Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Elections topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
House backs contingency for presidential primary funding to coordinate Western states
Summary
The House passed HB342, keeping statutory language that allows Utah to join other Western states for a coordinated presidential primary while making implementation contingent on legislative appropriation to avoid unfunded costs.
The Utah House passed House Bill 342 after floor debate over the cost and purpose of coordinating the state’s presidential primary with other Western states.
Representative Susan Lawrence, sponsor of the measure, told the House the language had been designed to allow Utah to coordinate its primary with surrounding Western and mountain states to increase the region’s influence in presidential contests. She said party leaders and the governor previously supported the coordination language but funding was not available this year, so the bill makes holding a primary contingent on a legislative appropriation.
Lawrence said stakeholders — including the lieutenant governor’s office, party chairs and the elections office — agreed to retain the coordination clause but to require explicit funding before the state would be obliged to conduct the primary. Opponents raised procedural questions and timing concerns about an in-session primary date, but supporters noted absentee ballots and administrative mechanisms that allow voters to participate even when lawmakers are in session.
The House recorded a roll-call of 62 yes and 8 no on HB342 and transmitted the bill to the Senate for further consideration.
The immediate procedural next step is Senate consideration; implementation would depend on a future appropriation by the Legislature.
