The PR State: How Spencer Cox Is Using Your Tax Dollars to Sell You His Agenda

The Cox administration is using millions in taxpayer dollars to gaslight Utahns into supporting policies they never asked for.

You know we like to get into the weeds on niche Utah policy around here. But today isn’t about policy, not really. Today is about something deeper and frankly more frustrating: we’re dealing with a government more invested in controlling the narrative than solving the problem.

Governor Spencer Cox and his team have quietly turned state government into a full-blown marketing machine. They’re using your tax dollars to shape public opinion, soften opposition, and spin unpopular policies into feel-good slogans. Almost $6 million (from what we can tell) in the last two years has gone to PR contracts, influencer deals, nonprofit front groups, and ad campaigns that—spoiler—mostly serve political insiders and developers.

This isn’t about informing the public. It’s about managing perception. And when you can’t build real consensus, you buy the illusion of it.

We hate paywalls too. But trust us, you’re going to need to know what’s in Act 2. Subscribe to support our work and learn about how the state paid millions to “educate” you instead of actually helping you.