ELECTIONS, POLITICS, & GOVERNMENT
Utah House passes bill requiring government to comply with Utah law, not portions of federal Title IX law
Jun 19, 2024, 5:29 PM | Updated: 8:06 pm
Utah lawmakers begin addressing several issues in a special session called by Gov. Spencer Cox. (Aimee Cobabe, KSL NewsRadio)
(Aimee Cobabe, KSL NewsRadio)
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Legislature is addressing several issues in a special session called by Gov. Spencer Cox.
Utah lawmakers are expected to address six bills during this special session. They were all identified by Gov. Cox as needing work.
By Wednesday afternoon, Utah House lawmakers had passed H.C.R. 301 Concurrent Resolution-directives to Government Officers Under the Utah Constitutional Sovereignty Act in Regard to Title IX. The House vote was 57 yes votes to 14 no votes.
According to the bills text, HCR 301 “directs government officers to comply with Utah laws where there is a conflict with the new regulations adopted under Title IX of the Education 14 Amendments of 1972, effective August 1, 2024.”
By Wednesday evening, House lawmakers had also passed HJR301, a joint resolution which, according to the resolution’s text, “declares that Utah has the sovereign authority and responsibility to safeguard the state’s health, safety, and welfare of, and to promote the prosperity of, Utah residents and that the federal government’s overreach in regard to the new regulations adopted under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, effective August 1, 2024, infringes upon this authority and responsibility.”
Coal power
Another issue addressed in the Utah special session is SB 161, passed during the regular session. It has to do with the future of a coal power plant in Delta, Utah.
Most of the plant’s power actually goes to California. But there are new regulatory rules in California requiring more clean energy.
The plant was going to shut down before Utah lawmakers passed a bill requiring Utah to sell to California in an attempt to keep it going.
House Speaker Mike Schultz said their action on Wednesday is all about protecting Utah’s energy future.
“We are in a crisis mode as far as energy production goes,” he said. “All across the nation, we do not have enough energy production [or] power production, to meet the needs of our growing economy.”
This story will be updated.
Related reading: Lawmakers propose to keep Utah running on coal and natural gas
