Margaret Dayton
Margaret Dayton | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Utah Senate from the 15th district | |
| In office 15 January 2007 – present | |
| Preceded by | Parley G. Hellewell |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Spokane, WA |
| Political party | Republican Party |
| Spouse | Lynn |
| Residence(s) | Orem, UT |
| Occupation | Homemaker |
| Website | Legislative Website |
Margaret Dayton is an American politician from Utah. A Republican, she is a member of the Utah State Senate, representing the state's 15th senate district in Provo and Orem since 2007. Dayton also served in the State House of Representatives for District 61 from 1997 to 2006.
Personal life, education, and career
After earning her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Brigham Young University, Dayton worked for several years as a Registered Nurse.[1] She is married to Lynn T. Dayton, a retired physician.[1] Shortly after her marriage, Margaret chose to put aside her career as an RN in favor of being a full-time, hands-on mother and wife.[1] Margaret and Lynn have 5 children, Barbara, David, John, Joseph, and Perry.[2]
Along with her work at home, Dayton has always been involved in community service efforts, including:
- Service as a once-a-week elementary classroom volunteer for 15 years
- Served on the Board of Trustees for College of Eastern Utah for 8 years (Board Chair for 2 of those years),
- Terms as County President and State Board Member of the Medical Alliance (the service arm of the Utah Medical Association).
- Advisory board member for UVSC and Alpine Adult Education Advisory Board
Margaret has also been continually involved in both church and community service. She is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.[1]
Boards and affiliations
- Utah Valley University Executive Advisory Board
- College of Eastern Utah Board of Trustees
- Honorary Doctorate from USHE
- Utah Medical Association Alliance
- Utah Hospital Association Annual Recipient
- Guardian of Small Business Award
- Defender of Free Enterprise Awards
- Friend of Taxpayer Award, Utah Taxpayers Association
- Member of the National Rifle Association
Political career
In 1996, she was appointed by Utah governor Mike Leavitt to fill out the remaining four months of the term of Rep. Lee Ellertson in Utah House District 61, a seat for which she was already running.[3][4] She defeated Independent American Party candidate Gordon Norman with 90% of the vote in the election to retain the seat.[5]
In 2006, Dayton ousted Republican incumbent Parley G. Hellewell to win the Republican nomination for the Utah Senate, and handily defeated Democrat Bethanie Newby in the November 2006 general election.[6] Senator Dayton won reelection in 2014 with over 80% of the vote against her Democratic challenger.[7]
In 2016 Senator Dayton served on the following committees:
- Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environmental Quality Appropriations Subcommittee
- Retirement and Independent Entities Appropriations Subcommittee
- Senate Government Operations and Political Subdivisions Committee (Chair)
- Senate Retirement and Independent Entities Committee
- Senate Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee
Senator Dayton has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the Utah System of Higher Education, is a recipient of the Friend of Taxpayer Award and is included annually in Top Business Friendly Legislators.
Election
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Margaret Dayton | 11,290 | 81.6% | |
| Democratic | Emmanuel Kepas | 2,548 | 18.4% | |
Legislation
2016 sponsored bills
| Bill Number and Title | Bill Status |
|---|---|
| S.B. 23 Water Law Protected Purchaser Amendments | Governor Signed 3/17/2016 |
| S.B. 25 Ballot Amendments | Governor Signed 3/18/2016 |
| S.B. 26 Election Notice Amendments | Governor Signed 3/17/2016 |
| S.B. 27 Absentee Ballot Amendments | Governor Signed 3/17/2016 |
| S.B. 44 Construction Code Amendments | Governor Signed 3/25/2016 |
| S.B. 62 JROTC Instructor Amendments | Governor Signed 3/17/2016 |
| S.B. 72 School and International Trust Lands Management Act Amendments | Governor Signed 3/29/2016 |
| S.B. 75 Water Rights Adjudication Amendments | Governor Signed 3/18/2016 |
| S.B. 172 Utah State Developmental Center Amendments | Governor Signed 3/25/2016 |
| S.B. 175 Fair Housing Act Option Amendments | Senate/Filed for bills not passed 3/10/2016 |
| S.B. 227 Private Security Licensing Board Amendments | Senate filed 3/10/2016 |
| S.J.R. 6 Joint Resolution Recognizing The 100th Anniversary of The JROTC Program | Senate/To Lieutenant Governor 3/15/2016 |
Notable legislation
In 2013, Senator Dayton ran a bill that would require Utah to collect data on women who undergo abortions, including their race and their reason for doing so. Dayton, who is known for her fierce opposition to legal abortion, wants to restrict the pathway to abortion in Utah.[11] She used this bill as another means of helping protect the rights of the fetus.[11] The Governor signed the bill on 22 March 2013.[12] In 2016, Senator Dayton questioned whether the state should be providing housing to the homeless through House Bill 346, asking if the "bill is based on the assumption that housing is a right the governments is obligated to provide? Is that why we are providing tax payer money for that?" Senator Dayton voted against the bill; however, it still passed both chambers and was signed by the Governor on March 25, 2016.[13]
References
- ^ a b c d e "Margaret Dayton Bio". Margaret Dayton Website. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
- ^ "Margaret Dayton Bio". Margaret Dayton Website. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
- ^ (3 August 1996). GOP HOUSE CANDIDATE TO FINISH DISTRICT 61 TERM, Deseret News
- ^ (4 August 1996). Leavitt Appoints Orem Woman To Fill Vacant Utah House Seat, Salt Lake Tribune
- ^ (6 November 1996). Republicans Make A Clean Sweep Of Utah Valley's House Seats, Deseret News
- ^ Choate-Nielsen, Amy (8 November 2006). Republicans win in Utah County, Deseret News
- ^ a b "Margaret Dayton - Ballotpedia". ballotpedia.org. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
- ^ "District 15 Senator - Utah State Senate". senate.utah.gov. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
- ^ "Dayton, Margaret". Salt Lake City, Utah: Utah State Senate. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
- ^ "2016 -- Legislation(Senate)". le.utah.gov. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
- ^ a b Peg McEntee. "Margaret Dayton's drive against abortion drags on". Salt Lake City, Utah: The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
- ^ "S.B. 60 Abortion Statistics and Reporting Requirements". Salt Lake City, Utah: Utah State Senate. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
- ^ "Lawmakers OK bill aimed at solving Utah's homeless problem". www.ksl.com. Retrieved 31 March 2016.