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Senate Floor Roundup: Online‑education bill fails; weatherization fund and indemnity reform pass
Summary
In a busy floor day the Utah Senate failed SB65 (Statewide Online Education Program), recorded the passage of SB220 (Intermountain Weatherization Training Fund) and approved a substituted HB73 to limit indemnity clauses for motor carriers; several other bills were circled for later consideration.
The Utah Senate handled a series of floor actions that produced a mix of outcomes: a prominent online‑education bill failed, legislation to create a weatherization training fund passed with a technical amendment, and a substituted House bill revising motor‑carrier indemnity agreements was approved.
Senate Bill 65, a measure to expand a statewide online‑education program and allow high‑school students to select approved online providers, failed on third reading. Senator Morgan explained her no vote, citing the fiscal note and the high cost of the program: "If you take a look at the fiscal note, you'll see that this is very, very expensive," she said, and indicated the state could not afford it that year. The final vote was 13 yea, 10 nay and 6 absent; the bill failed and will be filed.
First Substitute Senate Bill 220 creates an Intermountain Weatherization Training Fund to hold one‑time ARRA weatherization dollars so the state can deploy those federal funds consistently and support a Department of Community and Culture training facility. Senator Jenkins offered a technical amendment that was adopted; he described an on‑site training "playhouse" that simulates walls, furnaces and air‑infiltration tests and said the fund will allow the state to organize training and charge fees to outside participants. SB220 passed by roll call, 22 yea, 0 nay, 7 absent.
First substitute House Bill 73, dealing with indemnification clauses for motor carriers, was substituted on the floor and passed by roll call 22 yea, 0 nay, 7 absent. Sponsor Senator Erkhart described the substitute as eliminating contract language that required motor carriers to indemnify property owners even when the property owner was at fault, while preserving exceptions for death, personal injury and property damage caused by another party.
Several other motions were procedural: multiple bills were circled or uncircled, Rules Committee assignments were approved for a broad slate of bills, and the Senate adjourned until 9:30 a.m. the following morning.
