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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah lawmakers are in the final day of the 2020 legislative session and are considering dozens of bills. Here’s a quick look at some of them as they get their final approval.
Repeal of straight-ticket voting
On the last night of her last legislative session, Rep. Patrice Arent’s bill to ban straight-ticket voting — the state’s long-held practice of being able to check a single box on a ballot to vote for all of the candidates of one political party — received final passage in the Legislature.
In the final 20 minutes of the session, the Senate passed the legislation 25-1 without debate, sending it on to the House for its final approval, which they gave promptly, 44-27.
Lawmakers gave a smattering of applause for Arent, D-Millcreek, upon its passage — she’s retiring this year.
Arent, who first made the proposal in 2013, told the bill's Senate panel March 3 that it is “good public policy. It doesn’t matter who it helps or who it hurts. It’s what we ought to be doing in our democracy.”
The bill will now head to the governor for his signature or veto.
Stemming youth vaping
As part of an effort to discourage the prevalence of vaping among youths, the Utah Legislature approved a bill that increases the minimum age for electronic cigarettes and nicotine products to 21 years old, as well as enacts a significant tax on vaping e-cigarettes and vaping products.
The House gave final approval to SB37 on Thursday afternoon after concurring with a technical amendment from the Senate. It now goes to Gov. Gary Herbert for consideration.
The bill is paired with SB58, a bill aimed at curbing vaping, tobacco, alcohol and other substance use in schools through education and prevention programs. Specifically, the bill requires local school boards to adopt discipline policies to address position and use of electronic cigarette products on school grounds and requires schools to educate about the risks of vaping.
SB58 cleared both the House and Senate late Thursday afternoon. It now goes to the governor for signature or veto.
Prosecution of young children
Utah may soon have a law blocking the prosecution and incarceration of children, instead diverting young offenders to juvenile court for nonjudicial accountability and rehabilitation like mental health services or parental counseling.
“Research shows that diverted children have better outcomes and improve public safety and for the most complex cases, treatment can be extended for as long as needed,” said Senate sponsor Sen. Todd Weiler, R-Woods Cross.
HB262 soared through the Senate Thursday morning unanimously. As it’s already cleared the House, the bill heads to the governor for his signature or veto.
The bill would eliminate the prosecution of children 11 and under, though it carves out exceptions for those who commit serious offenses like murder, aggravated sexual assault, aggravated arson and aggravated kidnapping.
Utah currently does not have a minimum age for the prosecution of children.
“You might be asking is this really a problem?” Weiler told lawmakers. “The answer is it is. Last year a 5-year-old was charged with a theft for stealing something off of a neighbor’s porch. I’m not making this up.”
More medical marijuana changes
The House gave final concurrence to an amended HB425, which bill sponsor Rep. Jen Dailey-Provost, D-Salt Lake City, called “critical” in helping the state’s fledgling medical cannabis program that launched at the beginning of this month run smoothly.
Among larger changes, HB425 would lengthen the time of validity of an initial medical cannabis card; allow patients with a letter from a medical professional to purchase medical marijuana from a pharmacy through the rest of the year without a card; and remove a limit on the size of signage a cultivator or pharmacy can use.
The bill would also add legal protections for medical care facilities with patients who hold medical marijuana cards. The bill would allow facilities to purchase, transport or possess medical cannabis for the patient — or, conversely, to restrict marijuana use on premises.
The bill moves to the governor’s desk.
Correction: An earlier headline said the bill wouldn’t jail children under 11. It should have said under 12.
