SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — As Utah lawmakers grind through a record number of bills this year, they’re being steered by a Senate president known for his calm and analytical accountant’s temperament and a House speaker who used to be a boxer and is now scrapping it up on issues like homelessness.
Greg Hughes, a real estate developer and former boxer, is serving his third session as the speaker of Utah’s House of Representatives.
This year, he’s throwing his weight into a push to help Salt Lake City address its overflowing homeless shelter and related problems, including drug dealing other crimes.
His Senate counterpart, Wayne Niederhauser, tends to stake out a more cautious stance on issues. This year, Niederhauser says his chief priority is settling and balancing Utah’s budget — as it is ever year.