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Senate debates emissions-testing bill; county-control amendment fails, bill moves to third reading
Summary
The Senate debated House Bill 93 (emissions inspection amendments) and rejected a proposal to give county commissioners local control; after divided debate the body advanced the bill to third reading (19–8).
On Feb. 23 the Utah Senate considered second substitute House Bill 93, which would change emissions-inspection and parking-sticker procedures in four Wasatch Front counties. Senator Christiansen, presenting the bill, said it reverses a process that required residents to obtain an emissions test before getting a parking sticker.
Senator Bramble offered Amendment No. 1 to permit county commissioners to set local emissions standards—effectively returning some control to counties. Debate was sharp: Senator Jenkins warned the amendment could create arbitrary exceptions and asked how far local control should extend, citing large employers and cross-county commuters as complicating examples. Supporters, including Senators Allen and Stevenson, argued local bodies should have tools to manage air quality and that large campuses with many vehicles could justify exemptions or local approaches.
Several senators expressed concern about uniformity across counties and potential loopholes to avoid compliance. The amendment failed on a recorded resistance vote. Following debate, the Senate voted to read the bill for a third time; the second substitute passed the Senate to third reading on a 19–8 recorded vote with two absences.
Because the amendment failed, the bill as substituted will proceed without the local-control language Bramble sought; senators signaled further scrutiny may occur during subsequent committee work or on third reading.
