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Utah Senate clears a broad package of bills; several measures passed unanimously
Summary
On Feb. 6, 2008, the Utah Senate advanced and passed a large slate of measures on third reading, including bills on judicial review, criminal penalties, education, consumer protection and parks; one business-friendly property-tax fix was held pending a fiscal note.
The Utah State Senate met Feb. 6 in Salt Lake City and voted on a wide array of bills on its third‑reading calendar, approving multiple measures that will now move to the House for further action.
Senators approved Senate Bill 105 (Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission) on third reading after brief discussion and a roll call; the clerk recorded 26 yes votes, 0 nays (passed to the House). The chamber also passed Senate Bill 138 (substance‑abuse coordinating council amendments), Senate Bill 150 (criminal penalties revisions to preserve secondary‑offense prosecution), Senate Bill 132 (expanded Attorney General enforcement under the Consumer Credit Protection Act), Senate Bill 103 (Higher Education enhancements, appropriating $20,000,000) and Senate Bill 151 (Trademark Protection Act amendments, with a $50,000 fiscal note offset by potential revenue). Most of those measures drew little floor debate and were reported as passed with strong support.
A number of bills were handled under suspension of the rules. Senator Jones and Senator Stevenson offered and agreed on an amendment to Senate Bill 61 to add economic literacy to a previously proposed financial literacy curriculum; the body suspended rules and passed the amended bill under suspension (reported 28–0).
Not every item on the calendar advanced without issue. Second substitute House Bill 77, a measure intended to reduce small‑item recordkeeping for businesses and ease compliance for purchases under $100,000, was withdrawn from a final‑passage vote after Senator Valentine explained he would record a 'no' in order to place a 24‑hour hold so an official fiscal note could be attached. The sponsor withdrew the motion to pass and the chamber voted to 'circle' (hold) the bill until the fiscal note is available.
Other bills passed with recorded tallies reported on the floor: SB150 was reported as passing with 26 yes votes and 0 nays; SB132 and SB138 were reported similarly with unanimous or near‑unanimous support as indicated by the clerk's announcements. Several bills were amended on the floor before passage (for example, SB76, parks and recreation amendments, adopted an amendment to allow new recreational activities and update reciprocal boat registration timing).
What comes next: Passed Senate bills are transmitted to the House for its consideration. House bills presented for Senate consideration were referred to the Rules Committee; one House bill (HB77) remains circled pending fiscal‑note processing.
Votes at a glance (selected outcomes reported on the floor): - Senate Bill 105 — Passed; recorded as 26 yes, 0 nay (referred to the House). - Second substitute House Bill 77 — Motion withdrawn; bill circled pending official fiscal note (sponsor withdrew motion at request of clerk to allow fiscal note to be attached). - Senate Bill 138 — Passed; recorded as 26 yes, 0 nay (referred to the House). - Senate Bill 150 — Passed; recorded as 26 yes, 0 nay. - Senate Bill 152 — Passed; recorded as 25 yes, 0 nay, 4 absent. - Senate Bill 132 — Passed; recorded as 26 yes, 0 nay. - Senate Bill 61 (amended to add economic literacy) — Passed under suspension of rules; recorded as 28 yes, 0 nay. - Senate Bill 103 — Passed; recorded as 27 yes, 0 nay. - Senate Bill 76 (as amended) — Passed; recorded as a majority yes vote and referred to the House.
The Senate adjourned with routine announcements of receptions and committee schedules and reconvened the next day at 10 a.m.
Sources: Floor proceedings and roll‑call announcements on the Senate third‑reading calendar (Feb. 6, 2008).
