The opening of the general session of the state legislature sets the tone for the next 45 days.
The tone in the House of Representatives was emotional as Rep. Greg Hughes, R-Draper, was sworn in to the spot vacated by former Speaker Becky Lockhart, who died after a short illness earlier this month.
U.S. Congressman Rob Bishop administered the oath of office for the new speaker, who started his opening day speech by invoking the former speaker who he said “wasn’t a big fan of inaction.”
Speaker Hughes’ speech highlighted the key points he hopes the legislature will address, including: Medicaid expansion, transportation issues including the gas tax, prison relocation, and education.
But Senate Majority leader Ralph Okerlund, R-Monroe, who serves on the committee for Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment, added one more:
“A sleeper out there that we have to start working on is water. With the growth we’re going to have we have to find a way to provide water for all those folks who are going to be here.”
Growth along the Wasatch Front will rely on water from the Bear River in the north. Senator Okerlund says the state need to figure out how to get that water to Salt Lake County including new funding structures for things like pipelines and reservoirs in addition to incentivizing conservation.
And on such a hazy day in Salt Lake City, no one could ignore the issue of air pollution. Senate Minority leader Gene Davis, D-Salt Lake, says we need to repeal a law that prevents state environmental officials from adopting regulations that are more stringent than the federal government’s.
“We missed by one vote getting it out of the senate last time.”
He told UPR he’s filed the bill again this year hoping it will pass.