In an almost 30-minute speech to members of the state Senate and House Thursday evening, Cox called for “a return to virtue,” which, he said, may mean “a return to Utah.”

In today’s Utah, that may take shape by solving challenges, like nearly half of the state’s third graders not being able to read at their grade level. Also, housing affordability struggles, and the growth of homelessness and addiction to both drugs and social media.

Utah may be “perhaps the greatest success story of the American experiment,” Cox said, ranking high on “best of” lists. “And yet, dark clouds are building all around us,” he said, describing a growing sense of loneliness and isolation, especially among young people, despite endless tools to digitally connect.

2026 priorities

The governor has a notable animosity against social media companies. So much so that last month he told a room full of tech executives “however much you hate social media, you do not hate it enough,” and, during his tenure, the state has sued social media companies for their “addictive” features.

This year, Cox has unveiled one bill that seeks to fix what he called a mistake the Legislature made last year — to not extend a school cellphone ban throughout the whole school day rather than just class time.

“Phone-based childhoods are reshaping attention, sleep, relationships, and mental health — not because parents don’t care, but because this is a problem that no single family can solve alone,” he said.

Calling tech companies “the most powerful in human history,” he added he believes the role of government includes establishing “commonsense guardrails.”

“What social media companies do, without a doubt, is tyranny over the minds of our children and grandchildren,” Cox said. “And, well, us adults too.”

However, other tangible issues may also be affecting Utahns’ morale.

“Too many Utahns are doing everything right,” but are left to wonder if they’ll be able to afford a place of their own, Cox said.

“This weakens trust and frays the bonds that hold us together.”

He promised that Utah will not become a state of renters, calling leaders to pull every lever to increase housing supply, including zoning reforms, streamline permitting, and more support for infrastructure and innovation.

But, still, he made a case for small government, saying building more homes “means less government, not more.”

“We will never solve all of our challenges with more laws. This great experiment in self government demands, well, more self government,” Cox said in his speech to Utah lawmakers who this week convened for a 45-day general session, where they are expected to discuss and approve hundreds of bills.

Cox also made a big mention of homelessness, an issue he has vowed to work to solve, and that has made headlines in the state with the announcement of the site of a 1300-bed homeless campus on the west side of Salt Lake City.

He vowed to make Utah “the worst place in the country to camp on the street, and the best place to get help.”

Saying that homelessness is growing across the nation, “driven by addiction, mental illness, and the devastating spread of fentanyl,” he committed to help break addiction and crime cycles.

“Real compassion doesn’t leave people trapped. It tells the truth and it restores agency,” he said. “Accountability is not cruelty, it is respect for human dignity.”

‘It has to mean more than words’

“Utah prides itself on being a family state. That has to mean more than words. It means showing up for families in real ways and building a future where they don’t just get by, but truly succeed,” Senate Minority Leader Luz Escamilla said in legislative Democrats’ response to the State of the State address alongside House Minority Leader Angela Romero.

Both Salt Lake City Democrats committed to fight to advance bills to protect access to food and health care amid federal cuts. Also, to advocate for gun safety laws, protections for the Great Salt Lake, and investments in public education in the state, in addition to other hot topics expected to be studied this session like changes to the judiciary and citizen initiatives.

“At its core, representation is about trust. When people feel seen and respected by their government, our democracy works better,” Romero said. “We are committed to building a Utah where every person knows they belong and has a voice in shaping our shared future.

But no one’s like Utah

During his speech, the Republican governor also took a moment to criticize the country’s two major political parties, saying national elected officials are “making a mockery of (Benjamin) Franklin’s virtues, rewarding grift, rejecting decency, and wantonly tearing down the very institutions that made us the envy of every nation.”

Outrage is rewarded and attention is captured by what is loud or divisive, Cox said. And the economy is increasingly profiting from keeping people “scrolling, gambling, borrowing and consuming at the expense of their health, their families and their future.”

But, he said, no other state in the nation reflects virtue more than Utah.

“We still believe in those old fashioned concepts of order, temperance, justice, frugality, industry, humility, sincerity, and yes, even moderation,” he said. “Of course, we have flaws, and we too sometimes drift from those virtues, but I’m grateful to be surrounded tonight by people who love their enemies, still believe in our better angels and try a little harder to be a little better every day.”