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Utah House amends and adopts joint resolution urging federal respect for state criminal-justice roles
Summary
The House adopted SJR 13, a joint resolution asserting state roles in criminal justice and amending language to state that the federal government 'must respect' rather than 'allow' states' policymaking authority; the amendment passed easily and the resolution was returned to the Senate.
The Utah House on March 5 passed SJR 13, a joint resolution intended as a message to federal officials about the balance of federal and state authority on criminal justice issues.
Representative Wilcox, sponsor of the resolution, described it as a reminder of the Tenth Amendment and urged colleagues to send a strong message to the federal delegation and executive branch. "This resolution reminds each of us... that this part is reserved to the states," Wilcox said during floor remarks.
Representative Lyman moved a textual amendment on line 47 — replacing the word "allow" with "respect" — arguing that the word "allow" implied seeking permission. The amendment won broad support on the floor and was adopted.
Supporters, including members with law enforcement backgrounds, said the resolution reaffirms Utah's interest in shaping criminal-justice policy at the state level and signals support for local law enforcement. Opponents were not recorded in debate, and the resolution passed by voice and recorded vote; the transcript records passage with 72 yes votes and 0 no votes.
Next steps: The amended SJR 13 will be returned to the Senate for further consideration; the sponsor noted copies will be sent to federal leaders as part of the message.
