Better Utah in the News

Historic special session of the Utah Legislature now underway

This article originally appeared  on ABC4 News. Read it in its entirety here.

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (ABC4 News) – It’s calm and quiet inside the State Capitol, but it’s a very busy day for lawmakers.

It’s not only the first remote session of the Utah Legislature, but it’s also the first time they’ve called themselves into special session thanks to a change approved by voters in 2018.

“It’s historic for those two reasons, but it’s historic even for a bigger reason. I don’t think there’s ever been a period of time, at least in my lifetime or my political history for sure, that we have had such a challenging moment,” said Senate President Stuart Adams, (R) Layton.

President Adams says his priority for the special session is to get the economy going again.

“In a very measured and thoughtful way, I’m calling it sustainable social distancing. We have to find a way to protect our health, but we also have to find a way to get people back to work,” said Adams.

He says a commission will be formed to help push that along potentially by the end of the month.

The legislature is also addressing the state budget, the Working Rainy Day Fund, unemployment, the 2020 primary election and more in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Most bills are flying through, but one is being met with resistance.

“This bill is essentially power grab,” said Lauren Simpson with Alliance for a Better Utah.

Simpson is referring to House Bill 3005.

It requires the governor to give legislative leaders 48 hours’ notice before issuing an executive order in response to an epidemic or pandemic emergency if lives are not on the line.

Before it passed the House 56-18, Representative Merrill Nelson, (R) Grantsville, argued it’s a legislative overreach and would put an undue burden on the governor in the time of emergency.

Simpson agrees.

“Having a leader who can respond nimbly is one of the reasons why we have an executive. That’s what you want in a time of crisis. You don’t want, you know, decisions when time is of the essence to have to go through a giant committee like the legislature,” she said.

This article originally appeared  on ABC4 News. Read it in its entirety here.

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