Utah lawmakers consider extending general session

Utah lawmakers consider extending general session

(Ravell Call/Deseret News)


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SALT LAKE CITY — Do Utah lawmakers need more time each year do the people's business?

Rep. Mel Brown, R-Coalville, thinks so, and he pitched the idea of upping the number of days they meet in general session to the Legislative Process Committee on Monday.

"I know the first thing that's going to be said is, if the Legislature puts this on the ballot, 'Why do we want to give them more days? They do enough damage in 45,'" he said. "And legitimately so. We're doing a lot of damage in 45 because we're not doing the public's work like we ought to."

The Utah Constitution limits the Legislature to a 45-day general session each year starting in late January. Because it doesn't meet on weekends, that comes out to about 32 work days for committee hearings and floor time.

Any change would take a voter-approved constitutional amendment.

Lawmakers pass a flurry of bills in the wee hours of the session each year, many without a public hearing or legislative debate. In a typical year, they consider 700 to 800 bills and pass 400 to 500.

"Yeah, we're doing quantity, but we're not doing quality," said Brown, a former House speaker and 20-year veteran legislator.

Rep. Lee Perry, R-Perry, suggested lawmakers meet for no more than 45 business days within a 90-day period.


It is true. We pass a lot of bills that people don't read. I think we need to solve this problem.

–Rep. Patrice Arent, D-Millcreek


The committee approved the proposal and will send it to the Legislative Management Committee, made up of Republican and Democratic leaders in the House and Senate, for consideration.

"It is true. We pass a lot of bills that people don't read," said Rep. Patrice Arent, D-Millcreek. "I think we need to solve this problem."

But Senate Minority Leader Gene Davis, D-Salt Lake City, said lawmakers could meet for 365 days and still have a crush of legislation on the final day.

Legislators make $273 a day during the 45-day session. Including monthly interim meetings throughout the year, they earn about $16,500 annually.

Arent said she likes the idea of getting paid for only the days legislators meet at the Capitol. But Davis said they should get paid for weekends because that's when they read bills and do their homework during the session.

Brown said the Legislature had a chance to resolve the pay issue last year by moving from per-day compensation to an annual salary but didn't do it.

In 2013, the Center for the Study of Democracy and Elections at BYU wondered whether legislators work enough to justify their pay.

Its survey found the average lawmakers puts in 62.5 hours a week during the session, 20 hours a week in the month before and 12.5 hours per week the rest of the year. That totals just over 1,000 hours annually.

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Dennis Romboy

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