Tag Archives: legislature

Who ran the most bills in the 2013 Legislature?

Legislators vary widely in how many bills that sponsor in the Utah Legislature. Before we proceed, let’s clarify what “sponsoring” and “floor sponsoring” mean: Sponsoring. This means the legislator came up with the idea for the bill and had it … Continue reading

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Who voted “nay” most often in the 2013 Utah Legislature?

Perhaps it takes a few terms of service to pick up the “consensus culture.” Although most votes in the Utah Legislature pass with overwhelming 90+% majorities, there are some legislators who really like to vote “nay.” There aren’t enough of … Continue reading

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How quickly were bills passed in 2013?

Something changed around 2009 or 2010 that led legislators to introduce their bills later and, as a result, process them more quickly. In 2013, the Utah Legislature passed more bills than it’s passed since I started keeping track (in 2007). … Continue reading

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The closest votes in the 2013 Legislature

Most votes in the Utah Legislature pass with an overwhelming bipartisan majority. It has long been tradition that floor votes in the Utah Legislature pass with overwhelming majorities taking the same side. Democrats and Republicans alike tend to get behind … Continue reading

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Were Democrats able to pass their bills this year?

The numbers tell a different story: Democratic bills received less favorable treatment than last year. Before the 2013 Utah Legislative session started up, I wrote a post noting that Democrats have seen remarkable success in recent years at passing their … Continue reading

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Do Utah Legislators work enough to justify their salary?

It’s not much of a stretch to claim that Utah Legislators earn poverty wages. Since passage of HJR006 early in 2013, Utah Legislators will earn $16,500 per year. It can be difficult to know how many hours legislators put in … Continue reading

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Legislative Democrats have had more of their bills considered in recent years

Democrats were more successful at getting their bills considered in 2012 than in previous years. Republicans have held a veto-proof supermajority in the Utah Legislature for years. The 2012 elections gave them even more control, bringing us the second most … Continue reading

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Context for Sen. Osmond’s proposed rules changes

Bills were introduced later and passed faster in 2012. It seems Sen. Osmond wants to reverse this trend. The news reports that Sen. Aaron Osmond wants to change the legislature’s rules to ban so-called “boxcar” bills, thereby increasing transparency in … Continue reading

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Utah legislator flashcards

The 2013 Utah Legislature will convene in a few short weeks. Are you ready? If you haven’t studied my Utah legislator flashcards, then you probably aren’t. Enjoy.

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Nationwide, single member districts hurt Democrats

No matter who controls the Utah Legislature, it will be hard for Democrats to win as many legislative seats in Utah as their popular vote might suggest. I wrote recently that single member districts hurt the minority party, whatever the … Continue reading

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