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Senate clears broad slate of bills, confirms tax commissioner nominee; several measures passed or held
Summary
The Utah Senate on Feb. 1, 2000, confirmed Mark B. Johnson to the State Tax Commission and voted on a wide set of bills — including worker-compensation and liability exemptions — while holding one wildlife bill for further amendment.
The Utah State Senate on Feb. 1 confirmed a gubernatorial appointment and approved a string of bills during a long floor session that ranged from workers’ compensation changes to liability protection for donated medicines.
President Leonard Beatty opened the day and the Senate handled communications and committee reports before taking up confirmations and third-reading bills. The chamber unanimously confirmed Mark B. Johnson to the Utah State Tax Commission by roll call (27 aye, 0 nay, 2 absent). Senator Stevenson urged confirmation, saying Johnson was “imminently qualified” given the commission’s quasi-judicial role.
Beyond the confirmation, the Senate passed multiple bills on third reading and sent them to the House or will sign them in open session. Notable floor outcomes included:
- Senate Bill 23 (workers’ compensation — employees' willful misconduct): passed by roll call, 28 aye, 0 nay, 1 absent; sent to the House for consideration.
- Senate Bill 25 (material harmful to minors amendments): passed after a revote, 27 aye, 0 nay, 2 absent; sent to the House.
- Substitute Senate Bill 7 (liability protection for donated non-scheduled drugs/devices): passed, 26 aye, 2 nay, 1 absent; transmitted to the House.
- Substitute House Bill 8 (election law changes): passed with the age threshold at 18 for petition verification (22 aye, 6 nay, 1 absent) after floor amendment attempts failed.
Several House bills and resolutions also passed or were amended on the floor, including bills on oil-and-gas conservation, waste-tire recycling adjustments, capital improvement funding increases, and licensing or naming changes for institutions; many of those measures were approved by roll call and referred back to the House for final signatures and enrolling.
The Senate briefly held House Bill 40 (taking wildlife while trespassing) for 24 hours to permit further amendment after extensive debate on enforcement and unintended consequences; the body later released that held bill for signature following consultation with counsel. The Senate also passed House Bill 41 (trespass across cultivated land) by roll call, 15 aye, 12 nay, 2 absent. HJR6, a resolution on Central Utah water allocation, passed to the third-reading calendar, 20 aye, 6 nay, 3 absent.
The body adjourned at the scheduled time and planned to reconvene the next morning.
