Incumbent Rex Shipp faces 2 challengers to represent Utah House District 71

Composite image: Democrat Dallas Joseph Guymon, Republican Incumbent Rep. Rex Shipp and United Utah Party member Piper Manesse compete for Utah's 71th Congressional District, location and date unspecified | Photos courtesy of Dallas Joseph Guymon, Piper Manesse and Rex Shipp, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — District 71’s Utah State Representative incumbent Rex Shipp is running against two challengers, United Utah Party Piper Manesse and Democrat Dallas Joseph Guymon.

The candidates spoke with St. George News on pressing issues affecting Southern Utah, including inflation, gas prices and water shortages. See their answers below

Candidates are presented in alphabetical order according to their last name.

Dallas Joseph Guymon

Why do you think you’re the right candidate for the job and what issues are most pressing to you?

Guymon said while his beliefs are not as important as the community’s needs, there are a few pressing issues. For instance, the state needs to conserve water, reward those who do and keep the “water reserves alive” as it’s becoming more arid.

Dobbs v. Jackson (the Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade) put reproductive rights “at risk,” Guymon said, adding that Utah representatives are working to further restrict reproductive freedom.

Additionally, the state doesn’t have a “healthy two-party system,” Guymon said, and democracy requires a choice to survive, so he wanted to provide an alternative.

What could the Utah Legislature do to help ease inflation and high gas prices?

Inflation is “hurting the country as a whole,” Guymon said and while gas prices lowered, they’re “still too high.”

The supply chain is fragile and companies aren’t stockpiling reserves. The system runs on a “timely basis,” which Guymon said is great when it runs smoothly but causes problems when it’s disrupted.

For instance, during the pandemic, people stayed inside spending less money, and when they began purchasing again, the system was disrupted.

To improve the situation in both cases, Guymon said the federal policy needs to change.

“We need to be more responsible,” he said. “We also have to let the market smooth itself out. That’s what inflation does.”

Additionally, he said the state should urge citizens to work and save money and promote practices like stockpiling to avoid the “chaos” disruptions can cause.

What issues do you think are most important to constituents in Southern Utah counties specifically and how would you address them?

Guymon said Southern Utahns are concerned about growth and the kind of city Cedar City will become. While attending City Council meetings, Guymon said he encountered two separate philosophies. There are those who want the area to remain small because it always has been, and those who realize it’s going to continue growing and preparation is necessary.

Guymon is also running for “selfish reasons, too,” he said, as the “American dream” is unfeasible for him with rising housing prices. Working-class people who didn’t receive the same benefits he did are in an “even worse” situation.

With water shortages and drought becoming a major concern in Utah, especially in the more arid southern regions, what is the state government’s role in doing to secure water rights for the state? What are your thoughts on the viability of the Lake Powell Pipeline?

Guymon said that representatives “love” talking about being fiscally conservative but have given out “so many water rights.” And those water rights we do own are “so confused.”

The system needs to be fixed and once water rights ownership is determined, the state needs to be “smarter with it,” he said.

Guymon said the Lake Powell Pipeline issue was multilevel and he hadn’t made a firm decision but is open to new information.

For a few reasons, he leans toward being not in favor. For instance, the Colorado River is running at low capacity, and he is concerned about “going around other states” to draw more water from it. He said Utah needs to work with other states as the amount of water available is “unprecedented.”

Because Utah may be moving from drought to aridification, Guymon said he fears that the pipeline would be “just a Band-Aid on bigger wounds,” and while he recognizes the state needs water, it’s important to discuss “wider climate change instead of focusing on just one pipeline.”

Additionally, the pipeline will be expensive and he is doubtful the pipeline will “get through the courts.”

What are the most pressing issues concerning public lands and recreation and what would you do to address them?

Theodore Roosevelt is one of Guymon’s heroes, and he said he would be a “big advocate” for protecting as much land as possible because places like Zion National Park are what make Southern Utah “so special.”

“Simply put, I’m going to conserve as much as I can. I want to see as much green space as possible. That’s how we keep this place beautiful.”

Piper Manesse

Why do you think you’re the right candidate for the job and what issues are most pressing to you?

Manesse said she is the right candidate for the job because she’s a moderate and values sound policy creation over “clinging to political power.”

Legislators have varying worldviews and conflict is inevitable when shaping public policy. Manesse said how that conflict is handled determines the government’s success. Therefore, she believes electing moderates is “crucial.”

“It takes time and effort, but every legislator should understand that creating unity is part of their duty,” she said.

Manesse said it takes courage and integrity to see the “long view” on “tough issues” like abortion and policy concerning transgender girls in sports.

While believing in the “sanctity of life,” Manesse doesn’t think that “enacting extreme laws”  that punish women in difficult situations is the answer.

“Moderates know that the question we should be asking is, ‘Why would a pregnant woman feel that an abortion is her best and possibly only option?’ Let women share their real experiences and then do something truly radical and listen.”

Additionally, Manesse said that the Independent Redistricting Commission needs “teeth” to ensure that the “power of government isn’t concentrated in a handful of unelected party officials.” Boundaries should be drawn according to specific criteria, and the process should be transparent as the issue “affects our fundamental right to fair representation.”

She said the commission in its current form is not transparent or fair and has resulted in a lawsuit, but she supports it in its original form.

