Utah House ratifies caucus leaders, names officers and advances a slate of bills to third‑reading calendar

The Utah House of Representatives completed a day of organizational business on Jan. 26, 2009, recording party leadership, appointing officers and rules committees, and advancing a slate of bills to the second‑reading / third‑reading calendar.

Representative Gallens moved that the House Journal record the House Republican Caucus' selections, naming Representative Kevin Garn as majority leader, Representative Brad B. as majority whip and Representative Rebecca Lockhart as assistant majority whip. The motion was adopted by voice vote and recorded as passed.

A separate motion was made to record the House Democratic Caucus' leadership selections; the Journal was instructed to show Representative David Litvak as minority leader, Representative James Gowans as minority whip, Representative Carol Spackman Moss as assistant minority whip and Representative Jennifer Selig as caucus manager. That motion was also approved by voice vote.

Representative Lockhart moved that Representative Julie Fisher be appointed Chair of the Third House; the motion was adopted. Representative Garn moved to appoint Representative Greg Hughes as speaker pro tempore; that motion also passed. Representative Hughes then moved to appoint Representative Mel Brown as house parliamentarian; the House approved the appointment.

The House authorized the Speaker to appoint a committee to draft House rules and a joint committee to draft joint House–Senate rules and instructed those committees to report back. The Speaker announced the membership of the House Rules and Joint House and Senate Rules Committees, with Representative Ben Ferry serving as chair and Representative Greg Hughes as vice chair; other members were named from both parties.

The Chief Clerk read a Rules Committee report, signed by Representative Ben Ferry as chair, recommending that a slate of bills and resolutions be read a second time and placed on the third‑reading calendar. The reading listed numerous bills, including (non‑exhaustive): House Bill 2 (Reviser Statute), House Bill 12 (County Sheriff Qualification Amendments), House Bill 14 (Material Harmful to Minors Amendments), House Bill 16 (Assessment Area Amendments), House Bill 19 (Water Rights Informal Adjudication), House Bill 21 (Amendments to Driver License Sanction Requirements), House Bill 22 (Harboring a Runaway), House Bill 25 (Gun Dealer Penalty Amendments), House Bill 26 (Child and Vulnerable Adult Endangerment), House Bill 27 (Protections for Agricultural Practices), House Bill 30 (Commercial Motor Vehicle Amendments), House Bill 31 (Utah Sudden Cardiac Arrest Bridal Act), House Bill 39 (Utah Injured Worker Reemployment Act), House Bill 40 (Motorcycle Rider Education Program Amendments), House Bill 43 (Coordinating Municipal and Special District Elections), House Bill 45 (Per Diem and Travel Expenses for State Boards and Commissions), House Bill 46 (Designation of State Highways Amendment), House Bill 47 (Criminal Procedure Investigation Amendments), House Bill 50 (Firefighter Special Group License Plate Amendments), House Bill 52 (Insurance Code Amendments), House Bill 53 (Driver License Amendments – Motor Driven Cycles), House Bill 56 (Declaration of Candidacy Amendments), House Bill 59 (Subpoenas for Records in Certain Criminal Investigations) and HJR1 (Resolution urging withdrawal of U.S. World Trade Organization commitment on gambling), among others listed by the committee.

Representative Ben Ferry moved adoption of the Rules Committee report; the House voted by voice and the motion passed unanimously. Representatives were reminded that some bills had not yet satisfied the second‑reading requirement and that the Rules Committee had placed those recommended for second reading on the third‑reading calendar for further action.

Members received administrative announcements from Representative Fisher about event sign‑ups and page procedures. Both majority and minority leaders indicated they would caucus that afternoon. Representative Garn moved to adjourn until Tuesday, Jan. 27, at 10:00 a.m.; the motion carried and the House stood adjourned.

The House will reconvene on Tuesday, Jan. 27, at 10:00 a.m., when second‑ and third‑reading business on the bills listed by the Rules Committee is expected to resume.