Utah Senate unanimously consents to wide slate of governor’s appointments

The Utah State Senate convened an extraordinary session in June 2015 and on a unanimous roll call consented to a lengthy set of appointments transmitted by Governor Gary R. Herbert.

Committee reports and brief floor remarks formed the bulk of the session. The Senate Revenue and Taxation Confirmation Committee recommended Rebecca L. Rockwell for tax commissioner of the Utah State Tax Commission; Senator Henderson told colleagues, "Rebecca is an amazing person," and said Rockwell "will be an amazing asset to the state tax commission." The Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Confirmation Committee reported a unanimous recommendation for Alan A. Matheson Jr. as executive director of the Department of Environmental Quality. The Transportation, Public Utilities and Technology Confirmation Committee recommended Jordan A. White for the Public Service Commission. The Education Confirmation Committee reported favorably on Patricia Jones for the Utah State Board of Regents and Roger Barris for the School and Institutional Trust Lands Board of Trustees.

Before taking the vote, Senate leadership agreed to waive the ordinary 15-day notice requirement for three appointments, citing the need to consider nominations that arose since the close of the 2015 general session. That waiver covered nominations to the State Tax Commission, the Public Service Commission and the Office of Inspector General. A senator moved that the Senate "consent to the governor's appointments as read;" the motion proceeded to a roll-call vote and the president announced that the Senate had consented to the appointments. The roll call was taken with a quorum of 23 senators present; the vote was recorded in the affirmative.

Senators offered congratulatory remarks to the appointees on the floor and reflected on the legislature's role in preparing staff and colleagues for higher office. The president directed a committee to notify the governor's representative that the Senate had concluded its business for the extraordinary session. No further votes or amendments were recorded during this meeting.

The confirmations follow the governor's formal proclamation convening the fourth extraordinary session of the 61st Legislature to consider these appointments. Committees had met earlier and reported unanimous or favorable recommendations to the full Senate prior to the consent vote. The Senate adjourned its actions after the unanimous consent and housekeeping directives were given.