee members. Due to the large number of public attendees, the committee meeting required multiple overflow rooms and became one of the most heavily debated and scrutinized bill of the 2022 General Session. The bill passed the House floor with a vote of 51-23-1, and then passed the Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee and Senate floor, but ultimately the bill did not make it to final passage.{{Cite web|last=Schott|first=Bryan|date=|title="Should businesses be able to 'discriminate' against vaccine status? Some Utah legislators want to make it illegal."|url=https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2022/02/22/should-businesses-be-able/|access-date=25 March 2022|website=Salt Lake Tribune}}
  • 2021- Brooks successfully ran HB60 which allows for a form of "Constitutional Carry" of a concealed firearm without a permit for adults over the age of 21 (Utah also allows adults 18-21 to carry concealed with a provisional permit, but they were not included in this legislation.){{Cite web|last=McKellar|first=Katie|date=2021-01-02|title=Will Utah become the next state to drop concealed carry permit?|url=https://www.deseret.com/utah/2021/1/2/22205108/gun-laws-conceal-concealed-carry-permit-constitutional-legislature-violence-lawmakers-2nd-amendment|access-date=2021-01-08|website=Deseret News|language=en}}
  • 2021- Brooks, who attended Dixie High School and Dixie College, was vehemently opposed to the efforts to change the name of his alma mater. Then called Dixie State University(now Utah Tech University,) He resisted the bill during the 2021 session, but the name change ultimately happened.
  • 2018- HB 343 Refined some terms related to Polygamy. The bill expanded the definition of sexual abuse to include forcing someone into marriage (rather legal or cultural), and similarly changed policy about the rights of runaway children (who claim they are subject to forced marriage, or other forms of abuse.) Brooks' district is nearby Hildale, Utah where the FLDS Church has many members who practice polygamy, and the issues this bill concerns is more common.{{Cite web|title=Utah House advances bill that would consider it sexual abuse to force young girls into polygamous marriages|url=https://sltrib.com/news/politics/2018/02/23/in-a-hearing-that-focused-on-polygamy-utah-legislative-committee-approves-a-bill-aimed-at-helping-kids-being-forced-into-marriage|access-date=2021-01-08|website=The Salt Lake Tribune|language=en-US}}

2022 sponsored legislation

class="wikitable"
BillStatus
HB 10- Lane Filtering AmendmentsHouse/ to Governor 3/14/22
HB 53- Social Security Tax AmendmentsHouse/ filed 3/4/22
HB 60- Vaccine Passport AmendmentsHouse/ filed 3/4/22
HB 108- Vehicle Inspection AmendmentsHouse/ to Governor 3/10/22
HB 254- Utah State Railroad Museum Authority AmendmentsHouse/ to Governor 3/10/22
HJR 8- Joint Resolution Promoting Awareness of MotorcyclingHouse/ filed 3/4/2022

References