The union-busting HB267 advanced out of a Senate committee on a narrow 4-3 vote on Wednesday afternoon.

The bill from Rep. Jordan Teuscher, R-South Jordan, takes away the collective bargaining rights of public employees. Union members have launched an all-out blitz to oppose the bill.

Committee chair Sen. Dan McCay, R-Riverton, cast the deciding vote to advance the legislation, but urged Teuscher to work with union members to find an acceptable compromise before it comes up for a vote in the full Senate.

That same committee advanced SJR2, which is a proposed constitutional amendment requiring any citizen-led ballot initiative that raises taxes to pass with 60% instead of a simple majority.

If the bill passes with 2/3 in the House and Senate, the proposed amendment would go on the 2026 ballot, where it would only need to pass with a simple majority.

Afternoon headlines

Utah Judge requests more info to help decide of state school voucher program is constitutional. [Tribune]

Utah lawmakers want to raise the standards for freestanding emergency rooms around Utah. [Deseret News]

A Utah lawmaker has proposed expanding Utah's child tax credit. [Deseret News]

Car dealerships open on Sundays? Not on Utah Legislature's watch. [Utah News Dispatch]

Will Utah soon invest in cryptocurrency? [KSL]

Bill to ban phones during classroom time in Utah schools being considered. [Fox 13]

Not enough time to debate daylight saving time in the Utah House. [KSL]

What's on Wednesday's agenda?

  • Just 48 hours after it was approved by the Utah House, HB269, which restricts transgender students' access to dormitories at public universities, is on the agenda in the Senate Education Committee.
  • HB231, which creates a runoff election in certain primary elections where a candidate does not receive a majority in the first round of voting, is up for debate in the House Government Operations Committee.
  • That same committee will take up HB158 from freshman Rep. Lisa Shepherd. Her bill specifies that if an international organization, such as the World Health Organization, declares a state of emergency, Utah government officials cannot enforce it.

New bills that caught my attention

  • SB192 requires commercial wind and solar systems that generate 660 or more kilowatts to include battery storage systems to be eligible for tax credits.
  • SB196 adds physical therapists to the list of services provided by primary health care providers.
  • Rep. Candice Pierucci wants to let parents opt out of health testing for newborns if they give 24 hour notice.
  • Rep. Grant Miller, D-Salt Lake City, is proposing a list of rights the government will afford to homeless people in the state, including equal treatment by the government and registering to vote. HB362 allows for those individuals to bring a court action if those rights are violated.