Sen. Mike Lee urges state-centered reforms; Senate advances financial-literacy measure and passes a slate of bills

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah State Senate opened its 23rd day of session with a prayer and brief ceremonial remarks before moving through a packed calendar that included a time-certain address from U.S. Sen. Mike Lee and the passage of several bills, most notably First Substitute Senate Bill 40 on financial and economic literacy.

Sen. Mike Lee spoke in a Committee of the Whole to outline a conservative agenda he said would restore ‘‘economic opportunity’’ by reducing federal overreach, simplifying the individual tax code and giving states more authority on higher-education accreditation. Lee proposed replacing the current individual tax code with a ‘‘two-rate system’’ under which ‘‘most Americans would pay under one simple rate of 15%,’’ and urged state options for ‘‘alternative accreditation’’ so more programs — including vocational courses and MOOCs — could access federal Title IV funds.

Lee also raised concerns about federal surveillance and cited legislation he has introduced with colleagues to limit the National Security Agency’s ability to monitor Americans without court orders. ‘‘NSA is there for foreign intelligence surveillance, not to surveil American citizens without a court order,’’ Lee said.

The address drew questions from several senators about implementation. Lee told senators he is advancing a welfare-reform bill that would distinguish between situational and intergenerational poverty and would include work requirements and state incentives to transition people into employment. On a question about pharmacy drug take-back programs, Lee said federal rules currently prohibit pharmacists from accepting returned controlled substances and said he would ‘‘look into that’’ and work on fixes.

On the legislative calendar, First Substitute SB 40, sponsored by Sen. Jones, was the session’s most discussed education measure. The bill, described by Jones as intended ‘‘to help Utah school children develop prudent habits when it comes to personal finances,’’ establishes core standards, teacher endorsements and professional development for financial and economic literacy and allows online delivery options. Jones said the bill addresses rising student debt and the lack of consistent classroom expertise on financial topics. Senators from both parties voiced support for the bill’s goals and for funding professional development; the Senate read the bill for a third time and approved it 25–0.

Other measures disposed of by the Senate during the day included:

- Senate Bill 58 (Carbon Monoxide Detection Amendments): Presented as a school-safety response to hospitalizations in Montezuma Creek, the bill passed on a roll call of 21 yea, 3 nay, 5 absent and was sent to the House for consideration.

- House Bill 48 (Alternative Sentencing): Sponsored by Sen. Madsen, the bill requires greater information exchange among judiciary, corrections and law enforcement about inmates released on alternatives such as house arrest or electronic monitoring. The Senate approved the bill by a reported 26–0 vote.

- Multiple administrative and rulemaking bills (including HB 14) and eminent-domain amendments (HB 25) were read and advanced as noted on the calendar.

The Senate also read a long list of gubernatorial appointments for confirmation and moved to consent to those nominations following a report from the Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Confirmation Committee.

The body concluded the day by circling several items for further consideration and adjourning until 10 a.m. the following morning.

Votes at a glance

- First Sub. SB 40 (Financial and economic literacy amendments): Approved, third reading (25–0). - SB 58 (Carbon monoxide detection amendments): Approved, sent to House (21–3, 5 absent). - HB 48 (Alternative sentencing): Approved, third reading (26–0). - HB 14, HB 25, HB 30 and other bills: Advanced, circled, or placed for further action as recorded on the Senate calendar.

What’s next

Senators scheduled several items for future consideration and noted a time certain to reconvene; the Senate adjourned until 10 a.m. the next morning.