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Utah Senate advances wide slate of bills, records multiple final votes
Summary
On Feb. 28, 2002 the Utah State Senate moved dozens of bills through third reading and into final passage or referral to the House, including measures on education, transportation and ethics. Several contested items — notably overweight vehicle amendments — were debated at length and one high‑profile bill failed on the floor.
The Utah State Senate met Feb. 28 in Salt Lake City and advanced a large number of measures on third reading, approving or referring bills on education, transportation, ethics and property-tax procedures while also taking public remarks from visiting guests.
Among the bills the Senate recorded action on was first substitute Senate Bill 98, which the clerk announced had passed the body and will be referred to the Speaker for signature. The session also approved Senate Bill 93 (classification of certain legislative records), and the chamber considered a range of third‑reading items including charter‑school and curriculum measures before recessing for lunch and returning to finish its calendar.
Not every measure carried. House Bill 218, an overweight‑vehicle amendment that would have allowed narrow local variances for certain construction projects, drew extended debate about safety, the state’s bridge formula and local authority; the Senate voted to reject final passage, with the clerk recording 13 aye votes and 16 nay votes, returning the bill to the House.
The floor work also included multiple procedural motions to circle and uncircle bills, adoption of standing committee reports and the passage of several transportation and school‑policy items. Senators repeatedly emphasized local control in education debates and public‑safety concerns in transportation debates.
Votes at a glance (transcript tallies as announced on the floor) - First substitute Senate Bill 98 (concur as amended): announced as passed (27 aye, 1 nay, 1 absent). - Senate Bill 93 (audits/records classification): announced as passed (25 aye, 0 nay, 4 absent). - First substitute Senate Bill 99 (core curriculum amendments): announced in the transcript as passed (transcript text records an unusual tally: "69 votes, 12 no votes, 1 being absent"). - House Bill 218 (overweight vehicle amendments): failed on the floor (13 aye, 16 nay) and was returned to the House. - Senate Bill 167 (school community councils): passed and sent to the House (clerk announced result on the floor). - Senate Bill 138 (charter schools amendments — authorization for additional magnet high schools): passed to third reading per the transcript. - Senate Bill 156 (school emergency response plans for sports injuries): passed to third reading. - Senate Bill 195 (sales and use tax amendment enabling local transit funding option): passed to third reading.
What happens next: Bills that passed on final reading are referred to the House or to the Speaker for signature as recorded in the Senate journal entries. Several items that drew concerns (notably HB218 and the waste classification language later debated) will return for further consideration, and some measures were left circled for additional drafting or amendment.
The session also set aside time for two guests. Olympic silver medalist Bill Schaufenhauer addressed the body briefly, and Princess Ayesha Bint Al Hussein of Jordan addressed senators in a committee of the whole and was honored by HJR 24, which the Senate read and passed for final consideration.
The Senate adjourned and will reconvene at 8 a.m. the next day.
