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Week 2 of the Legislative Session

Week 2 is in the books. Other than some last minute adjustments to the controversial “bathroom bill” HB257, it was not quite as hectic as last week. We got down to the regular process of spending a lot of time in appropriation committee meetings reviewing funding requests from each state agency, and in standing committee meetings reviewing and analyzing the potential impact of bills assigned to our committees. For example, one day it’s hours on a deep dive on how one proposal for a new financing tools to encourage the development of affordable housing might impact local government (and which could potential help with the Governor’s goal of developing more smaller, affordable, single family detached starter homes). The next day it’s a simple message resolution to support the effort to bring a Major League Baseball team to Utah.

Another week completed and my colleagues and I are continuing to work diligently to make meaningful changes For Utah. This past week, we passed several priority bills, including one to reduce regulatory barriers for Utah startups and another to increase criminal penalties for drug distributors. 

The next five remaining weeks will continue to be full of purposeful legislation to improve the lives of all Utahns. Make sure you follow along in person or online at le.utah.gov.

Centerville Youth Council Visits the Capitol

It was fun to have the Centerville City Youth Council and Mayor Clark Wilkinson visit the Capitol and spend time with me on Monday. I enjoyed welcoming the youth council members on the House floor and eating lunch together. These are smart students with bright futures!

Happy 100th Birthday to the Utah Association of Counties

On Wednesday we welcomed County officials from across the state to the capital. I enjoyed having our own Davis County Clerk Brian McKenzie on the house floor with me to celebrate the 100th birthday of the Utah Association of Counties.

Visiting Federal Delegation

We had a fun moment at the legislature on Thursday as State Representative Cory Maloy introduced Federal Representative Celeste Maloy (who have discovered they are sixth cousins). I’m grateful for Congresswoman Maloy's efforts to reign in DC bureaucratic agencies who overreach by writing administrative rules that impact Utah and replace congressional authority.

This week we were joined in our majority caucus meetings by members of our state federal delegation. It’s always a pleasure to meet with them and hear how they’re bringing Utah values to Washington and fight back against federal over- regulation. 

Meet My Fabulous Intern

I’m thrilled to welcome Brynn Bennett, my intern for the 2024 Legislative Session! Brynn is a junior at BYU, majoring in Political Science. When she's not diving into policy, you can catch her with a good book, whipping up delicious treats in the kitchen, or playing basketball.

During the session, given all the meetings, committee hearings and floor time, it’s sometimes a challenge for me to respond quickly. If I don’t respond quickly to you, or if you would like to schedule a call or meeting with me, please contact Brynn (bbennett@le.utah.gov, 385-420-3086) who is very capable and happy to help.

Upcoming Legislative Updates

Each Saturday 8:30-9:30AM a group of your Davis County Legislators will be holding updates via Facebook live on the South Davis Community Page. Please tune in for the latest updates.

Click Here to Join the Facebook Live!

Environmental Stewardship Caucus

Utah has been blessed with an abundance of natural resources that make our state a great place to live, work, and play. We believe in being good stewards of our lands and ensuring the long-term sustainability of our natural wonders.

Members of the House of Representatives have formed an Environmental Stewardship Caucus that meets regularly to discuss policies related to our responsibility to use our natural resources in a responsible way while being good stewards of the environment. Think of it as kind of a Utah Legislature version of the “Conservative Climate Caucus” in the US Congress. A strong economy and a healthy environment are not mutually exclusive. We are committed to finding solutions that achieve both.

Keeping Utah’s Lights On

This upcoming week, we will hear and vote on several bills to strengthen Utah’s energy. Utah’s abundant energy resources and generation capacity provide reliable, affordable, and dispatchable power to energize our homes and economy. Utah has embraced an all-of-the-above approach that welcomes traditional and renewable energy sources as well as innovative new potential energy systems. We will continue to push back against onerous federal regulations and shifting demands from outside entities that threaten this approach, and we will ensure Utah's energy policy is driven by Utah interests.

Bills Passed by the House this Week

H.R. 3 House Resolution to Recognize Janice Gadd

H.B. 70 Fatality Review Amendments

H.B. 81 Domestic Violence Modifications

H.B. 91 Utah Office of Regulatory Relief Revisions

H.B. 73 Rehabilitation Services Amendments

H.B. 26 Correctional Facility Amendments

H.B. 44 Social Work Licensure Compact

H.B. 49 Justice Court Reform Task Force Sunset Extension

H.B. 11 Water Efficient Landscaping Requirements

H.J.R. 1 Joint Resolution Supporting Justice Court Reform

H.B. 77 Division of Human Resource Management Amendment

H.B. 76 State Resource Management Plan Amendments

H.B. 57 Snake Valley Aquifer Advisory Council Amendments

H.B. 61 Water Measuring and Accounting Amendments

H.B. 120 State Park Funding Amendments

H.B. 85 Electric Bike Amendments

S.J.R. 6 Joint Resolution Authorizing Pay of In-session Employees

H.B. 1 Public Education Base Budget Amendments

H.B. 5 Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environmental Quality Base Budget

S.C.R. 2 Concurrent Resolution Honoring the 100th Year Anniversary of the Utah Association of Counties

H.B. 6 Executive Offices and Criminal Justice Base Budget

H.B. 7 Social Services Base Budget

H.B. 68 Firearm Modifications

H.B. 116 Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy Act Amendments

H.B. 74 Utility Relocation Cost Sharing Amendments

​​H.B. 227 Municipal Office Modifications

S.B. 7 National Guard, Veterans Affairs, and Legislature Base Budget

S.B. 6 Infrastructure and General Government Base Budget

S.B. 4 Business, Economic Development, and Labor Base Budget

S.B. 1 Higher Education Base Budget

H.B. 142 Railroad Drone Amendments

H.B. 144 Vehicle Accident Liability Amendments