This week students will return to classes at Utah Valley University.  Since UVU was created as a technical school, it has served an important role in educating the county's children.  As that school grew to a college and now a university, it has played an increasingly critical role in Utah County's economic development.  Not only does it educate thousands of Utah County college students, but it also now draws students from across the state and even the world.   

I personally understand the importance of UVU in our community.  One of our children graduated from UVU and another is currently a student.  My wife and I are grateful there is a public higher education institution in Utah Valley available for our children to attend.

Utah Valley University is a jewel of Utah County.  However, that isn't thanks to our state legislators.  As students return to classes, once again the university will be bursting at the seams.  According to UVU president Matthew Holland, UVU student enrollment has grown 20 percent over the past two years.  At the same time, the state legislature has severely cut UVU's budget.

In fact, Holland had to make a public appeal to encourage local residents to influence legislators to approve a new science building.  One would think the need would be obvious to our legislators and they would fight for UVU because it is our university.  You would think.

The problem isn't recent either. That funding neglect from our own Republican legislators has been occurring for a long time.  For many years, UVU has been given the least funding per student of any state higher education institution.  

This has been true even though the Utah County legislative delegation currently includes the assistant majority whip and at one time included the Senate president and the Senate majority leader.  You would think such clout would have meant UVU received more support from the legislature.  At the least, UVU would be treated as well as other colleges and universities in the state.  You would think.

Why don't our legislators from Utah County do more for UVU?  

One reason is they're so preoccupied with message bills telling off the federal government.  Margaret Dayton and Brad Daw, the senator and representative who actually represent the Orem campus, spend little time on higher education issues.  While UVU has been experiencing more dramatic growth than most other Utah colleges, Brad Daw was touting his identification with the extremist Patrick Henry caucus and Dayton was pushing a bill to pick a fight with the federal government over gun manufactures.  As usual, UVU was not their priority.

Another reason is that they are not well respected by other state legislators.  Both Republican and Democratic legislators from other parts of the state have asked me how Utah County elects such extremist, incompetent legislators.  

Voters should ask themselves whether they can't do better than the current incumbent legislators who give short shrift to the higher education of our children.  Shouldn't we have a legislative delegation that will help support UVU become the best higher education institution possible by providing the critical funding it needs rather than one who continually neglects our higher education jewel?  

Yes, we should.  Our Democratic candidates will be the kind of legislators UVU, and our college-bound children, need for the future.  Help them get elected in November.