Hill Highlights: Utah lawmakers advance bill to dismantle records committee
We're more than halfway through Utah's legislative session.
The latest: State lawmakers are considering a bill that would dismantle a long-time committee that determines which government records are available to the public.
SB 277, sponsored by Senate Majority Assistant Whip Mike McKell (R-Spanish Fork), would replace the State Records Committee with a governor-appointed attorney "with knowledge and experience relating to government records law."
The measure passed a Senate committee this week in a 4-2 vote.
Between the lines: Similarly, legislators this week advanced a bill to the governor, HB 69, that would make it harder for the public or journalists to recover attorneys fees for records that are deemed public — even if they win access to them in court.
The court may award the fees if it determines the government entity operated in "bad faith" to prevent the records from being released.
The big picture: It's the latest blow to government transparency, according to critics and first amendment advocates.
Last year, Gov. Spencer Cox signed a bill to make the calendars of public officials private and not subject to Utah's public records law.
What we're watching: A bill, SB 76, sponsored by state Sen. Jen Plumb (D-Salt Lake City) that would bar minors from marrying someone who is at least four years older is on its way to the governor's desk, Utah News Dispatch reports.
💬 Hill Highlights is a weekly feature to recap what's going during Utah's legislative session.
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