WATCH: Utah senator smacks ABC4 reporter’s phone out of his hand amid data center controversy
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ABC4 Digital Desk staff
LAYTON, Utah (ABC4) — While reporting on the aftermath of a contentious data center project approval in Box Elder County, an ABC4 reporter was approached by a sitting Utah state senator, turning a routine newsgathering effort into a physical confrontation.
On Monday afternoon, the Box Elder County Commission approved multiple resolutions to enter into an agreement with the Military Installation Development Authority (MIDA) to create a large-scale data center in a rural area south of US-84 in Box Elder County. The founder of J&J Nursery and Garden Center in Layton, Senator Jerry Stevenson (R-Layton), is on the board for MIDA.
RELATED | Box Elder County commissioners OK controversial data center proposal
Since Monday, the nursery has been receiving calls for boycott.
ABC4.com became aware of a social media post promoting a boycott of Stevenson’s business, and a longtime employee told ABC4 reporter and anchor Bayan Wang that some employees were being harassed, referencing a woman who walked into the business, screaming at employees, nearly prompting them to call police.
In response to this backlash, J&J Nursery and Garden Center, operating over the past five decades in northern Utah, shared its own statement on social media: “We understand that recent public decisions have prompted strong feelings and concerns. While our owner is connected to a public role, we kindly ask that all interactions with our team remain respectful and considerate. Our employees are dedicated individuals who are here to serve you, and they deserve to be treated with courtesy at all times. We appreciate your understanding and continued support.”
What happened?
On Wednesday morning, Wang attempted to do a story on the nursery, reaching out to employees and the owners on these threats. Through our coverage, Wang was trying to shed light on the harassment employees at the nursery were facing, even though they had no direct relation to the data center project.
While Wang was in his vehicle in the nursery’s parking lot, he noticed a man screaming at his photographer, who was outside his news vehicle without a camera in hand. Wang approached his photographer and Stevenson, inquiring about what the confrontation was about.
The man, later identified as Sen. Jerry Stevenson, was wearing a Utah Senate jacket and would not confirm to Wang if he was Sen. Stevenson, when asked.
Wang took out his cellphone and began recording the interaction after explaining that his story aimed to shed light on the alleged harassment Stevenson’s business was experiencing, amid the data center controversy.
When Wang began recording, Stevenson is heard saying, “You know this whole thing is just a bunch of baloney,” as he approaches Wang.
As Wang tried to inform Stevenson that ABC4 has been in contact with executive staff at the nursery, Stevenson asked Wang to leave the property, saying, in part, “Just get your butt out of here.”
“Why are you being hostile to us?” Wang questioned.
“Because I am tired of ya,” Stevenson said, before swiping his hand toward Wang, hitting Wang’s hand and phone, knocking the phone onto the cement.
Layton police were called to the scene by an individual who witnessed the interaction, according to police, and a police report was filed. Wang and his photographer showed the video to a responding officer.
Prior to officers leaving the scene, one officer told Wang that Stevenson wanted the ABC4 crew to know that he apologizes for the incident in the parking lot. ABC4’s crew was also issued a trespassing notice.
Who is Sen. Jerry Stevenson?
Sen. Jerry Stevenson, R-Layton, is a powerful GOP lawmaker on Utah’s Capitol Hill — sitting on three of arguably the state’s most powerful boards and chairing the state’s top budget committee.
He has been a Utah lawmaker since 2010 and, prior to that, served as the mayor of Layton from 1994 to 2006. He was also on the Layton City Council for eight years.
He’s the Senate chair of the state’s Executive Appropriations Committee, which is the ultimate authority on which state budget items get funded.
He’s also on Utah’s Military Installation Development Authority (MIDA) board, which oversees the development and redevelopment of the state’s military property, and the board responsible for bringing in the new Box Elder data center. The powerful board has taxing and bond-issuing authority, so it can offer tax breaks or lower rates to private developer projects it deems a benefit to Utah’s military interests.
Stevenson is also on the Point of the Mountain State Land Authority Board, a seven-member board formed to develop the land recently purchased by the state at the Point of the Mountain, on the border of Salt Lake and Utah counties. They, too, can levy taxes in the area.
Stevenson is also a member of the Utah Inland Port Authority’s Board, which supports freight and transportation logistics in a landlocked state to help boost Utah’s economic development.
What happens next?
Some residents are hoping to slow down the process until more information is released to the public, even if this means getting the project on the ballot.
Kevin O’Leary, former “Shark Tank” star and major investor in the Box Elder County Data Center Project, said that his team and MIDA also plan on hosting town halls in the near future.
For now, at least, there won’t be any construction going on because the developer is still raising money for the project.