2021 Assignments for the General Session of the Utah Legislature

As we quickly approach the January 19, 2021 Start of the 64th Utah Legislature, I wanted to give everyone an idea of my committee assignments and what life will be like during the session.

I have been appointed Chair of the House Government Operations Standing Committee. I’m both excited and humbled to work with the members of the committee for the good of the People of Utah. Committee members include:

• Norm Thurston, Vice Chair

• Walt Brooks

• Jen Dailey-Provost

• Phil Lyman

• Mike Peterson

• Val Peterson

• Candice Pierucci

• Stephanie Pitcher

• Steve Waldrip

Additionally, I will continue serving on the House Business and Labor and the Infrastructure and General Government Appropriations committees. I will be saying goodbye to my service on the House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee where I have served during my first two terms.

COVID-19 General Session

The general session will be anything but normal this year. The Capitol building will be operating under strict pandemic criteria and restrictions. The House Chamber looks extremely odd now. Plexiglass has been put up on three sides of each Chamber desk. It’s about three feet high. I’m not sure how much it will protect people (the sides don’t block our colleagues we sit next to), but it is what it is.

We’ve also been given the choice to participate virtually, in-person, or a hybrid of both. I will be practicing the hybrid model. I’ll plan to be in-person if I’m presenting in committee or in the chamber and during committee meetings that I chair. The rest of the time I will mostly attend virtually from my Capitol office or from my home office.

The public will be able to view all public proceedings virtually.

Unfortunately, all normal daily events for the public and legislators are canceled this year at the capitol. But I hope you all will feel free to contact me anytime through the normal channels.

General Session Initiatives

As a legislature, we will be working on many items. Some of the key initiatives will be the same as most years. A big focus will definitely be on COVID related matters. I have been assigned to the health department working group. This group will play a major role in developing legislation to fix or improve emergency power related legislation policy and code related to the health department. Other working groups have been organized for legislative powers and executive branch powers. The goal is to determine and implement legislation to fix many of the holes and flaws discovered in our code resulting from the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

I will make public later a list of bills I am sponsoring.