Senate opens 2015 session and elects Wayne L. Niederhauser as president

At the opening organizational session of the Utah State Senate, senators elected Wayne L. Niederhauser to serve as president of the Senate and adopted procedural rules that will govern the chamber’s work during the 2015 session.

Senators nominated Wayne L. Niederhauser for the post and accepted a second by Senator Davis before electing him by acclamation. Niederhauser took the oath of office and delivered opening remarks, thanking colleagues and guests and urging senators to focus on major policy issues facing the state.

Niederhauser outlined an agenda that he said will test the Senate’s ‘‘courage and wisdom’’ and listed items senators can expect to face this year, including Medicaid expansion, transportation funding, water infrastructure and policy, prison relocation, education funding and governance, and questions of discrimination and religious liberties. "We are facing some important issues this session, senators," he told members.

The Senate also adopted the previous session’s rules and continued the practice of reading only bill short titles on the floor unless a majority directs otherwise. The actions were taken by voice vote with no opposition recorded.

Niederhauser appointed members to committees that will perform customary organizational duties, including delegations to notify the governor and the House that the Senate is organized and ready to do business. He also recognized new senators sworn in during the morning and thanked the staff and ceremonial participants who helped open the session.

The Senate recessed for the midday; committee work and floor business were expected to follow according to the chamber’s schedule.