SALT LAKE CITY — A House committee endorsed a bill that would set standards for free speech on college campuses. Another committee voted down a bill that would limit police search power.

Utah college students placed crosses at the Capitol in honor of students who have died in mass shootings.

Here's the latest on what's happening on the Hill:

Lawmakers punt on constitutional water question

A residential real estate appraiser warned lawmakers Tuesday the state is sitting on a "catastrophic" powder keg because "temporary" surplus water is being used to support permanent development.

"If people had any idea," David Fife warned, "if they were aware of the nebulous nature of access to water, (the lending institutions) won't fund debt in Salt Lake County. This is an economic weapon of mass destruction if this were fully understood. People should be rightfully concerned of the precarious nature of access to water in affected areas."

Rep. Keven Stratton, R-Orem, ran HJR15 seeking to get a constitutional amendment on the general election ballot to give cities more flexibility on how they dispense of surplus water. The Utah Constitution prohibits selling of water, so some cities like Salt Lake City and Provo enter into surplus contracts to provide water to residents outside their municipal boundaries.

The resolution was deferred to interim for study.

Efforts to preserve history of internment camp recognized by lawmakers

The Utah Legislature passed a resolution Tuesday honoring the efforts of the Topaz Museum and Education Center in Delta to preserve the history of the area's Japanese-American internment camp during World War II.

"Today is a good day and a celebration," the sponsor of SCR10, Senate Minority Caucus Manager Jani Iwamoto, D-Holladay, said of recognizing the achievements of the Topaz Museum board and its founder and current president, Jane Beckwith.

Sen. Deidre Henderson, R-Spanish Fork, said she took her children to visit the museum and the Topaz site. "It's hard to believe something like this happened in our state," Henderson said, calling it "really heartbreaking to see."

The resolution passed the Senate unanimously and later was approved by the House, 69-1. It now goes to Gov. Gary Herbert for his action.

House passes bill paving way for 'legacy scholars' to become Utah residents

The Utah House on Tuesday passed HB349, which would make it easier for nonresident students attending Utah universities on "legacy scholarships" to establish residency.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Val Potter, R-North Logan, strikes language from 2009 legislation that created the tuition waivers extended to nonresident students whose parents or grandparents are alumni of participating institutions.

The amount of tuition waived by public colleges and universities increased 70 percent from fiscal year 2014 to 2017, rising from $81 million in fiscal year 2014 to $138.1 million in fiscal year 2017, according to legislative fiscal analysts.

Group places crosses at Capitol to remember school shooting victims

A student group placed wooden crosses on the south steps of the state Capitol Tuesday to remember the victims of the recent Florida school shooting and to raise funds for a local youth mental health clinic.

"We're not calling on the Legislature to do anything," said Justin Anderson of Students for Liberty of Utah. "What we are trying to do here today is … not only create a memorial for the students that have been lost to school shootings but also to call upon the community to act."

Anderson said he wants the community to see the crosses and perhaps donate to a local mental health clinic, such as Utah Family Therapy or the Utah chapter of the National Alliance for Mental Illness. He declined to address the current national push for gun control legislation.

Students for Liberty calls itself the largest libertarian student organization in the world, according to its website, whose mission is "to educate, develop and empower the next generation of leaders of liberty."

The group on Tuesday displayed about 500 crosses representing all the people who have been lost to school shootings in the past 50 years,

House passes resolution backing restorative justice practices in schools

The Utah House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a resolution that urges the state's school system to implement restorative justice programs to better address student discipline.

Rep. Sandra Hollins, D-Salt Lake City, sponsor of HR1, said restorative justice programs help students stay in school and deal with their challenges in healthy, constructive ways.

Rep. Lowry Snow, R-Santa Clara, who carried the reform legislation, spoke in support of HR1, which passed by a vote of 48-22.

Suspension and expulsion remain as tools for schools to use, but the resolution encourages approaches that address the underlying causes of students' conduct.

Utah House panel OKs bill setting free speech standards on campuses

A House committee endorsed a bill Tuesday attempting to strike a balance between protected and unprotected speech on college campuses in Utah.

"If you want to know if we have a problem in Utah, we absolutely have some questionable policies that reflect some limits on constitutionally protected speech," said Rep. Kim Coleman, R-West Jordan.

HB398 would put into law free speech standards established by the U.S. Supreme Court. The committee voted 7-1 to move the bill to the House floor.

Lawmakers vote down plan to limit police search power

Utah lawmakers are voting against a plan to roll back a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that bolstered police power to use evidence even if officers did something wrong to get it.

A legislative committee voted Tuesday to hold the bill that would bar evidence gathered after an illegal stop.

Supporters said it would prevent possible police abuse of power, but critics argued it would wrongly tie officers' hands.

Contributing: Amy Joi O'Donoghue, Lisa Riley Roche, Marjorie Cortez, Preston Cathcart, Dennis Romboy, Associated Press

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