[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6364204,"mediaKeyId","2165129-8ba97e9889d0dc1bd0994a6787d35552","parentId",2165129,"title","Committee advances multiple bills on retirement, immunity, purchasing and legislative rules; substitutes adopted on several items","audioSeconds",2676,"startMs",1371000,"endMs",4047000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2165129-8ba97e9889d0dc1bd0994a6787d35552&start=1371&end=4047","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2165129-8ba97e9889d0dc1bd0994a6787d35552/thumbnail_1371000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6364204/Utah/Committee-advances-multiple-bills-on-retirement-immunity-purchasing-and-legislative-rules-substitutes-adopted-on-several-items","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6364204-61752bbe95d4a8daca0cb7925217c688/orig.mp4?Expires=1770447943&Signature=F3KfhV80a7LevF1MbeLMtlNxQ1jE8UQrCfQ8euQ48kjQyMo8JPqEWwT-SGAz5VnkxMaOFLp1tJpjXbcw06R5yqjnYHIi-OflBOIPxeFt-~qnp5wG0jA-hNZU7lCiYXGCtBPkpEBjT9EZtTIBWpY9Xg9Gp-zDANfwLQpVLJqcCiPJdPPdGeiXz-PFJTVHBXU~4qBjK6liUjo7GlALKRGZEPt6mGVxl1Pluwrv6p4Hp~k7jo9afBCwS08lei8CJAqogprpcY9KeADBmYA4zMBf-3FfvU-wQlzXWLf4U27HvOqDXRelyZW65epedu5TIi-EUiW2LAR1YqsiW55x9Na51w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Utah State Legislature","date","2025-01-29T00:00:00Z","article","The Senate Committee on Government Operations and Political Subdivisions took action on a number of noncontroversial and technical bills, adopting substitutes where requested and favorably recommending bills to the Senate floor.

House Bill 25 (Retirement Amendments): Representative Jennifer Atkins presented HB 25 as a “cleanup” bill for Utah Retirement Systems that aligns record‑retention periods with statute, clarifies protections for URS employers if an entity withdraws, and removes a redundant provision related to PEHP’s opioid policy. After public comment from Corey Holdo of the Utah Public Employees Association in support, Senator Curt Thatcher moved to favorably recommend HB 25 to the full Senate; the committee voted unanimously to advance the bill.

Senate Bill 169 (Governmental Immunity Act Amendments): Senator Weiler and Jake Lee (Utah Association for Justice) explained changes to the governmental immunity database and service procedures. The committee adopted a first substitute (motion by Senator McCall) and then favorably recommended the 1st substitute to the Senate floor by unanimous voice vote. Sponsors said the substitute replaces the term “fictitious name” with “doing business as” to improve clarity and registration in the governmental immunity database.

Senate Bill 152 (Local Land Use Regulation Restrictions): Senator Blum presented SB 152, describing it as a targeted bill to address city ordinances that require new single‑family or duplex homes to include garages; the sponsor moved to delete the body and title and replace with a 1st substitute, which the committee adopted by voice vote. The sponsor asked that the committee “keep it on the table” and look at related SB 181; committee members agreed to move the agenda and retain the bill in committee for now.

House Bill 12 (Division of Purchasing and General Services Amendments): Representative Peterson and Wendy Apayrath (Division director) described three technical changes concerning contracting with entities serving persons with disabilities, clarifying that an award is not the creation of a contract, and clarifying indemnification language. The committee replaced the bill with a 3rd substitute and unanimously favorably recommended the 3rd substitute to the Senate floor.

Senate Bill 143 (Legislative Activities Amendments): Senator McKell presented a recodification clarifying Legislative Management Committee roles, workplace conduct references and procurement relationships. The committee adopted a first substitute and favorably recommended it to the full Senate by unanimous voice vote.

House Joint Resolution 4 (Amendments to Joint Rules): Representative Dunnegan described definitional changes and a committee name change (Administrative Rules Review to Rules Review and General Oversight). The committee favorably recommended the resolution and also placed it on consent.

What the votes mean: Each of these items that received a favorable recommendation will next be scheduled for floor consideration by the full Senate. Several bills were amended by substitutes in committee; those substituted texts will be the versions forwarded to the floor unless the sponsor or leadership moves further changes.

