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Senate advances a batch of noncontroversial bills; dozens pass by unanimous votes
Summary
On Feb. 24, 1999 the Utah Senate cleared a large consent and third‑reading calendar, approving multiple house bills and resolutions by unanimous or near‑unanimous recorded votes while reserving some contentious measures for further debate.
The Utah Senate on Feb. 24, 1999 moved through a packed consent calendar, approving a series of noncontroversial House bills and resolutions and returning them for final signatures or enrollment.
On the consent calendar, the Senate recorded unanimous or near‑unanimous votes on a number of items. The chamber approved House Bill 165 (annual certificate of registration for brine‑shrimp harvesters) with a recorded vote of 26 ayes, 0 nays and 3 absent. House Bill 280 (mosquito abatement board amendments) passed 27–0 with two senators absent. Resolutions urging agricultural‑banking flexibility and recognizing a century of soil surveys (HCR2 and HCR4) passed with 28 ayes and one absence each. The Senate also approved House Bill 153 (water conservation plan updates), House Bill 302 (absentee ballot amendments), substitute House Bill 211 (driver license amendments), and House Bill 255 (vehicle registration renewal adjustments) on the consent calendar, each by unanimous recorded votes reported on the floor.
Separately, the Senate advanced several Senate bills to the House for consideration after recorded votes in the chamber. First substitute Senate Bill 220 (Condominium Ownership Act, clarifying timeshare appraisal treatment) passed the Senate and will next go to the House. Senate Bill 203 (survivor benefits for children of law‑enforcement officers killed in the line of duty) was also reported passed and sent to the House.
Most measures advanced under suspension of the rules, a procedural step the leadership used repeatedly to move committee or substituted items onto the floor. Senate leaders said the approach was necessary to handle fiscal‑note bills and time‑sensitive items within the constrained floor schedule.
The Senate recessed for lunch and planned to reconvene in the afternoon to continue second‑ and third‑reading calendars and to take up additional items.
