Making history in several ways, the Utah Legislature started a special session on Thursday to address topics that have come up due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the first time the Legislature has called itself into a special session and it is the first time a special session is being held remotely through the use of technology. During an interview on Newstalk AM 920 KVEL on Wednesday, Senator Ron Winterton explained that this session was called by the Speaker of the House and Senate President and the session will primarily stick to issues related to the current crisis the state is facing. Senator Winterton said the Legislature will be looking at how to responsibly get Utahns back to some normal state of living their lives and addressing the economy, among other relevant issues. On Thursday, the House met in the morning and sent 8 items to the Senate where 7 of the 8 were passed in the afternoon. This included HB3006 that will make Utah’s primary election in June a vote-by-mail election that also allows for mobile voting from vehicles as an option for counties. Others focused on budgeting issues and extending liability protections to medical providers of COVID-19 patients. The Legislature has up to 10 days to conduct their business. To view Thursday’s sessions or to tune into today’s sessions, visit le.utah.gov and click on Calendar. To listen to Senator Winterton’s entire interview, visit www.BasinNow.com and link to the Public Affairs page on the Community tab.
