Legislature day 7: Fluoride removal and constitutional changes you should know about
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — The Utah Legislature is moving full speed ahead as we continue to monitor the various bills and motions that seek to become law within the State of Utah. As we enter the seventh day of the session, here are some bills, votes, and hearings that you should be aware of.
With yesterdays passage of H.B. 269, several new bills have been circled on the Senate and House calendars for consideration in todays floor sessions. Floor sessions are always scheduled to start at 11 a.m., and go on till noon.
As of this writing, the House currently has 53 bills on its reading calendar that are waiting for a vote, the Senate has 3 bills waiting for a final vote, and 36 bills waiting for a second vote.
In today's session, appropriation bills — or funding bills — will be up for consideration. The House prioritizing base budgets for higher education, community and economic development, general government, transportation, and the national guard.
In the Senate, funding bills for public education, natural resources, criminal justice, and social services have been marked for a second vote before moving to a final vote on the senate floor. In an update from yesterday, the Senate has yet to pass S.B. 55, which gives property owners access to the sheriffs department to remove trespassers from their properties. It remains on the final vote calendar, and could be voted on sometime today.
Todays session will start off with several appropriations meetings beginning at 8 a.m.. The Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee will hear several budget proposal from Utah's universities. Also on our radar is the Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environmental Quality Appropriations Subcommittee, which will several budget proposal from Utah's public lands and wildlife agencies.
Starting later at 2 p.m. will be the various standing committee considering new bills and resolutions. Most significantly will be H.B. 267 — or Public Sector Labor Union Amendments — consideration by the Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee. If passed by committee, it will move to the Senate floor for consideration, and passage by the Senate. Thus inching the bill closer in becoming law. Additionally, S.J.R. 2 seeks to amend Utah's Constitution to require 60% of a vote on indicatives making or increasing taxes.
Also on our radar is the the House Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee, which is considering moving forward H.B. 81, which would remove fluoride from all of Utah's public water systems. Also being considered is S.B. 30, which would give Governor Spencer Cox the authority to enter into a interstate compact of forest fire resource sharing. Additionally there is H.B. 203, which is a bi-partisan bill seeking to reform the state medical cannabis program.
The final hearing we are watching is the House Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee. Here legislators will decide the fates of several bills that would require armed guards and other safety measures in schools (H.B. 40), including minors in possession charges if they bring dangerous weapons to school (H.B. 128), and lastly a bill that would set criminal penalties when an individual fails to store their firearms and they are accessed by a minor (H.B. 132).
The public is welcomed to participate in any of the hearings, and links to do so can be found on the legislatures website. For continuing coverage of the 2025 General Session, visit Inside Utah Politics.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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