How To Give Public Comment During the Utah Legislative Session

Our personal stories, experiences, and insights can give lawmakers important context for a bill, and can help influence a committee’s action. Giving public comment is a way of taking our passion and activism outside of the echo chambers we can all find ourselves in, and giving it to those who are supposed to represent us and will make decisions that affect our lives.

Why Give Public Comment

Your Experiences Are Valuable, And Can Shape Laws

The members of the committee are “citizen legislators.” Outside of working as a lawmaker, they have full-time jobs. They are doctors, lawyers, ranchers, teachers and homemakers, and each legislator brings their life & professional experiences, which forms the personal lenses through which they view the world to their work. They may have a lot of experience in one area, but none in another. They don’t always know what they don’t know.

Our personal stories, experiences, and insights can give lawmakers important context for a bill, and can help influence a committee’s action. It also becomes part of the permanent record and may be used in future research.

It’s Your Right

Committee meetings are open to the public and provide a forum for citizens to express their views about proposed legislation, budgets, and other public policy issues. It’s a way of taking our passion and activism outside of the echo chambers we can all find ourselves in, and giving it to those who are supposed to represent us and will make decisions that affect our lives.

How To Know What Bills You Want To Give Comment On?

Better Utah Bill Tracker

You can view bills that relate to a variety of progressive issues on our bill tracker here.

While our bill tracker doesn’t cover every bill, it does cover a broad array of bills including ones related to:

  • Affordable Housing
  • Voting Rights
  • Healthcare
  • Public Education
  • Clean Air
  • LGBTQ+ Rights
  • Homelessness
  • Reproductive Rights
  • Government Transparency
  • And more!

Get Updates

You can sign up for updates during the session below (does not add you to our general email list). We’ll include calls to action for public comment and a summary of what happened at the legislature in these emails.

We encourage you to find organizations in our community who focus on issue areas you care about and follow them on social & email to stay informed on issues you care about. There are a ton of organizations who put a lot of work during the legislative session to inform our community.

 

Track Specific Bills

You can sign up for an account and track bills you’re interested in from the legislative website.

How to Give Public Comment

Prepare Your Statement

The Public Narrative framework can be a helpful tool for telling your personal story.

Be prepared to summarize your testimony in one minute–that may be all the time you are allowed.

If you’d want to send a longer statement, you can email the members of the committee in advance with the full text of your statement. You can view which legislators are on which committee by looking on the committee page.

In Person

Finding Where The Meeting Is

You can find where the meeting will take place by:

  • Receiving a Better Utah Update: If we’re tracking the bill, we’ll have this information in our daily legislative updates the day before.
  • Viewing The Legislative Calendar: You can view upcoming meetings on the legislative calendar on the front page of the Utah Legislature website.
  • Tracking a Bill: You can sign up for an account and track bills you’re interested in from the legislative website.

 

 

The meeting location will be posted on the meeting’s agenda

Or, you can do the Long  Way: 

On the bill file page, there is a tab at the top called “Status”. You can find out if a bill is assigned to a committee on the status page. Agendas are posted 24 hours before.

Bill File Page

There it will say which “standing committee” it was assigned to. Then you can go to the committee’s pages and keep an eye on the calendar & committee pages to see what bills have been posted. 

You find the room where the meeting will be held by looking at the agenda each day for the committee pages. Agendas are posted 24 hours in advance.

Status Page
Getting To The Capitol

The address of the Utah State Capitol is : 

Utah State Capitol

350 State St, Salt Lake City, UT 84103

There is limited free public parking at the capitol. It can fill up quickly on days with particularly controversial bills. There is also a bus that comes quite regularly and easily accessed near downtown Trax stations and along State street

Accessibility 

A handicapped access ramp is located by the Senate Building. There are elevators in all buildings. Two wheelchairs are available for use through the Visitor Services Center. Please email capitoltours@utah.gov or call 801-538-1800 to make a reservation.

Online

Online public comment is an accessible way to weigh in on bills for anyone who might not be able to make it to the capitol. Whether you live in a rural area, are caring for children, or just don’t have the ability to take the time out of your day to come to the capitol, you still deserve to have your story heard! Learn how to give public comment online.

How To Make Sure Your Public Comment Gets Heard

Get There Early

      1. For the average committee hearing, 10 minutes before the hearing is sufficient. For more controversial bills, 45-90 minutes ahead of the meeting is recommended to have the best chance of giving testimony. The more controversial the bill, the earlier we recommend showing up
        1. Can’t make it in person? You can give public comment online. We recommend showing up in person though if you have the capacity to.
      2. Parking
        1. Parking is free, but can be challenging on busy days.
      3. Public Transportation: 200 Bus Route a bus that comes quite regularly and easily accessed near downtown Trax stations and along State street

Know Your Audience

      1. Be courteous. (see public comment etiquette below)
      2. Resist the temptation to scold, put down, or insult the decision-makers or other witnesses. This tactic will likely alienate them from your cause.

Know The Issue

    1. Draw from your own knowledge and experience. The Public Narrative framework can be a useful tool in crafting your comment.
    2. Support your personal opinions with clear, understandable facts when you can.

Familiarize Yourself With Committee Process

    1. Begin your presentation by addressing the chairperson first, then members of the committee. 
      1. “Chair ________, members of the committee . . . . My name is [NAME] and I’m from [TOWN] and I’m representing [ORGANIZATION OR GROUP YOU REPRESENT].
      2. If you are testifying as a member of the public, simply say “ I’m representing myself”.
    2. State your purpose for testifying and read/state your testimony.
    3. Thank the committee members and offer to answer any questions.
      1. If a member asks you a question, respond: “Chair (last name) or Senator/Representative (last name), the answer to your question is . . . .”

Relax! The committee understands that this can be an intimidating experience–they don’t expect a perfect speech.

Public Comment Etiquette (Important!)

The legislature runs on etiquette. While I personally hate that word, as it reminds me of constrictive systems and gendered expectations, when I’m at the legislature I prioritize getting results and being heard over my emotions.  I save my more disruptive language and activism for all the times I’m not giving a 1-2 minute public comment.

Recommendations:

  • Review the decorum rules and respect them. 
  • Prepare your statement in advance, don’t wing it
  • Use the committee process outlined above
  • Be concise, you’re likely not the only one who wants to give public comments, and you’re not the only one who cares.

Failing to follow the committee decorum rules or insulting committee members is a surefire way to get them to shut down and not listen. Or get kicked out of the room. We always try to ask the question…what is our real goal? If the goal is to persuade, we’re more likely to catch more flies with honey than vinegar as my mom would say.

And that’s it! You’re ready to give public comments. If you have any feedback on this page, or further questions, feel free to email us!

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