“I think when we have fair districts, we have better representation and when we have better representation, we have better policy. And I think the only people that can do that fairly are moderates.”

What could the Utah Legislature do to help ease inflation and high gas prices?

Manesse said that inflation is “typically a national issue” but knows it’s on “a lot of people’s minds.” The government has little to do with gas prices, which is “on the open market,” and the United States Congress could do more than the state on these issues.

What issues do you think are most important to constituents in Southern Utah counties specifically and how would you address them?

Manesse said Roe v. Wade, second amendment rights, transgender girls in sports and election integrity are pressing local issues.

She said that Utah’s electoral system is one of the nation’s best, there are many safeguards in place and there has been no evidence of widespread fraud that would affect election outcomes on a state or national level.

“I think the issue lies with those who know this but who seek to sow seeds of doubt with baseless accusations, innuendo and sometimes deceit,” she said.

With water shortages and drought becoming a major concern in Utah, especially in the more arid southern regions, what is the state government’s role in doing to secure water rights for the state? What are your thoughts on the viability of the Lake Powell Pipeline?

“So obviously, we use more water than we have available, especially in southern Utah,” Manesse said.

While Iron County’s water issues are managed locally, Manesse said the state legislature could encourage better water management through various means, like funding to explore more water-efficient technology. Additionally, the state can encourage individuals and businesses to conserve water by installing landscapes adjusted to Utah’s dry climate.

“We should be open to investigating all options, but with a critical eye toward whether we’re solving the problem long term or just simply kicking the can down the road a few years.”

The Lake Powell Pipeline is an example of “kicking the can down the road,” Manesse said, adding that she doesn’t feel it’s viable or “smart” and other options should be considered.

What are the most pressing issues concerning public lands and recreation and what would you do to address them?

Leaders must sit down and “talk it out with everybody” on public lands. Using the Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears National Monuments as an example, Manesse said that until all parties work together, these areas will continue to be reduced and expanded, depending on the current presidential administration.

Rex Shipp

Why do you think you’re the right candidate for the job and what issues are most pressing to you?

Shipp said he feels like he is the right candidate because it takes legislators time to “get up to speed,” and the first year is like “drinking from a fire hose.” He’s served for almost four years.

“I think I understand the concerns of our constituents … in rural Utah,” he said

He wants to make Southern Utah the “best place to raise a family” and support a “good economy.” Shipp has served on various committees, including the House Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment, and Public Utilities, Energy and Technology committees.

Utah needs to ensure that it has “good regulations for business” so business owners can expand and others can start new ventures, Shipp said, adding that he believes in the free market.

What could the Utah Legislature do to help ease inflation and high gas prices?

There’s not a “whole lot” the state legislature can do, as it’s a federal issue, Shipp said.

“The Federal Administration is not allowing the extraction on federal leases for oil and gas,” Shipp said, adding that he feels the decision resulted in a supply issue, raising fuel prices.

Shipp said that on a state level, legislators could try and encourage extraction on state or private lands.

What issues do you think are most important to constituents in Southern Utah counties specifically and how would you address them?

Water is a “big concern,” and the state needs to ensure that citizens have enough to drink, water lawns and support agriculture, Shipp said.

Additionally, Shipp said he believes strongly that transgender individuals have “some dysphoria about maybe they were born in the wrong body,” and the state needs to protect these children.

“I believe that’s a mental health issue that they need all the help that they can get from a mental health perspective,” he said.

Comparing it to other age-dependent decisions, like drinking alcohol or driving a car, Shipp said that he doesn’t believe minors should be allowed to make decisions regarding gender transition, even with parental consent.

With water shortages and drought becoming a major concern in Utah, especially in the more arid southern regions, what is the state government’s role in doing to secure water rights for the state? What are your thoughts on the viability of the Lake Powell Pipeline?

The aquifer in Iron County has not recharged quickly enough compared to the amount of water used, Shipp said. The state engineer designed a water management plan for groundwater resources that limit withdrawals from areas that consistently exceed safe yield, which is the amount of water that can be withdrawn without exceeding long-term recharge.

If water withdrawal is more than this, the state can limit water rights usage based on the priority dates in the plan.

“In other words, even though you have the right, there’s not enough water, so you can’t use any of it,” Shipp said.

The Central Iron County Water Conservancy District is working to access water in Western Beaver County that could recharge the aquifer. While some environmentalists are “fighting the issue,” Shipp said it’s needed to protect the aquifer.

While Utah has rights to water from the Colorado River, it hasn’t been producing the amount originally estimated in the Colorado River Compact. The state needs to consider “other avenues,” Shipp said, adding that it’s a top priority for the Utah Legislature.

What are the most pressing issues concerning public lands and recreation and what would you do to address them?

Shipp said that he feels public lands should be available for multiple uses, such as timber.

We need to be timbering like we used to.”

Shipp said that public lands are a resource and he is concerned about monuments being designated under the Antiquities Act, which is “tying up a lot of public land.”

“There’s some areas that ought to be protected — I’m all for that, but not the millions of acres that’s happening,” he said. “There’s a lot of resources there besides timbering … that could really benefit the people of our state.”

Additionally, Shipp said he believes federal lands should be returned to the state.


Check out all of St. George News’ coverage of the 2022 election by clicking here.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

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