About Mike
Mike Morley was born in Price, Utah the 2nd of 13 children of Ray & Sandy Morley. Ray supported the growing family first as a high school math teacher, then as a seminary teacher. Due to limited earnings, all of the family were required pitch in and Mike, as one of the oldest, bore much of that responsibility. As a young boy, Mike helped his mother and older brother clean an LDS church and maintain yards in Price. When Mike was 8 years old, the family moved to Salem and he and his brother, Craig, had responsibility to raise 5,000 turkeys, getting up 4:30 every morning to tend the turkeys, milk cows, and feed animals raised to help feed a growing family. Ray’s work in seminary took the family to Portland, OR during Mike’s 5th & 6th grade years. Soon, Craig and Mike took over a paper route delivering 600 copies of The Oregonian every morning before running a mile to milk the family milk cow. Returning to Salem, Ray continued to teach his sons to work by training them in the masonry business which had been handed down through four generations. Many evenings, weekends, and summer days were spent laying brick, block, and rock to help supplement the family income. Through these and other experiences, Mike learned to love to work.
Between his junior and senior years, Mike was elected as one of two representatives from Utah to Boys Nation in Washington DC. Through this experience, Mike gained a love and deeper understanding of the founding fathers and the principles of good government. Mike served as student body president during the nation’s bicentennial. The Spanish Fork H.S. principal was named Administrator of the Year based in part on the wonderful programs instituted by Mike and the members of the student council; programs to celebrate patriotism, teach about the founding fathers, and bring a cohesion to the student body. Among other things, the student body had flag-raising ceremonies complete with a 21-gun salute and the firing of a cannon, Freedom Week and Bicentennial Week. Mike was instrumental in bringing in the Spirit Rock which still stands at the school’s front entrance. This experience gave Mike a desire to serve others and be involved.
After a year of running the family’s masonry business, Mike accepted a mission call to Italy and spent 16 months buying real estate and improving facilities for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in northern Italy. Upon his return home, Mike and his father started a general contracting firm, M-13 Construction, which was named after the Morley’s 13 children. The early 1980's were a difficult time to start a business with interest rates above 20%, and high unemployment and energy costs. Through hard work and perseverance, M-13 Construction has grown to become a well-respected contracting firm. Because of his entreprenureal spirit, Mike has become involved in multiple business ventures and is active in real estate development.
Mike attended Brigham Young University, majoring in construction management and civil engineering. He became a licensed real estate agent, a licensed contractor, a journeyman mason, and a licensed masonry inspector.
Shortly after returning from his mission, Mike met Krystin Poulter. Married the following year, they are the parents of one daughter, Jamey, and eight sons – McKay, Packer, Taft, Hunter, Oaks, Holland, Kimball and Fielding who are the joy of their lives.
Throughout his life, Mike has been active in Republican Party and a strong supporter of the principles set forth in the Utah County Republican platform. After returning from his mission, Mike became active in Ronald Reagan’s presidential campaign and served as a delegate at the grassroots level. For many years, he held many positions at the precinct and district levels. Six years ago, Mike was encouraged by several local leaders to run for an open seat in the Utah House of Representatives due to his principled stance on government and his understanding Constitution. After studying the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, the Utah Constitution, and the Republican platform, Mike synthesized his beliefs and the principles found in these inspired documents into three guiding principles which encompass the intent of the founding fathers and good government. They are:
FAMILY
The family is the fundamental unit of society and must be preserved. I pledged to work tirelessly to defend and preserve the sanctity of the family. The fundamental problems in society are symptoms of the deterioration of the family unit.
SMALLER GOVERNMENT
I subscribe to the time tested principle set forth by Thomas Jefferson of never asking a larger group to do that which can be done by a smaller group. I pledged to work for a small government, closer to the people which is more responsive to the people, is more efficient and effective, and engenders more public participation. The family is the smallest and most effective form of government.
FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY
Tax revenues are sacred funds and I consider their appropriations a sacred trust of the people. Utah is heavily taxed. I pledged to support tax decreases and to hold the line on spending, prioritizing those things of higher importance and eliminating spending which is no longer necessary. Some programs, no matter how well meaning, are simply not the proper role of government. I subscribe to the opinion of Ronald Reagan, ‘Government always finds a need for whatever money it gets.’ I believe the family can better use its resources.
Really, it's all about the family.
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