[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6304349,"mediaKeyId","2465374-529fb987338b47f63708aea14c357507","parentId",2465374,"title","Senate passes package of bills on cannabis, tax, education, insurance and health preauthorization; votes at a glance","audioSeconds",5764,"startMs",603530,"endMs",6368510,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2465374-529fb987338b47f63708aea14c357507&start=603&end=6368","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2465374-529fb987338b47f63708aea14c357507/thumbnail_603530.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6304349/Utah/Senate-passes-package-of-bills-on-cannabis-tax-education-insurance-and-health-preauthorization-votes-at-a-glance","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6304349-0362624c0cfe1cb352d0a8f31250f2d5/orig.mp4?Expires=1770494414&Signature=MbrSbzRzoU~PFlm8hOVQt~irt-upEXgsHs9KVQ2FlnuoMv9ywqFGo7d0VkQilxYT6m5j~Z2bv36FOIBXkmhnSc8S-TBzWCVz9XsPC96OrN2SqAiOmo9se1JIUcGq601QxKpyxU7KFBeeeqSn8QxUxjbJQ8WexNGXT4sFIcQ6pTk5BDkC9jdcLppkuCWyrm8ST69LaLeQiXU2SahuS~eINe2oorkDn5Jqg87572iSnPzmuumkQdAg-RsazDipPR62AAj5elwEjOdM1Idd5mSPWEAi45huandSX3KffVXUTCNcoinqRxr514ihGCRpqN3VqeY1k7y72EaIBu70ZjNTxg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Utah Legislature","date","2025-02-28T00:00:00Z","article","The Utah Senate on Feb. 28 considered and approved a series of bills spanning medical cannabis, transportation fees, education, insurance and administrative corrections. Several measures proceeded with little floor debate and were placed on calendars or returned to the House; a subset drew substantive discussion and amendment. Below are the bills and final floor actions recorded during the session.

Votes at a glance:

- Fourth substitute Senate Bill 64 (medical cannabis amendments): Motion to concur carried; final passage announced as \"having received 24 yay votes, 1 nay vote, 4 being absent.\" The bill includes a restriction on tents/pop‑up marketing near pharmacies and adds a cap on processor licenses (floor sponsor: Senator Vickers).

- Third substitute Senate Bill 61 (Energy Corridor Amendments): Concurrence and passage. Announced as having received 25 yay votes, 0 nay votes, 4 absent (floor sponsor: Senator Owens). House changes were described as clarifying feasibility and condemnation language for transmission projects.

- First substitute Senate Bill 119 (domestic relations recodification): Passed; announced as 25 yay votes, 0 nay votes, 4 absent (floor sponsor: Senator Wyler). Floor remarks noted technical and gender‑neutral language adjustments requested by counsel.

- House Bill 142 (Service member and veteran in‑state tuition amendments): Passed by unanimous voice/recorded as \"23 aye votes, 0 nay, 6 absent.\" The bill removes certain residency requirements for active military members, veterans and family members (floor sponsor: Senator Wyler).

- First substitute House Bill 190 (motorcycle amendments): Passed on roll call, reported as 24 yay votes, 0 nay votes, 5 absent; sponsors said the bill refines enforcement of existing infractions (floor sponsor: Senator Wilson).

- Second substitute House Bill 337 (property manager requirements): Passed, announced as 23 yay, 0 nay, 6 absent. The bill separates property‑management licensing from realtor licensing and creates a shorter property‑manager course (floor sponsor: Senator Musselman).

- First substitute Senate Bill 274 (health insurance preauthorization revisions): Passed, recorded as 26 yay votes, 0 nay votes, 3 absent (floor sponsor: Senator Johnson). The bill requires annual reporting of preauthorization approval/denial rates and explanations to patients about denials and appeals.

- First substitute House Bill 73 (Administrative Procedures Act amendments): Passed; announced as 25 yay votes, 0 nay votes, 4 absent. The bill incorporates court test language on final agency action (floor sponsor: Senator Weiler).

- House Bill 134 (food cart and e-bike food sales amendments): Passed 26 yay, 0 nay, 3 absent; clarifies allowance for electrically assisted bicycle food vendors (floor sponsor: Senator Weiler).

- First substitute House Bill 68 (insurance fund / captive insurance entity authority): After substitution and floor adjustments, a third substitute passed and was reported as 23 yay, 0 nay, 6 absent; the bill authorizes local governments to form pooled, captive‑style insurance entities (floor sponsor: Senator Vickers).

- Senate Bill 286 (criminal plea withdrawal amendments): Passed; floor announcement recorded 28 yay votes, 0 nay, 9 absent and will be sent to the House (floor sponsor: Senator Pitcher).

- Senate Bill 299 (assault modifications): Passed on the floor and will be transmitted to the House; the measure includes a narrow exception for certain chokehold/strangulation techniques in organized mutual‑combat or regulated competition settings (floor sponsor: Senator Brammer).

- First substitute Senate Bill 319 (Utah Lake Authority amendments): Passed 24 yay, 0 nay, 5 absent; bill clarifies authority interactions and funding related to a proposed nature center (floor sponsor: Senator Brammer).

- Senate Bill 315 (microenterprise home kitchen amendments): Passed and will be sent to the House; the bill allows certain small food producers more flexibility (floor sponsor: Senator Vickers).

