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House rejects Rules Committee move to shift hate-crimes penalties bill out of Judiciary
Summary
The Utah House voted down a Rules Committee recommendation to move a hate-crimes penalties bill from the Judiciary Committee to Business, Labor & Economic Development, after heated floor debate in which opponents called the reassignment a “blatant political move.”
The Utah House on the floor Tuesday refused to adopt a Rules Committee report that would have removed a hate-crimes penalties bill from the Judiciary Committee and reassigned it to the Business, Labor & Economic Development Committee.
Representative Merrill Nelson, speaking against the rules report, told colleagues the hate-crimes proposal had been considered repeatedly by the interim Judiciary Committee and faced substantial opposition there. “This is a blatant political move to shift this bill from the judiciary committee to a committee that has no background or familiarity at all with the bill,” Nelson said, urging members to reject the reassignment.
Supporters of the committee action defended the move as procedural and responsive to a sponsor’s request. A Rules member said the sponsor requested the reassignment and that the committee voted after considering the matter, arguing that sending the bill to Business & Labor would allow a timely and fair hearing. “We were straightforward and honest with this in the rules committee,” a Rules member said in explanation of the committee vote.
Members debated points of order and whether changing a bill’s committee constituted an improper political tactic. Representative Jack Arrington and others urged respect for the committee process and cautioned against moving bills based on perceived chances of success in one committee over another.
After debate and a failed motion to close debate, the House took a voice vote on adopting the Rules Committee report; the motion failed, leaving the hate-crimes penalties bill in Judiciary for further consideration.
Because the motion was decided by voice vote, the transcript does not record a roll-call tally. The House returned to other business without adopting the reassignment; no final vote on the substance of the hate-crimes penalties bill was recorded in this session.
Next steps: the bill remains in the Judiciary Committee unless a subsequent motion on the floor or committee action reassigns it.
