Sen. John Valentine
Longtime state Sen. John Valentine, R-Orem, will resign his seat in September and become the new chairman of the Utah State Tax Commission.
Whoever the Senate District 14 GOP delegates pick to replace Valentine will not be on the November ballot to serve out the remaining two years of Valentine's four-year term.
Governor appoints new chair of Utah Tax Commission
SALT LAKE CITY (August 4, 2014) - Gov. Gary R. Herbert has nominated Senator John Valentine as chair of the Utah Tax Commission.
“Sen. Valentine is a leading advocate in the Senate for sound tax policy and an outstanding public servant who will do a great job leading the Tax Commission,” said Gov. Herbert. “He’s a well-respected tax attorney who has authored a number of the tax laws the commission will carry out. He is an honorable man and the ideal choice to serve in this position.”
Valentine specializes in tax law at Howard, Lewis & Petersen in Provo, Utah, where he is a managing shareholder. He has served in the Utah Legislature since Sept. 1988, when he was appointed to the House of Representatives by then Gov. Norm Bangerter. He served ten years in the House including stints as chair of the Rules and Executive Appropriations committees as well as majority whip before he was appointed to the Senate in 1998 by then Gov. Mike Leavitt. Valentine served as senate president from Nov. 2004-Dec. 2008.
“I am excited to face the challenges that come with being appointed chair of the Utah State Tax Commission,” said Valentine. “Commission Chair Johnson has done a professional and quality job in performing the very difficult tasks of administering the tax laws of the state of Utah. I hope to be able to fill that role and fairly administer the tax laws passed by the Legislature.”
Valentine will replace outgoing chair, Bruce Johnson, who served 16 years on the Tax Commission and four years as chair.
“On behalf of all Utahns, I want to thank Bruce for his dedicated and skillful service over the past 16 years,” said Gov. Herbert. “He is nationally recognized as a leading expert in tax policy and we have been fortunate to have him in this important role.”
Valentine’s appointment is subject to approval by the Utah Senate.
