Welcome to the 11th day on the Hill.
We have a limited update for you today because our staff took the afternoon off in solidarity with the nationwide protests against ICE operations taking place in Minneapolis and across the country.
There’s only 34 days left!
Observations from the Hill
THE COURT IS PACKED: SB 134 Court Amendments, sponsored by Rep. Casey Snider, was heard on the House floor this morning. Two Democratic attorneys, Reps. Grant Miller and Andrew Stoddard, spoke up against the bill during debate to note that the judiciary desperately needs resources, but that it is needed in the lower district courts, not at the Utah Supreme Court.
In response, we heard the same arguments from the supermajority that a growing state needs more justices on the highest court, though I’ve never really understood this argument because we don’t keep adding more justices with more population—even the largest states cap their highest courts at seven or nine justices. This isn’t a politically representative branch of government and is designed to be independent.
But they didn’t ask me my opinion and representatives voted 57-18 to pass the bill. With a referendum-proof supermajority in both the House and Senate, it now heads to the Governor, who previously signalled his support for expanding the Supreme Court.
LEGISLATIVE STATS: At the end of the second week, the legislative session is in full swing. 15 bills and resolutions have already passed the House and Senate, with eleven of those waiting for action from Governor Spencer Cox. As of the time I’m writing this sentence, 736 bills and resolutions have so far been introduced this legislative session. If I counted correctly, there are currently 125 “in process” bill files that are still being worked on by senators and representatives.