- Senate Bill 323 (Asset and Investment Review Task Force): Passed 26 yay, 1 nay, 2 absent. The bill creates a short‑term task force to review state investment stewardship and related policy (floor sponsor: Senator Stratton).

- Senate joint resolution 12 (joint resolution calling for an executive order on federalism): Passed 21 yay, 2 nay, 6 absent; resolution urges executive action addressing state authority and federalism (floor sponsor: Senator Winterton).

- Second substitute House Bill 455 (Utah Fits All scholarship program amendments): Passed 25 yay, 1 nay, 3 absent. The bill refines verification, award amounts for home‑based learners, and allowable uses for scholarship funds (floor sponsor: Senator Kellenor).

Floor procedure notes: several bills were circulated, circled or substituted on the dais to accommodate late technical and fiscal corrections; several committee reports were approved en bloc and bills were placed on reading calendars as recorded. Most bills that reached final reading were passed by roll call and will be transmitted to the House for further action as noted above.

No vote in this list should be read as final enactment; bills that pass one chamber proceed to the other chamber and may change before final signature. The Senate adjourned for a recess at the time the transcript closes.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate - 2025 General Session - Day 38 February 28, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Utah Senate voted on a broad set of bills during its Feb. 28 session, approving measures on medical cannabis, domestic relations recodification, education, insurance, and several technical and policy items; this article lists actions, outcomes and key details recorded on the floor.","taxTitle","2025 Utah Legislature, Utah Legislature, Utah Legislative Branch, Utah","taxId",78171,"location","Utah","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6304352,"Senate approves judicial amendments that change selection of chief justice",391,2683845,3074995,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2465374-529fb987338b47f63708aea14c357507&start=2683&end=3074","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2465374-529fb987338b47f63708aea14c357507/thumbnail_2683845.jpg","/articles/6304352/Utah/Senate-approves-judicial-amendments-that-change-selection-of-chief-justice","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6304352-137a0642b88f90f570630fed21fec070/orig.mp4?Expires=1770494414&Signature=n4NkIC-ifNlMpifWBQ-r~ZA1wqLv0eiu3TBOcujHbSJcDnOnIVuILDiY-OVMjK6w7tCJaXpI~iInyMI1roLH~~tsPdBt6pqrlDdDkSM9jNiWAsYJeqTj53uSEippoA-HnL4d0eDzDp510RoCbDQRVc~d3FXaTjINf3JNmBnD67WKTer6op2jV~PtKGhCSImaavZ3GRPckPUsBbOZWPUDLSUIUI157dxzuUSnrCeEuWK8KZNGSnxLLDeBuyftJzIja1HQZa~Wgsiq~4YWjs5Lx6w4riNFz8RaxJCnVW9mqDV6uHNgWpb87E0U2xksQSmj2HrPwZwCz4I67a~mUNpMLw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Utah Senate on Feb. 28 approved first substitute Senate Bill 2 96, a judicial amendments bill that changes selection of the Utah Supreme Court chief justice from an internal election by the court to nomination by the governor and confirmation by the Senate. The bill passed on a roll-call vote of 17-12.

Supporters said the change is intended to increase accountability for court administration and address what they called a drop in the court’s published opinions. “By playing the same process to the appointment of the chief justice ... we establish a deliberate process that enhances transparency with citizen input,” Senator Wilson said during floor remarks.

Proponents, including Senator Brammer, pointed to recent declines in the court’s published opinions and argued the chief justice’s administrative role justifies legislative oversight. “In 2023, they were the least productive court in America based on the number of opinions,” Brammer said, citing opinion counts in debate.

Opponents said the change risks politicizing the judiciary and undermining judicial independence. “I believe that this is a dangerous position we’re putting ourselves in ... the perception is that we’re attacking the judiciary branch,” said Senator Reebie, who urged caution about altering the balance among branches. Another senator added that the measure “run[s] the risk of imposing more political influence on the court.”

Senators debated whether the change would improve court administration or whether it would substitute political oversight for internal judicial governance. Supporters said the statutory change implements a process the state constitution allows; critics said the move departs from long-standing practice and could erode public confidence in an independent judiciary.

The motion to pass was made from the floor by Senator Wilson and carried after a call of the Senate and a roll-call vote. The Senate clerk announced the bill “having received 17 yay votes, 12 nay votes, 0 being absent,” after which the bill will be transmitted to the House for its consideration.

The bill’s floor debate included extended argument about workload and court productivity, and whether periodic reappointment (the bill contemplates a return to the Senate for confirmation after a set period) constitutes appropriate oversight or undue politicization. The Senate did not adopt any floor amendments that changed the bill’s core selection process during the session recorded in this transcript.

The bill will now proceed to the Utah House of Representatives for consideration.","On Feb. 28 the Utah Senate passed first substitute Senate Bill 2 96 to change how the chief justice of the Utah Supreme Court is selected, moving from a peer-elected model to governor nomination with Senate confirmation after extended debate over judicial independence and court productivity.","actionData","errors"]

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Senate passes package of bills on cannabis, tax, education, insurance and health preauthorization; votes at a glance

Senate approves judicial amendments that change selection of chief justice