Senate confirms Craig L. Dearden as public safety commissioner; dozens of bills advanced

The Utah State Senate on Feb. 5 confirmed Craig L. Dearden as Commissioner of Public Safety and advanced a broad slate of legislation to later reading and the House for consideration.

Senate President Lane Beatty read a governor’s communication transmitting Dearden’s appointment and the body agreed to waive a 15-day waiting requirement for acting on the nomination. After a roll-call vote the presiding officer recorded the Senate’s consent; the clerk later announced the tally had reached the necessary affirmative votes and the appointment was approved.

Dearden introduced family members in the gallery and, addressing senators, said he was "honored" to be appointed and "excited about what the future holds for the Department of Public Safety." He cited near-term challenges the department will face, including preparations tied to the Olympics and transportation issues.

Alongside the confirmation, senators moved a set of bills across calendars. On third reading the Senate approved Senate Bill 15 to create a Public Education Computer Technology Task Force; the clerk announced 21 ayes and 5 nays, with 3 absent, before sending the bill to the House. The chamber also approved Senate Bill 144, a proposal to build an electronic law library; the floor sponsor cited a fiscal note of about $93,000 and the Senate recorded 26 aye votes with 3 absent before transmission to the House.

House measures taken up included bills on student transportation, inmate education and a children-and-youth task force. Senators debated House Bill 158, which would alter taxing authority tied to school-busing financing and cited a possible tax-rate tweak from 0.0002 to 0.0003 and a state guarantee of up to 85% of a referenced levy; the Senate placed that bill on the third-reading calendar by voice and roll call. House Bill 4, which would create a statewide central register and uniform reporting for missing persons, passed its second reading with 25 ayes and no recorded nays and will proceed to third reading; the sponsor noted a request to raise the appropriation from $23,000 toward the $60,000 the sponsor said is truly needed.

The Senate also approved a package of other bills on third-reading calendars or by roll call, including measures to increase penalties for assaults on health-care providers and amendments related to water-supply filings, higher-education revenue bonds, and capital art placement in state facilities.

What’s next: several bills were placed on third-reading calendars or sent to the House for consideration; House Bill 60 (post-conviction remedies and appointed counsel in death-penalty appeals) carried a fiscal note and was tabled on the third-reading calendar for further review. The Senate adjourned and will reconvene at 10 a.m. Thursday.

Votes at a glance: the Senate's floor announcements and roll-call tallies during the Feb. 5 session reported the following outcomes for notable items — appointment of Craig L. Dearden: confirmed (affirmative votes announced); Senate Bill 15: passed (21 aye, 5 nay, 3 absent); Senate Bill 144: passed (26 aye, 3 absent); House Bill 158: placed on third-reading (24 aye, 5 absent); House Bill 4: second-reading passed/placed on third (25 aye, no nays recorded); House Bill 34: placed on third-reading (23 aye, no nays recorded); House Bill 25: passed/placed on third-reading (26 aye, 3 absent); House Bill 174: passed/placed on third-reading (26 aye, 3 absent); House Bill 60: tabled on third reading because of a fiscal note.

The session also included ceremonial remarks, committee reports and the announcement of visiting student groups scheduled to observe certain bills at time-certain hearings.