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Votes at a glance: Utah Senate advances dozens of bills including education, taxation, transport and public‑safety measures
Summary
On March 4 the Utah Senate passed multiple bills on consent and roll-call, including education amendments, tax and regulatory cleanups, and authorization for toll‑road exploration. Several measures were circled for later work. Key roll-call outcomes are summarized.
The Utah Senate advanced a large slate of bills on March 4, approving several by unanimous or near‑unanimous margins and placing others on the third‑reading calendar. Highlights and recorded floor outcomes:
- House Bill 138 (student education occupational plan amendments): Unanimous consent on the consent calendar; recorded as 21 ayes, 0 nays, 8 absent (consent action). (see floor record)
- House Bill 301 (sales and use tax refund/procedure amendments): Sponsor summary and roll call showed 24 ayes, 0 nays, 5 absent; bill returned to the House for enrolling.
- House Bill 319 (income tax filing extension): Clarifies 6‑month extension and payment equal to prior year amount; passed 24–0 with 5 absent.
- House Bill 370 (recording federal tax liens): Technical recordation changes; passed 24–0 with 5 absent.
- House Bill 389 (Centennial Charter Schools Task Force): After sponsor explanation and no substantive floor questions, the bill passed 18 ayes, 5 nays, 6 absent and was referred to the House for enrollment.
- House Bill 115 (cooperative wildlife management units): Passed on the calendar with 23 ayes, 0 nays, 6 absent.
- House Bill 48 (capital sentencing amendments): Amends the standard for life-without-parole from unanimous to 10-of-12 jury votes (not the death-penalty standard); recorded passage with 22 ayes, 3 nays, 4 absent.
- House Bill 266 (UDOT toll roads authority): Sponsor framed the bill as providing tools to explore toll options; vote recorded as 22 ayes, 3 nays, 5 absent (later updated to 22 ayes after an additional aye vote was noted). The bill was amended and returned to the House for consideration.
- Substitute House Bill 71 (telecommunications universal service amendments) and numerous procedural, personnel and uniform law updates were also passed or placed on the third‑reading calendar with recorded aye majorities in the mid‑20s where roll call was taken.
Several bills were circled (postponed) or set for further amendment or committee consideration; the clerk and sponsors read multiple House communications and reports during the morning session.
What happens next: Bills the Senate passed will be signed in open session by the president and referred back to the House for final signature and enrolling where required; circled bills will return for further action or amendment on later calendars.
