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Greg J. Curtis Elected Speaker of Utah House; Pledges Outreach and Civility
Summary
The Utah House elected Representative Greg J. Curtis as Speaker and he used his oath remarks to emphasize civility, checks on executive power, and a pledge to improve public communication via a website called UtahCitizen.com.
Greg J. Curtis was elected Speaker of the Utah House of Representatives on a voice vote after Representative Becker nominated him and Representative Jeff Alexander moved his election. The House then administered the oath of office to Curtis, who repeated the pledge to support and defend the constitutions of the United States and the State of Utah and to discharge his duties with fidelity.
Curtis used his opening remarks as Speaker to outline his priorities for the 45-day general session and to set a tone for the chamber. "We have a new building, new leadership, and a new governor," he said, framing the session as an opportunity for both new ideas and established remedies. He listed taxation, transportation and education among the issues the House will debate and urged members to debate with "respect and not animosity." He added, "I pledge to do better. I want to communicate more, not less," and said he would maintain a website called UtahCitizen.com to reach constituents.
The election followed customary organizational motions. After the nomination and voice vote, colleagues led the Speaker through the oath of office. The House then appointed a rules committee and authorized the Speaker to form a joint rules drafting committee with the Senate. Several additional procedural and journal-entry motions followed, but no roll-call vote tallies were recorded on the floor for the Speaker election.
Next steps: the rules committee will draft proposed permanent rules, and the House intends to proceed with its legislative calendar during the 45-day session.
