Lt. Gov. Henderson discusses plans for the 2023 legislative session

SALT LAKE CITY — As the 2023 Utah Legislative Session got underway Tuesday, Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson says there will be a lot of important issues to discuss over the next 45 days.

She came on Jeff Caplan’s Afternoon News to discuss what she hopes to see out of the legislature.

“I think the number one important thing that the legislature does when they come into the session is to pass a budget,” she said. “That’s a constitutional obligation.”

Caplan asks what Henderson thinks will happen this session?

“Well, it’s hard to say again,” she said. “It’s day one of 45. We got 44 days ahead of us to see what actually shapes up. I don’t know if there is any solid agreement yet between the House and the Senate as to what those tax cuts will look like. But what people do agree on is that there really does need to be some sort of tax relief.”

Top priorities for Lt. Gov. Henderson

Caplan asks, “What are your personal top priorities for this session?”

“It’s hard to say what number one thing is a priority for me,” she said. 

However, Henderson does say that she has been working on some domestic violence issues. 

“But I have been working on some domestic violence legislation that I think can be a game changer in the state of Utah,” she said. 

“How so?” Caplan asked.

Henderson says she is working with Sen. Todd Weiler (R-Woods Cross) on legislation that would give law enforcement the tools to know if a domestic violence situation is isolated or if is a repeated pattern. 

Henderson compares the legislation to traffic citations. She says maybe last year you were pulled over twice and given warnings. But on the third time, the officer decides to issue a citation. She says the officer would know of the previous warnings by running the driver’s license.

“We have no such system in place for domestic violence serious offenses,” she said. 

Henderson says the bill is currently being drafted. She is hopeful that it will be numbered sometime in the next week. 

 

Jeff Caplan’s Afternoon News can be heard on weekdays from 3 to 7 p.m.

If you or someone you know are experiencing trouble linked to domestic violence, the following resources are available to you.

Utah Domestic Violence LINKLine
1-800-897-LINK (5465)

If LINKLine advocates are experiencing an increased call volume, calls will be forwarded to the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

National Domestic Violence Hotline
1-800-799-SAFE (7233)

StrongHearts Native Helpline
1-844-762-8483

Read more:

• Proposed bill seeks to create domestic violence task force
• Education, water are big issues in 2023 Utah Legislative Session, expert says

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