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Utah Senate rejects bill requiring voter approval for light‑rail projects
Summary
On Feb. 20, 1996 the Utah State Senate declined to require a binding public referendum on light‑rail projects (SB 146), rejecting the measure 14–15 after hours of debate weighing public trust, federal funding and air‑quality implications.
Salt Lake City — The Utah State Senate voted down Senate Bill 146 on Feb. 20, 1996, a proposal to require voter approval for proposed light‑rail projects, rejecting the measure 14–15 after an extended floor debate.
Sen. Brent C. Richards, the bill’s sponsor, urged colleagues to give voters “a defining say on such an important, policy decision,” and read a letter from the Salt Lake County Commission urging support. Richards framed the bill as a means to settle lingering public controversy dating to a failed 1992 tax proposal and to restore trust after what he and supporters described as unilateral actions by the Utah Transit Authority (UTA).
Opponents warned that a new referendum risked delaying critical transportation projects and jeopardizing federal funding tied to the I‑15 reconstruction and air‑quality planning. Sen. McAllister cited materials circulated from the Department of Environmental Quality and argued that postponing or detaching light‑rail decisions from the state’s transportation and air‑quality plan could impede federally backed reconstruction timelines.
Supporters argued that the public had been denied a meaningful outcome in 1992 and that another binding vote would settle the matter. Sen. Ward said: “We took it to the people. They said no, and then we proceeded anyway,” underscoring mistrust among some constituents about how previous decisions were implemented.
Procedurally, the Senate moved SB 146 from the second‑reading calendar, called the question, lifted a temporary call and conducted a roll‑call vote. The bill failed on final passage with 14 ayes and 15 nays; with that result, SB 146 will not advance to the House.
What’s next: With the bill defeated, proponents said they would continue to press the case for a public vote through other channels; opponents stressed continuing work on planning and federal funding for I‑15 and associated transit measures. The chamber returned to other business and later recessed until 2 p.m.
