Senate in Session (Senate Chamber) [Source] Translate

The meeting commenced with a prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance. The journal from the previous session was approved. Several guests were introduced, including supporters of SB533 and students from the Teen Court program. Communications from the House included the passage of bills related to municipal water and sewer services, recognition of school athletic directors, and the establishment of a cold case task force. Reports from standing committees recommended several bills for passage, including Senate Bill 541, Senate Bill 901, and Senate Bill 996, which were referred to the Committee on Finance. Senate Resolution 49, commending volunteers for recovery efforts at Chief Logan State Park, was introduced, highlighting the contributions of young volunteer Jayden Hanna. The resolution was approved for inclusion in the journal. The Senate then voted on Senate Resolution 50, which requests a study by the Joint Committee on Government and Finance regarding the Public Service Commission, passing with 34 votes in favor. Several bills were discussed on their third reading. Senate Bill 493, concerning open captioning for motion pictures, passed with 33 votes in favor. Senate Bill 560, the FAST Act, allowing state payments to vendors using stable tokens, passed unanimously. Senate Bill 670, adopting the Uniform Protected Series Act, passed with 34 votes in favor. Senate Bill 755, removing annual reporting requirements for certain businesses, passed unanimously. Senate Bill 759, broadening the definition of auctions and raising bond requirements for auctioneers, passed with 34 votes in favor. Senate Bill 794, clarifying adoption appeals, passed unanimously. Senate Bill 880, recognizing Judea and Samaria in official state materials, passed with 34 votes in favor despite some opposition. A speaker shared their experience at the U.S. embassy in Israel, emphasizing the historical significance of Judea and Samaria and urging support for the bill, which passed with 32 votes in favor. A bill addressing contraband delivery to correctional facilities via drones passed with 33 votes in favor. Another bill allowing the governor to set the salary of the state lottery director passed with 24 votes in favor. Senate Bill 935, eliminating tax exemptions for certain coal-fired power plants, passed with 32 votes in favor. Additional bills related to public health, education, and infrastructure were introduced and passed without objections. Julia Hightower from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention was welcomed to advocate for suicide awareness. The senator from Logan invited attendees to his office for food, while the senator from Wood discussed the historical foundations of American laws influenced by the Bible. Requests to include comments in the journal were approved. The meeting concluded with a motion to recess until 4:30 p.m., which passed, and various committee meetings were announced.