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Utah Senate opens 2004 session, adopts rules and assigns bills to committees
Summary
On Jan. 12, the Utah State Senate convened, adopted a rules motion to read only short bill titles unless requested otherwise, named standing committees and subcommittees, and assigned dozens of bills to committee for consideration.
The Utah State Senate convened on Jan. 12 for the opening day of its 2004 general session, completed organizational business and adopted a motion to continue reading only short bill titles unless a senator asks for a full reading.
Senate President Mansell opened the session and urged civil, results-oriented debate as members prepared to work through a packed agenda. "I hope as we go through our senate session this time that we are able to keep everybody awake and that we have some great results," the presiding officer said during opening remarks.
In organizational actions, Senator Lyle W. Hilliard was named chairman of the rules committee and the Senate adopted the committee membership slate. Senator Hilliard moved that the Senate "continue its practice of reading only the short title of bills and resolutions as they're introduced" unless a senator requests the long title; the motion passed by the required two-thirds majority.
Adopting that practice shortens formal readings on the floor and is a procedural choice the chamber said was made after consultation with counsel. The presiding officer confirmed the motion passed by voice vote.
The rules committee presented a second report assigning dozens of bills to standing committees and the second-reading calendar. Committees named for this session include business, labor and education; government operations and political subdivisions; health and human services; judiciary and law enforcement; natural resources, agriculture and environment; revenue and taxation; transportation, public utilities and technology; retirement and independent entities; and workforce services and community and economic development. The rules committee's written report listed specific bill numbers and recommended committee assignments, which the Senate adopted.
Senator Bev Evans, chair of the patronage and employees committee, introduced named Senate staff and moved that those individuals be employed for the session; the motion passed by voice vote. Senators also introduced and acknowledged this year's interns assigned to legislative offices.
Clerks conducted a roll call: the presiding officer announced 28 senators present and one absent, constituting a quorum to begin business. The Senate recessed for the afternoon and planned to reconvene at 2 p.m.
Authorities referenced in floor remarks included the Utah Constitution, cited during procedural motions about reading rules and calendar practice.
The adopted committee assignments and the decision to read short titles will shape how the body processes hundreds of proposals in the coming weeks; most introduced bills were referred to the rules committee or to standing committees with further hearings and votes expected.
