SALT LAKE CITY — An Ogden police officer killed during a drug raid is among those Utah Gov. Gary Herbert will honor during his annual State of the State speech Wednesday night.
The family of Jared Francom will attend the speech at the Utah State Capitol and be recognized by Herbert, spokeswoman Ally Isom told The Associated Press. The governor will also honor other officers and soldiers who have been killed in the line of duty during the past year.
Francom, 30, was killed during a Jan. 4 raid on a suspected marijuana growing operation inside an Ogden home. Five other officers were injured in the shootout.
Weber County prosecutors have charged Matthew David Stewart, a 37-year-old Army veteran, with the shootings. They say they’ll seek the death penalty.
As part of his speech, Herbert will urge lawmakers to support a “modest, but well-deserved” one percent salary increase for teachers and a reduction in the tax rate employers pay for unemployment insurance.
The speech will have an optimistic tone, with Herbert focusing on the state’s growing economy and attractive business environment.
“Everything I look at is through the lenses of what is good for the economy,” Herbert said in an interview last week. “Especially at this time, the No. 1 focus is what we can do to grow the economy and create jobs.”
Education also will be part of the speech, as Herbert has continually called for lawmakers to support measures to train people for technical jobs and encourage post-secondary education.
Previous State of the State speeches by Herbert and other governors have primarily been used to encourage lawmakers, who are just beginning their 45-day general session in Utah. It’s uncommon for major initiatives to be announced.
Last year, Herbert promised to fight federal efforts to place more wilderness protections on federal lands and threw his support behind nuclear power.
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Josh Loftin can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/joshloftin
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