Welcome to the second day on the Hill.
Appropriations subcommittees started meeting this morning and lawmakers are already facing budget cuts. This afternoon, lawmakers on standing committees started advancing bills. And just in case you think that Utah might somehow be tied up in international deep state conspiracies, Rep. Chevrier got up on the House floor today to object to Utah adopting “International Fire Codes” in Utah law.
There’s only 43 days left!
Observations from the Hill
BUDGET CUTS: Last year’s Higher Education Strategic Reinvestment law forced colleges and universities to absorb a 5% cut with the promise that lawmakers would later reinvest those dollars into approved priorities. This year, the Utah State Legislature is applying the same approach to all of state government but without any public commitment to reinvestment.
Legislative leaders have instructed appropriations subcommittees to identify across-the-board 5% reductions, and four of the eight subcommittees began that work this morning. For now, this is not “strategic reinvestment.” It is a blunt budget exercise that risks shrinking services Utahns rely on, even as the state continues to tout strong revenue growth and long-term fiscal stability.
The early cut lists show what’s on the table. Economic and Community Development proposals include pulling $8 million from the STEM Action Center, cutting already-contracted attainable housing funds, reversing wage increases for liquor store staff, and slashing Utah’s film incentives. General Government cuts would eliminate voter outreach funding, close the South Valley DMV, end the Community Advisors Program, and drop premium support for teacher liability insurance. In public education, the State Board is weighing cuts to early literacy software and reductions to both private school voucher programs (can’t say we’re disappointed with that latter recommendation). Transportation and related budgets would cut educator support and digital resources, slash $87 million from higher education capital projects, and close a North Temple DABS store.
These choices matter because they shift costs onto families, students, educators, and voters while quietly shrinking public services. Without a clear reinvestment plan, a 5% cut here and there adds up fast, and the public deserves to know what is being lost and why. As the remaining appropriations committees meet tomorrow and the session progresses, we’ll continue to monitor what’s at stake.
PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP: This afternoon, the Government Operations Committee advanced HB 209, Utah’s version of the federal SAVE Act, which would require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to vote in state elections. Under the bill, election officials would be authorized to independently question a voter’s citizenship using databases like the federal SAVE system and driver license records, shifting the burden of proof onto the voter if challenged. Voters unable to immediately prove citizenship could still cast a provisional ballot for federal races but would need to provide documentation before the canvass to have state votes counted.
Supporters framed the bill as a “commonsense” safeguard to ensure only citizens vote, even as state officials acknowledged they have confirmed just a handful of potentially unlawful registrations amid an ongoing audit.
Opponents warned the bill creates two classes of voters based on paperwork, not eligibility, and risks disenfranchising disabled voters, naturalized citizens, tribal members, and others who may lack easy access to required documents. Advocacy groups, including the League of Women Voters of Utah, pointed to experiences in Arizona and Kansas, where similar laws removed tens of thousands of eligible voters from the rolls, generated lawsuits, and were costly to administer. Multiple speakers described HB 209 as a solution in search of a problem, noting that noncitizen voting is exceedingly rare and already carries severe penalties.
Despite those concerns, the committee adopted amendments and voted 9–3 to advance the bill, with all Democrats opposed, sending it forward as another major test of how far lawmakers are willing to go in the name of election “integrity” at the expense of voter access and participation.
CLEAN ENERGY: Also this afternoon, the House Public Utilities and Energy Committee advanced a slate of energy bills signaling Utah lawmakers’ growing push toward nuclear development while tightening rules around large-scale solar.
HB 78, sponsored by Rep. Albrecht, would create a new state Nuclear Regulatory Office to oversee nuclear policy and coordinate with federal regulators. Supporters framed the bill as positioning Utah to lead on advanced nuclear technologies and small modular reactors, while opponents, including the Utah Sierra Club, warned against fast-tracking radioactive fuel and waste programs, citing long-term health risks and Utah’s history with nuclear fallout. The bill was amended to clarify the nuclear fuel cycle and passed unanimously. Lawmakers also unanimously approved HCR 1, which promotes advanced nuclear manufacturing in Utah as an economic development strategy, despite concerns from HEAL Utah and others about speculative technologies, public subsidies, water use, and disproportionate impacts on Native communities.
In contrast, the committee took a more restrictive approach to renewable energy with HB 16, which limits state incentives for large solar installations that displace agricultural land. Backers argued the bill protects farming and grazing, while critics cautioned against undermining clean energy development. HB 16 passed 10–1, underscoring a clear theme from the committee: aggressive enthusiasm for nuclear power, paired with growing skepticism toward utility-scale solar.
