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Senate amends local referendum timeline, expanding signature period to 60 days
Summary
Senators amended SB 10 on Jan. 20, replacing a proposed 45-day petition-collection window with a 60-day period; proponents said the change responds to practical experience in smaller communities, opponents expressed concern about timeliness and potential burden on decision-making.
Senate Bill 10, which revises the process for local referendums, drew extended floor debate Jan. 20 before senators adopted an amendment expanding the signature-collection window.
Sponsor Senator Hickman said SB 10 aimed to ease difficulties petitioners face in smaller communities where the existing 35-day period proved too short. He described the bill as a narrowly focused fix for local governments that struggle to complete signature-gathering within the existing timeframe and noted the proposal originally extended the period to 45 days.
Senator Stevenson offered an amendment striking '45 days' and substituting '60 days' for the petition-collection period. Stevenson said the additional time would give petitioners needed breathing room and allow for further public response; he moved the amendment and asked colleagues to test the change in the near term. The sponsor indicated the amendment was acceptable. The amendment was put to the body and the clerk recorded (on the floor) that the amendment passed.
Senators debated the trade-offs: proponents emphasized that a modest extension would improve access for petitioners in small jurisdictions; opponents cautioned that longer periods could delay final decisions and create new burdens for local government processes. Senator Hickman noted that the change grew out of experiences in a small southern Utah community where organizers had struggled to collect signatures within 35 days.
Following the amendment, the bill was prepared for third reading. The transcript available for this floor session records the amendment's adoption but does not include a conclusive consolidated roll-call tally for the final third-reading disposition in the excerpt provided.
Next steps: SB 10 will appear on the Senate calendar for third-reading consideration; sponsors indicated willingness to solicit additional feedback from metropolitan-area stakeholders about appropriate timelines.
