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Utah Senate certifies membership, adopts procedural rules and reads dozens of bills into the record
Summary
Lieutenant Governor Olin S. Walker certified the Senate's membership, leaders and committee assignments were announced, the chamber adopted procedural rules (including suspending title readings), and an extensive list of bills and resolutions was read and referred to committee.
The Utah State Senate moved from ceremonial openings to organizational business in the morning’s session, certifying elected members, confirming leadership and adopting procedural changes for the 2002 session.
Lieutenant Governor Olin S. Walker formally certified the membership of the 2002 Senate, listing members chosen in the 2000 and 1998 general elections and noting appointments made to fill vacancies. Following certification, a roll call established a quorum with 28 members present.
The presiding officer announced the Senate leadership slate and standing committee assignments, and the body adopted a motion to use the same joint and Senate rules as in the previous session, allowing the rules committee to bring future amendments. Senator Wadhams moved to adopt the rules and the motion passed on voice vote. A subsequent motion, also adopted, suspended the practice of reading bill and resolution titles aloud on several calendars (first reading, second reading, third reading, consent and concurrence), and the chamber agreed to treat that suspension as the policy for the entire session.
Senators also voted to adopt the employee committee report and hire recommended staff for the session.
The presiding officer read into the record an extensive list of Senate bills and resolutions (SB 4 through SB 113 and additional items, plus SCR/SJR/SGR/SDR/SR entries). Those measures were read for the first time and referred to the rules committee for assignment to appropriate standing committees. The reading included bills on public safety, health and human services, taxation, education, land use and other policy areas; the bills were taken up only as introductions and were not debated or voted upon in substantive form during the organizational proceedings.
The Senate recessed until 2 p.m. to continue business later in the day.
