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SALT LAKE CITY — Meeting virtually on the second day of its emergency special session, the Utah Legislature passed a bill that creates a commission to advise Gov. Gary Herbert on the state's COVID-19 recovery.
SB3004 was passed out of the Senate Thursday afternoon and through the House Friday morning after a long discussion, during which several representatives used the time to urge a quick reopening of Utah businesses.
Hours after the bill passed, Herbert announced the "Utah Leads Together 2.0" plan to move to the next phase of the state's coronavirus response.
SB3004's floor sponsor and House Majority Whip Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, said he believes the bill is "probably the most important" of the special session.
"The citizens of this state really appreciate a plan and knowing what the next step is," Schultz said. "That's what the commission is charged with doing." He said the virus is likely to be among us for "at least six to 24 months, and we need to learn how to live with it and how to deal with it."
The Public Health and Economic Emergency Commission will have 10 members including hospital executives, a health department representative, and appointees from the governor and legislative leaders. It will make a recommendation to the governor by April 22; the governor does not have to adopt the commission's advice, but he does have to explain why if he chooses not to.
Some legislators expressed concern that SB3004 will create an overly aggressive and unsafe timetable for reopening Utah businesses, while others worried it will duplicate existing efforts on the governor's coronavirus task force.
Rep. Patrice Arent, D-Millcreek, said it gives her "some heartburn" to imagine the commission being formed and creating a recommendation by next Wednesday.
"To be honest with you ... a lot of the work has already been done," Shultz said. "There's been people starting to come together and pull some of this work together, and I think if you look at the makeup of the members of this commission, as well as those who will be appointed on it, they will be very capable and have done a lot of the work already."
Rep. Kay J. Christofferson, R-Lehi, said his constituents have "overwhelmingly" expressed "a desire to get things moving fast."
"I think it's this way statewide, not just in rural areas," he said. "A lot of these people are feeling like they're suffocating."
"We're two weeks away from people losing homes, losing vehicles," said Rep. Paul Ray, R-Clearfield. "People are getting desperate. The income, the savings are running out."
House votes 59-15, a largely party-line vote, to PASS SB3004, bill to create commission to make recommendations on how to begin re-opening the economy by the end of the month. #utpol#utleg
— Katie McKellar (@KatieMcKellar1) April 17, 2020
The bill passed the House 59-15; it was sponsored in the Senate by Majority Whip Dan Hemmert, R-Orem, and passed that body Thursday by a 23-6 vote. House Speaker Brad Wilson, R-Kaysville, said he and Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, are prepared to make their appointments so the commission can begin its time-sensitive work.
Herbert signed the bill Friday evening and announced several appointments to the committee:
- Gen. Jefferson Burton, designee of the executive director of the Utah Department of Health
- Brian Dunn, CEO of Steward Health Care
- Dr. Michael Good, CEO of the University of Utah Health System
- Derek Miller, President and CEO of the Salt Lake Chamber
- Mark Bouchard, formerly with CBRE
In a news release, Herbert said the Public Health and Economic Emergency Commission "will, in large measure, focus on implementation of the Utah Leads Together 2.0 plan, and work in concert with recommendations from the Utah COVID-19 Community Task Force."
"I look forward to reviewing the commission’s recommendations," he said.
In a news release, progressive group Alliance for a Better Utah described the bill as a "power grab by the Utah Legislature."
“S.B. 3004 is an example of a solution in search of a problem, and a legislative body that wants to expand its power. Not only is it an embarrassing power grab, the commission could duplicate and even undermine current response efforts already underway," wrote Alliance policy director Lauren Simpson. “During debate on the bill, some members of the House repeatedly brought up 'reopening' the economy prematurely. While everyone is eager for a return to normalcy, let’s be clear: there is no economic health without public health."
After the Senate's brief afternoon floor time, Adams said he "feels the pressure" of reopening businesses at the optimal pace. "I see the tragedy that's happening with these small businesses and our economy. And yet I feel the pressure of trying to make sure we don't go too quickly," he said.
"That's what this commission is trying to do."
Adams said that increased testing will be key to reopening the economy safely and said he's been "a little disappointed" by testing numbers lately. He encouraged Utahns to visit TestUtah.com and take the assessment.
He said the state has been considering ways to boost consumer confidence and lessen fears after businesses reopen, and officials floated the idea of creating certifications for restaurants whose employees passed a COVID-19 safety test. "So you might find a restaurant that was COVID-19 certified, meaning that all the workers in the restaurant had been trained," Adams said. "... That, we hope, would give some confidence."
The Legislature passed several other bills Friday including SB3002, which gives Utah doctors more leeway and legal protection to prescribe drugs for off-label use to fight COVID-19.
It also passed a resolution extending the state of emergency related to the March Magna earthquake.
The special session will continue next Thursday, April 23; Adams said he anticipates that will be the last day of the session, though he expects the governor to call more.
Adams said he does not expect more bills to be introuced during this session. A full list of bills that have passed during the special session is available here.
