It’s well past time to flip the narrative on family values from moral policing to material security. For too long, “family values” has been used as a shorthand for social gatekeeping, rather than as a metric for how well people thrive. The argument is simple; you cannot claim to value the family while devaluing the breadwinner’s paycheck, the mother’s healthcare, or the child’s environment. Utah should be at the forefront of making laws that support thriving families.
As a lifelong member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and as a mom and grandmother, I believe in the foundational unit of the family. Families, of all kinds, create the strong communities that have historically landed Utah among national top state rankings. Families are central to thriving societies.
However, it is no longer enough to say we believe in families while simultaneously supporting elected officials, or laws and policies, that chip away at family security.
Where families are truly valued there are laws that: guarantee a living wage and worker’s rights, protect reproductive healthcare (including IVF), cap childcare expenses, seriously address housing affordability, strengthen gun safety regulations, improve public schools, lower grocery costs, provide health interventions, and create safe neighborhood parks and playgrounds.
In 2026 let’s build a legislative scaffolding that builds around Utah families. Codifying protections for work, housing, healthcare, education and green spaces create a launchpad for family and economic stability. To embrace these family-centered priorities is to recognize that the most vital investment any government can make is in the security and health of the homes it serves.
JoDell Geilmann-Parke, Salt Lake City
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