(KUTV) — Utah House Speaker Greg Hughes has resigned from the Inland Port Authority Board, according to a tweet from Gov. Gary Herbert.
The voluntary resignation comes on the heels of debate over his property holdings nearby the proposed trade hub in the outskirts of Salt Lake City.
Herbert stated his appreciation in a social media post for Hughes’ service to the newly formed board and announced Rep. Francis Gibson will be stepping in to fill the vacant board position.
In response to Hughes stepping down, Chase Thomas, policy and advocacy counsel at Alliance for a Better Utah, issued the following statement:
We’re pleased to see Speaker Hughes following the letter of the law by resigning from his self-appointed position on the Inland Port Authority. Laws informing ethical obligations and protecting against conflicts of interest are of utmost importance in maintaining public trust in our institutions of government.
As the Inland Port Authority continues to organize and begin the implementation of this enormous project, we call on its members to subscribe to the highest standards of ethics and transparency. As the Legislature considers any future changes to legislation authorizing the port, we urge lawmakers to heed the concerns of Governor Herbert, who recently expressed hesitance in changing any conflict of interest requirement related to the port.
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