How Utahns can make their voices heard during the 2021 legislative session

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SALT LAKE CITY — "One of the core principles that makes our ability, as a Legislature, to have good outcomes, is having a lot of involvement from stakeholders," said Utah House Speaker Brad Wilson, R-Kaysville, in a Q&A event Thursday to preview the 2021 legislative session.

Feedback from activists and everyday citizens is a key part of the legislative process in Utah and throughout the country. But between the coronavirus pandemic and mounting security concerns, the traditional in-person method of communicating with lawmakers is almost entirely on hold this year as the session approaches next week.

Nonetheless, Wilson and other state legislators from both sides of the aisle shared their tips Thursday for how to get in touch with lawmakers this legislative session, with many expressing optimism that the process could be more transparent and easier to participate in than ever before.

"We, for the first time ever as a state, will be video-streaming our committee hearings, which will give people much more access to feel like they're involved in what's happening in our committees," Wilson said.

Committee hearings allow smaller groups of lawmakers, with public input, to debate and refine bills and then select which ones will move on to the full House or Senate. "We'll keep doing those kinds of things to ensure that we have a lot of citizen and stakeholder involvement in the process," he added.

Sen. Todd Weiler, R-Woods Cross, said new technology will offer the "opportunity for more people to be involved and more people giving input than ever before."

"Before, someone would have to take off time from work, find a parking space, which is impossible to do, find a committee room which is hard to do, and then wait in line to testify," Weiler said.

Now constituents can give comment from work, home or even vacation, he added.

"We may find that we have more citizen input than we have had in prior sessions."

House Minority Whip Karen Kwan, D-Murray, encouraged Utahns to follow the legislative calendar on le.utah.gov for dates and times of committee hearings.

One thing the session will lose? The ability to "wait in the hall and grab your representative by the arm" to talk to them, Weiler said. That's why it's important to know how to get their attention, legislators agreed.

Contacting your legislator

House Minority Leader Brian King said it's important for his constituents to let them know that they are, in fact, his constituents. "And the best way of doing that is, give me your physical address," said King, D-Salt Lake City. "I don't respond to nonconstituents with the same feeling of need as I do the need to respond to constituents who are residents of my House district."

Rep. Jefferson Moss, R-Saratoga Springs, encouraged Utahns to "reach out" to their representatives and "build a personal relationship."

"You would be surprised about how many legislators hear from very few of their constituents directly," he said. "We get a lot of chain emails, we get a lot of things like that. The reality is, the most effective way to engage with your legislator is to have a personal relationship." Senate Minority Leader Karen Mayne agreed, saying lawmakers receive "tons of emails, hundreds and hundreds a day."

"If you want to really talk to me, mail me a letter," said Mayne, D-West Valley City.

Utahns can search and see who represents them at le.utah.gov/GIS/findDistrict.jsp.

The session begins on Jan. 19. Due to planned protests surrounding the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden the next day, the Capitol will be closed to the public for the time being with all business livestreamed online.

Wilson said Friday the Legislature hopes to reopen the building as soon as possible once security concerns abate.

"Audio and video improvements permit virtual access to all legislative proceedings," House and Senate leaders announced in a release this week. "Utahns can now watch presentations and spontaneously request to provide input during a live committee hearing as if they were in a committee room."