Wayne L. Niederhauser elected president of Utah State Senate

Wayne L. Niederhauser was elected president of the Utah State Senate by acclamation during the chamber's organizational session in January 2017 and took the oath of office before colleagues and guests.

Niederhauser said he was honored by the support and thanked his family, staff and the refugee scout troop present in the gallery. "We appreciate the family and it's great to have the support of those who are close to us," he said after being sworn in.

In remarks to the Senate, Niederhauser set a theme for the session focused on state authority, arguing the balance between federal and state power has shifted too far toward Washington. "For me, making America great again means rebalancing the power of the states and the federal government," he said, criticizing unilateral federal actions such as national monument designations as examples of overreach.

Niederhauser cited the U.S. Constitution, Article 4, Section 3, while urging a policy approach that emphasizes legislative action over executive unilateralism and greater involvement of state and local officials in decisions that affect Utah.

The Senate conducted the organization by voice and acclamation. A motion to proceed with organization and nominate Niederhauser was made and seconded; a subsequent motion to close nominations led to his election by acclimation.

The newly elected president appointed Senators Bramble, Buxton and DeBackus to join a House committee to notify Governor Gary Herbert that the legislature was organized and ready to begin the 2017 general session. The Senate recessed until 2:00 p.m. for the afternoon session.

The session's organizational actions were procedural; substantive bills introduced at the opening were referred to the Rules Committee for committee assignment and future consideration.