| Stuart Adams | |
| Office: | President of the Utah Senate |
| Term Start: | January 28, 2019 |
| Predecessor: | Wayne L. Niederhauser |
| Office1: | Member of the Utah Senate |
| Constituency1: | 22nd district (2009–2023) 7th district (2023–present) |
| Term Start1: | September 16, 2009 |
| Predecessor1: | Greg Bell |
| State House2: | Utah |
| District2: | 16th |
| Term Start2: | June 19, 2002 |
| Term End2: | December 31, 2006 |
| Predecessor2: | Kevin Garn |
| Successor2: | Kevin Garn |
| Birth Date: | [1] |
| Party: | Republican |
| Education: | University of Utah (BS) |
J. Stuart Adams (born 1954 or 1955) is the Senator for the Utah State Senate's 7th District. Prior to redistricting he represented the 22nd District. Adams was appointed to the Utah House of Representatives in 2002, and then to the Senate in 2009. In 2012, he was chosen to be Senate Majority Whip.[2] In 2018, he was chosen as the Senate President.
Adams graduated from Layton High in 1972,[3] and earned his Bachelor of Arts at the University of Utah in business finance.[4] He is a business man by profession.[4] Adams is married to his wife, Susan and they have four children together.[5] In 2002, he was awarded the Business Person of the Year by the Utah State Chamber of Commerce, and as the Builder of the Year by the Northern Wasatch Home Builders Association. Adams previously served as the President of the Northern Wasatch Home Builders Association.
Adams is a former chairman of the Utah State Transportation Commission. He served as chairman of the Military Installation Development Authority (MIDA).[6] Prior to his legislative service, Adams served 9 years on the Layton City Council.
Adams served 4½ years in the Utah State House of Representatives (June 19, 2002 – December 31, 2006). He commenced his service in the Senate on September 16, 2009.[7] He was appointed to both of these positions.[4] In 2004, [then Representative] Adams was named the 2004 Legislator of the Year by the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce, the 2004 Legislator of the Year by the International Code Council, and 2004 Representative of the Year by the Davis County Republican Women.
In 2016, Adams served as the Majority Whip.[4] He also served on the following committees:[8]
During the 2016 legislative session, Adams sponsored high-profile legislation that deals with energy and the environment. His bill SB 246 will take public money from certain counties within the state and put it towards building a port in Oakland. The port will be used to ship coal and other products, which the state of Utah currently exports.[9] The bill has drawn criticism from lawmakers in Oakland and environmentalists.
In September 2018 Adams was instrumental in obtaining a $1.4 million appropriation to overpay for software from the Utah company Qualtrics. No wrongdoing is alleged, but the appropriation was costly to the state's taxpayers.[10]
During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic in Utah, Adams supported legislation to stockpile the experimental medication hydroxychloroquine.[11] Soon it emerged that Utah had purchased $800,000 worth of the drug, at vastly inflated prices, from a local pharmacy with personal connections to Adams.[12] [13] [14]
In 2022, Adams, serving as the Utah Senate president, opened the 2022 general session of the 64th legislature in person, without a mask. Having recently contracted COVID-19 the week before, Adams proclaimed recovery while speaking to the Senate at the start of the session. It was later revealed that he had tested positive for COVID-19 twice that very morning. In violation of CDC recommendations, Adams continued his legislative duties unmasked, conversing in close contact with fellow senators, staff and dignitaries, only wearing the required protection when meeting with members of the media.[15]
CDC guidelines at the time stated that someone with COVID-19 should isolate for five days and then wear a mask for an additional five days to prevent the spread of the virus.[16] His disregard for health and safety practices quickly became the subject of social media discussions, national news commentary and political cartoons.[17]
In 2018 an independent redistricting commission was formed to better represent the public's voice when it came to redrawing Utah's congressional maps. A bipartisan group was formed to recommend congressional, state senate, state house, and state school board district boundaries based on public feedback and a strong focus on representation of "communities of interest."[18] November 1, 2021, the commission delivered their 12 recommendations that were vetted through 16 public hearings across the state to the legislature. The Princeton Gerrymandering Project gave favorable reviews to the maps the council drew.[19] The state legislature, under the leadership of Senate President Stuart, ignored the commission's recommendations and drew and approved their own maps. They divided Salt Lake County, the largest and most diverse county in the state, into the four congressional districts.[20]
| Bill Number | Bill Title | Bill Status | |
|---|---|---|---|
| S.B. 80 | Infrastructure Funding Amendments | Governor Signed 3/25/2016 | |
| S.B. 115 | Sustainable Transportation and Energy Plan Act | Governor Signed 3/29/2016 | |
| S.B. 130 | Tattoo Removal | Governor Signed 3/29/2016 | |
| S.B. 154 | Medicaid Accountable Care Organizations | Governor Signed 3/29/2016 | |
| S.B. 161 | Highway Signage Amendments | Governor Signed 3/25/2016 | |
| S.B. 203 | Immunity Amendments | Governor Signed 3/22/2016 | |
| S.B. 222 | Professional Licensing Amendments | Senate/Filed for bills not passed 3/10/2016 | |
| S.B. 231 | Waste Management Amendments | Senate/Filed for bills not passed 3/10/2016 | |
| S.B. 246 | Funding for Infrastructure Revisions | Governor Signed 3/22/2016 | |
| S.B. 251 | Water Infrastructure Funding Amendments | Governor Signed 3/25/2016 | |
| S.C.R. 12 | Concurrent Resolution Recognizing the Importance of Utah Sport and Olympic Legacy Efforts | Senate/Filed for bills not passed 3/10/2016 | |
| S.C.R. 19 | Concurrent Resolution on Education | Governor Signed 3/22/2016 |
| Bill Number | Bill Title | Bill Status | |
|---|---|---|---|
| S.B. 79 | Waste Management Amendments | Governor Signed 3/24/2017 | |
| S.B. 167 | Bail Amendments | Governor Signed 3/15/2017 | |
| S.B. 179 | Animal Care and Control Appreciation Week | Governor Signed 3/14/2017 | |
| S.B. 196 | Health Education Amendments | Governor Signed 3/20/2017 | |
| S.B. 197 | Refinery Sales and Use Tax Exemption Amendments | Governor Signed 3/25/2017 | |
| S.B. 202 | Parent-time Amendments | Governor Signed 3/17/2017 | |
| S.B. 228 | Water Infrastructure Revisions | Senate/Filed for bills not passed 3/9/2017 | |
| S.B. 262 | Upstart Amendments | Governor Signed 3/28/2017 | |
| S.B. 270 | Sudden Cardiac Arrest Prevention Act | Senate/Filed for bills not passed 3/9/2017 | |
| S.B. 273 | Energy Development Amendments | Governor Signed 3/28/2017 | |
| S.J.R. 13 | Joint Resolution Supporting Creation of Citizens Equity Funds | Governor Signed 3/16/2017 |