01-05-2025
Utah Legislature decides not to override governor's vetoes
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Gov. Spencer Cox vetoed six bills from the 2025 Utah Legislative Session, and legislative leaders have decided to move forward without convening a veto override session.
This past session, Cox signed more than 550 bills, but six . Cox vetoed S.B. 197 'Property Tax Amendments,' H.B. 306 'Precious Metals Amendments,' H.B. 315 'Elected Official Vacancy Modification,' S.B. 106 'Utah-Ireland Trade Commission,' 'Minimum Basic Tax Rates Amendments,' and S.B. 296 'Judicial Amendments.'
The Utah Legislature has until May 6 to convene a veto override session if they wish to overturn any of the governor's vetoes. However, legislative leaders have decided not to make the attempt.
'Even when our perspectives differ, we appreciate the governor's willingness to find common ground as we build an even brighter future for our great state,' a statement by President J. Stuart Adams and Speaker Mike Schultz reads.
The leaders said they carefully considered the option of holding a veto override session but ultimately decided against it.
'We will focus on constructive dialogue and thoughtful policymaking during the interim to find the best path forward that benefits all Utahns,' the statement says.
Schultz previously told ABC4 that they will continue to discuss the vetoed Judicial Amendments bill that would allow the governor and Utah Senate to pick the chief justice of the Utah Supreme Court.
'We respect the governor's vetoes. Some of them I agree with, some of them I don't agree with,' Schultz previously said.
Lawmakers will convene soon in a special session that Governor Cox . The governor sets the agenda for that session and often gets pitched by lawmakers and others to include their issues in his call. If lawmakers wanted to address anything the Governor is unwilling to put on that list they would need to justify an 'emergency in the affairs of the state' to call themselves.
At the very least, the governor and the legislature have agreed in that special session to address two bills dealing with and that Cox believes have 'unintended consequences,' and reappropriate $3.5 million that was supposed to go to Sundance before they decided to leave Utah.
A date for the special session is unknown, but lawmakers will gather at the Capitol for the first 2026 Interim meeting day on May 21.
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Matthew Drachman contributed to this story.
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