At the end of January, the 2015 Utah legislative session begins, and Murray’s new legislator, Bruce Cutler-(R), will be right in the middle of it, representing House District 44.

Although he’ll be a rookie on the Hill, Cutler has been working for the best interest of city residents for several years on the Murray School Board of Education and the Murray Library Board. As a board member, Cutler felt the legislature imposed regulations on school boards that were intrusive, cumbersome and unnecessary.  He likes the idea of granting local boards the ability to make decisions without the interference of state government and has made public education his number one priority.

“We need to work on taking care of our children and our greatest resources: our teachers,” he said. “I don’t think there’s a lot of happiness in the education community right now. I think there’s lots of frustration.”

Cutler grew up in the Holladay/Cottonwood area, attending Olympus and Bonneville Junior High Schools and graduating from Skyline High School. He served an LDS church mission to Uruguay/Paraguay and married Kathie Ann Clegg 40 years ago. The couple has four daughters and 15 grandchildren and has lived in Murray for 37 years.

Cutler is excited to represent his neighbors, along with residents in Midvale.

 “I love Murray. For being smack in the middle of a big metropolis, it’s still a small community,” he said. “And Midvale is a sister city to Murray. There are such salt-of-the-earth types of people living in Murray and Midvale.”

Along with his focus on education, Cutler’s other topics of interest include promoting the state’s economic growth, creating clear air initiatives and addressing intergenerational poverty. He and his wife spent time teaching women in the Salt Lake County jail, only to see them released and incarcerated over and over again.

“We need to drop the recidivism rate by stopping the cycle of poverty, through education and opportunities,” Cutler said.

Lawmakers expect another record-breaking year for the number of bills proposed during the 2015 session. Cutler is studying the issues and wants feedback from residents as the session goes forward. He’s expecting a heavy amount of emails, letter and phone calls, and hopes to be responsive while staying up-to-date with legislative discussions. “In this first session, I’ll do a lot more listening than talking. I’ll speak up when appropriate and learn from those who have been there,” he said. “I’ll give it everything I’ve got. I need to hear from my constituents. I might not always agree with what they have to say, but I’ll always listen.”

As a software developer for Landesk, Cutler said he is constantly learning, keeping up with technological advances. He also plays the piano, sings with his wife in a choir and attends Utah Symphony and Hale Center Theater performances. He can be reached at [email protected].