Welcome to the third day on the Hill.
What’s the state of the State? Governor Cox would like you to believe it’s better than ever before, but lawmakers believe they need to make a few fixes, including packing the Supreme Court and facilitating ICE enforcement in our communities.
There’s only 42 days left!
Observations from the Hill
PACKING THE COURT: SB 134 Court Amendments, sponsored by Sen. Chris Wilson, sparked a long hearing in the Senate Judiciary, Law Enforcement, and Criminal Justice Committee this afternoon as lawmakers weighed whether expanding the Utah Supreme Court from five to seven justices would actually improve efficiency or risk politicizing the courts. The bill sponsor pointed to Utah’s population growth and historical expansions of the judiciary, while several senators questioned whether adding justices would speed decisions or instead slow the court with more deliberation and dissent.
The committee unanimously adopted amendments to add district court judges in high-need areas, reflecting broad agreement that trial courts are under strain. But judges, attorneys, and legal scholars repeatedly testified that the Supreme Court has cleared its pandemic backlog, intentionally limits the cases it takes, and has not asked for additional justices.
Testifying for Better Utah Institute, Chase warned that even when the Legislature has clear constitutional authority, making structural changes to the Court during a period of heightened political tension risks undermining public trust and creating the appearance that judicial decisions are being answered with institutional redesign. Courts, he said, function best when insulated from political pressure and guided by long-term institutional need.
Despite concerns about timing, optics, and effectiveness, the committee voted 8–1 to advance the bill.
LIMITING ICE: Sen. Nate Blouin presented his bill, SB 136 Enforcement Activities Amendments, as a “Utah Compact on Immigration” style bill intended to keep certain public buildings as “safe places” and to limit law enforcement face coverings, arguing recent ICE activity has gone beyond targeting serious criminals and has included actions like entering homes without valid judicial warrants. The bill would restrict enforcement activity in sensitive locations such as places of worship, public libraries, healthcare facilities, courthouses, and sites providing mental health and legal services.
Committee discussion focused on whether the state can regulate federal enforcement activity, what counts as public vs. non-public spaces inside buildings, and concerns that the bill could reduce coordination with federal agents. Multiple public commenters described fear in immigrant communities and supported the bill, while opponents (including law enforcement voices and conservative advocates) argued immigration enforcement is federal authority, collaboration keeps communities safer, and restricting face coverings could endanger officers or limit practical policing.
After debate, Sen. Escamilla made a motion to favorably recommend the bill, but Sen. Brammer offered a substitute motion to table it, criticizing the bill as mostly symbolic and highlighting comments made during testimony about abolishing ICE and/or the police. The committee voted 6–3 to table the bill.
STATE OF THE STATE: In his State of the State address, Spencer Cox framed the 2026 legislative session around a call for renewed civic virtue, humility, and restraint in government, drawing heavily on American founding ideals and historical warnings about materialism, partisanship, and moral drift. Cox urged lawmakers to legislate less and govern better, arguing that not every challenge can or should be solved through new laws.
Within that framework, Cox highlighted several policy priorities: improving third-grade literacy as a moral obligation, expanding housing supply to preserve homeownership, addressing homelessness through treatment and accountability, protecting children from harmful social media algorithms including a bell-to-bell school cellphone ban, and confronting addiction and mental illness fueled by fentanyl. He repeatedly emphasized character, self-government, and faith in Utah as essential to sustaining democracy in a fast-moving, divided world.
The Democratic response struck a more material and accountability-focused tone, emphasizing the gap between Utah’s economic success and the lived reality of many families. Sen. Luz Escamilla and Rep. Angela Romero called for action on housing affordability, childcare, food insecurity, and healthcare access amid economic uncertainty and federal instability. They pressed for evidence-based solutions to homelessness, stronger investments in public education, and protections for mental health and community safety, including sensible gun safety laws and domestic violence prevention.
Democrats also underscored the urgency of protecting the Great Salt Lake for jobs, air quality, and the state’s future, while defending democratic norms such as fair representation, an independent judiciary, and respect for separation of powers. Their message centered on inclusion, public trust, and governing in a way that ensures every Utahn feels safe, heard, and able to belong.
