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We are professors of political science sharing academic research relevant to Utah. Posts are not peer reviewed and may discuss work in progress that is subject to future revision. Learn more. Each post reflects only its author’s views.
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Monthly Archives: March 2016
Naysayers in the 2016 Utah Legislature
Even more so than Representatives, Senators really don’t like voting “nay.” Utah legislators don’t like voting no. Well, most of them don’t. Only 3% (House) and 1% (Senate) of floor votes held in 2016 failed, and that was consistent with past … Continue reading
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Tagged consensus, legislature, roll call votes
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Who missed the most votes in the 2016 Utah Legislature?
The perfect attendance award goes to Rep. Michael Kennedy, the only legislator to miss zero votes. Utah Legislators had only 45 days to consider 819 bills, passing 475 of them. The Legislature moves at such a breakneck pace that falling ill … Continue reading
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Tagged absenteeism, legislative life, legislature, roll call votes
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The closest votes of the 2016 Legislature
Two of the session’s closest Senate votes came 45 minutes apart, voting on the same bill, within an hour of adjournment, with opposite results. The Utah Legislature loves consensus. Bills seldom pass on party-line votes. Instead, votes routinely pass with both … Continue reading
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Tagged consensus, legislature, roll call votes
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Unanimity remained the rule in the 2016 Utah Legislature
Utah’s Republicans and Democrats vote together more often than they vote against each other. Last fall, House Minority Leader directed a scathing op-ed at his Republican counterparts. Near the end of the 2016 session, Utah’s legislators approved changes to the (traditionally bipartisan) … Continue reading
The 2016 Legislature: Slowing down while speeding up
Legislators introduced 177 bills in the session’s final three weeks. Despite being limited to only 45 lawmaking days, Utah’s Legislature sure passes a lot of bills–2 to 3 times as many bills per year as Congress. After last year’s record … Continue reading
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Tagged legislative life, legislature, vetting
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