Ending: Committee members described the items as largely technical clarifications or local‑government policy options. The committee advanced the measures listed above by voice votes and preserved SB 152 for further consideration in committee.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Government Operations and Political Subdivisions Committee - January 29, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Senate Committee on Government Operations and Political Subdivisions adopted substitutes or favorably recommended several noncontroversial bills, forwarding them for consideration by the full Senate.","taxTitle","2025 Utah Legislature, Utah Legislature, Utah Legislative Branch, Utah","taxId",78171,"location","Utah","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6364209,"Committee hears hours of testimony on bill to extend ranked‑choice voting pilot; no committee recommendation",0,2989000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2165129-8ba97e9889d0dc1bd0994a6787d35552&start=2989&end=2989","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2165129-8ba97e9889d0dc1bd0994a6787d35552/thumbnail_2989000.jpg","/articles/6364209/Utah/Committee-hears-hours-of-testimony-on-bill-to-extend-rankedchoice-voting-pilot-no-committee-recommendation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6364209-8837ea079068f951f8c5de3f70750b66/orig.mp4?Expires=1770447943&Signature=jBhJnrL6rgagV8Bftsb8iD2rHHRylz7l--~OxuN2pgf0ZzpS9W2PQ3w6eJqCyEBrm0UunYZgo0iLKijpSk0E~Rm0uFclO6n7ozlIMNGJvlwK4-UPQ4JgCRu7hBTZo4lYALek2CYxhUDRi7cdQMm1zTM9SKSB4YpgyURFjuWKuQgXIqZ4ji342gii4ElMnqEg7uJaaFgdvlYnTiO4xvRXrSmyxywQuY4~dPUqnWPLyngZ7-B688UvjazsRuHUmtefuWfcGVr685o-ZY9uvQF-VZXUQ9oGVKemarL1eS5i6-pu6mRP5VEcwfdzXIkcZ8nujnJtr2YLyOj0CPYpFN3eLA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Committee on Government Operations and Political Subdivisions held an extensive hearing on Senate Bill 127, a bill to extend a pilot program that allows Utah cities to use ranked‑choice (preferential) voting in municipal primaries and elections. Sponsor Senator Mike Wyler introduced the measure and said the pilot lets municipalities choose an alternative to plurality voting and has yielded cost savings for some smaller cities.

Why it matters: The bill would preserve a voluntary option for cities that have adopted ranked‑choice voting and would affect how municipal winners are determined, how ballots are counted and audited, and whether some municipalities continue to budget for primaries.

Sponsor and proponents argued the pilot gives local governments tools to reduce runoff elections and shorten campaign seasons. Kellene Potter, executive director of Utah Ranked Choice Voting, told the committee a UVU study and other materials show voters in participating municipalities “liked it” and that smaller cities have seen “substantial savings” by avoiding runoffs. Millcreek Mayor Jeff Silvestrini said post‑implementation polling in his city showed “70% of our residents favored ranked choice voting” and that residents reported understanding the process.

Opponents and skeptical committee members raised multiple concerns about ballot exhaustion, auditability and participation. Senator Curt Thatcher said the single biggest problem he sees in some pilot cities is ballots discarded in the first round: “On the first round of voting, there were more votes cast out from either failing to mark a first place candidate or marking a first place candidate twice. There were more than double the numbers of ballots cast out and not counted than the difference between the eventual winner and loser.” He repeatedly pressed the question, “How many votes can be discarded in the 1st round and not counted and still be an acceptable election system?”

Utah County Clerk Aaron Davidson provided county participation figures from several municipalities that used ranked‑choice voting and said turnout fell in each case; he told the committee Lehi’s turnout dropped from roughly 30% before ranked‑choice voting to about 20% in the most recent municipal year. Utah Election Integrity board member Christie Henshaw and other public commenters urged the committee to let the program sunset, saying they had collected data and were unconvinced the system improved elections.

Other public testimony split sharply. The League of Women Voters of Utah and the Utah League of Cities and Towns recommended extension to allow more data collection and local choice. Utah County Commissioner Amelia Powers Gardner (former county clerk) told the committee ranked‑choice voting “was not confusing for our voters” and that smaller cities appreciated the budget certainty when primaries are avoided.

Committee outcome: After extended member questions and more than an hour of public comment, Senator Blum moved that the committee favorably recommend SB 127 to the full Senate. Senator McKell offered a substitute motion to adjourn. The substitute motion to adjourn was adopted by voice vote, and no committee recommendation on SB 127 was recorded during the hearing. The bill thus remained with the committee for further action at a later time.

Discussion vs. decision: The hearing produced substantial discussion and public record on benefits and risks of ranked‑choice voting, but the committee took no formal legislative action on SB 127 during this session. Members repeatedly framed the question as a balance between local control and statewide election integrity concerns.

What’s next: The bill remains in committee; if sponsors or committee leadership schedule further action, the committee could revisit the measure or propose amendments before any floor consideration.

Ending: The record on SB 127 includes extensive public comment and county data cited by clerks and officials; committee members noted sharply divided public views and left the matter unresolved pending further committee action.

","Senate Committee on Government Operations and Political Subdivisions heard extended testimony and divided public comment on Senate Bill 127, which would extend the pilot allowing municipalities to use ranked‑choice (preferential) voting. After lengthy debate and public comment, the committee adjourned without issuing a recommendation on the bill.","actionData","errors"]

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Committee advances multiple bills on retirement, immunity, purchasing and legislative rules; substitutes adopted on several items

Committee hears hours of testimony on bill to extend ranked‑choice voting pilot; no committee recommendation