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Utah Senate approves resolution urging federal respect for state authority
Summary
The Utah Senate passed House Joint Resolution 17 urging the U.S. president and Congress to recognize state authority and document perceived federal overreach; sponsor Senator Christensen said the resolution compiles input from House and Senate committee chairs and carries no fiscal note.
The Utah Senate on March 9 approved House Joint Resolution 17, a nonbinding statement asking the president and Congress to recognize state authority and to document instances of federal overreach.
Senator Christensen, the floor sponsor, said the resolution grew from a commission assembled at the instruction of the president and the speaker and reflects input from committee chairs in both legislative chambers. “We had a unique opportunity that the federal government has given us,” Christensen said in introducing the resolution, and he added there is no fiscal note attached.
Under the rules the sponsor moved to waive the three‑reading requirement and advance the resolution under suspension. The presiding officer announced the vote had produced 20 yea votes and 1 nay vote and declared HJR 17 passed.
As a joint resolution, HJR 17 does not change state law but formally records the Legislature’s view and encourages other states to document areas where they believe federal action has exceeded authority.
The Senate put the measure on the record without further amendments and sent it on for any subsequent actions required under the chamber’s rules.
