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SALT LAKE CITY — A Senate committee signaled its support for the prospect of Utah signing an agreement to host future Olympic and Paralympic games.
“Utah has been a host city before. We are America’s choice for a future Winter Olympics and we will get one someday,” SCR9 sponsor Senate Majority Whip Dan Hemmert, R-Orem, told members of the Senate Government Operations and Political Subdivisions Committee Friday morning.
He described the resolution, which soared through the committee unanimously without debate, as a “simple” measure dealing with a “big” topic.
It says the Legislature and state of Utah are comfortable with the concepts and principles in the latest winter host agreements provided by the International Olympic Committee and would support Utah signing a similar agreement, Hemmert said.
Though not mentioned during the hearing, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert and Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall took a step toward bringing the Olympics back to Utah on Feb. 12 by announcing a committee that will be responsible for preparing a future Olympic bid.
At a presentation in the Capitol’s Gold Room for the announcement, Herbert described the committee as key in showing “we continue to be ready, willing and able to play host to a future Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.”
The Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games held its first meeting on Wednesday.
At least two cities are already vying for a Winter Games — Sapporo, Japan, and Barcelona, Spain, which is teaming up with regional mountain venues. Like Salt Lake City, host of the 2002 Winter Games, both have also previously been the site of an Olympics. Sapporo hosted the 1972 Winter Games, and Barcelona, the 1992 Summer Games.
Whether that bid will come for the 2030 Winter Games or for 2034 remains to be seen.
The resolution will go before the full Senate next.
