League calls 2025 legislative session "hard fought" as bill volume and substitutions rise

Cameron, the League’s executive director, told the Utah League of Cities and Towns board that when asked about the 2025 legislative session his response had been: “hard fought.” The board met to debrief the session and plan interim outreach.

The session mattered to cities because lawmakers introduced far more legislation than in prior years and most bills that reached a floor vote passed, increasing pressure on local governments to respond quickly, Cameron said.

Why it matters: League staff said the rise in bill filings and in the number of substitutes and amendments shifted where fights were happening — from open floor defeats to negotiations and procedural maneuvers — and that pattern makes timely, local engagement more important.

Justin, a League legislative staff member, said the raw numbers showed the scale of the challenge: “959 bills introduced this year,” he reported, and 1,110 substitutes and amendments were adopted. He added that 582 bills passed this session — the second-highest total on record — and that 90.3% of bills advanced out of committee. “If you get to the floor, you have a 97.5% chance ... of that bill passing,” he said.

Communications staff Cassidy highlighted high member engagement during the session: the League’s email open rates rose and more than 670 people opened every single email sent during the session, which the staff said amplified rapid member response to action alerts.

Several board members described the tone of the session as unusually adversarial in places, citing bills aimed at specific localities and criticisms of local officials. Some members urged more proactive work in the interim to identify potential “bad‑actor” bills before they are filed.

Local consent won on several significant measures, board members said. One cited example was a conference committee that reconvened after public comment and did not advance the bill; the speakers described that outcome as evidence local voice can still matter.

The board discussed interim work the League will undertake: preparing a policy platform to reduce reactive resolutions, coordinating spring training and local outreach, and participating in multi‑stakeholder efforts such as the state housing plan and Utah Rising, a private‑sector led economic initiative.

Votes at a glance

- Motion to approve minutes for the Jan. 22, 2025 meeting: motion made and seconded, approved by voice vote. - Motion to move the June 23 board meeting from morning to a lunch‑hour meeting (hosted in Draper): motion made and seconded, voice vote in favor; motion carried. - Motion to adjourn at the meeting’s close: motion made and seconded, voice vote in favor; meeting adjourned.

Board members and lead staff said they will use the spring and interim to convert the session lessons into more proactive training, stronger local‑level engagement and clearer policy guidance for legislators and members.