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Governor Cox praises bipartisan work, historic education and infrastructure funding as Senate adjourns sine die
Summary
Governor Spencer J. Cox addressed the Senate before adjournment, describing the session as "drama-free," highlighting historic education and infrastructure funding and crediting vaccination efforts and collaborative decisions. The Senate approved procedural housekeeping motions, appointed committees to wait on the governor and notify the House, and adjourned sine die.
Governor Spencer J. Cox addressed the Utah Senate during its final hours before adjourning sine die, praising collaboration across branches and describing the 2021 session as one "we're all going to remember forever." "We chose to work together," the governor said, calling the session "drama-free" and thanking senators, staff and families for their service.
Cox highlighted two accomplishments he said stood out: "Historic education funding and historic infrastructures funding." He credited shared decision-making for enabling the investments and said federal stimulus funds played a role but that hard choices by state leaders made the outcomes possible. The governor also cited vaccination work targeting older adults, saying vaccination contributed to lower fatality rates among people 65 and older, and referenced a 3.1 percent unemployment rate in the state.
On Senate floor procedure, the President appointed committees to wait upon the governor (Senators Fillmore, Kennedy and Escamilla) and to notify the House that the Senate had concluded (Senators Wyler, Hinkins and Kitchen). Earlier on the floor, a motion to strike the enacting clause on all remaining House bills, Senate bills and resolutions on the Senate calendar passed; senators directed that, per the rules committee, those measures be filed.
Senators and leadership offered extended remarks of appreciation to staff, interns, legislative services and the Utah Highway Patrol for their work during the session. The Senate then dissolved the Committee of the Whole and, following a final motion by Senator Vickers, adjourned "sign and aye," concluding the session sine die.
Next procedural steps: appointed committees were sent to wait upon the governor and to notify the House; several calendar items were stricken from the enacting clause and ordered filed per the rules committee. The transcript records the Senate's final floor actions and the governor's remarks; any subsequent executive or legislative steps (for example, signature of bills) are handled in the usual post-session processes.
