LOCAL NEWS

Higher education, voting in focus for Utah Legislature in 2025

Dec 31, 2024, 7:28 AM

An undated photo of the Utah State Capitol....

(FILE) - An undated photo of the Utah State Capitol. (KSL-TV) 

(KSL-TV)

SALT LAKE CITY — Each new year in Utah brings with it another legislative session — the 45-day sprint when lawmakers fund state government for the next fiscal year and pass hundreds of bills covering nearly every subject imaginable.

Lawmakers convene for the 2025 general session on Jan. 21, and they will do so with a handful of policy priorities in mind. The specifics of most policies have yet to be made public, but top legislative leaders and the governor have already signaled they want to see significant changes in how Utah’s system of higher education operates. Several complaints raised during the 2024 election cycle have also put the state’s election administration in the spotlight, and a pair of court rulings against the Legislature have sparked concern from some about the separation of powers.

Here are several things to watch for on Capitol Hill over the coming year:

Higher ed in the hot seat

After taking aim at diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at state colleges and universities during the last legislative session, lawmakers are expected to consider significant changes to higher education, possibly including budget cuts or directives for schools to evaluate the need for certain degrees.

Utah House Speaker Mike Schultz appeared to question the return taxpayers are getting on their investment in public higher education in an interview with Deseret News in November while saying he’s OK with the spending “as long as we’re getting the right outcomes.”

“But if we’re not getting the right outcomes, the question has to be asked: Do we still subsidize at the same level that we’ve been subsidizing at?'” he said. “I think you can make the argument that you don’t.”

Gov. Spencer Cox hasn’t called for cutting specific programs but said higher education has “lost their way across the country in very important ways” and his proposed budget asks higher education leaders to look at which programs are creating the most value for students.

“A 10% reallocation is really what the discussion is honing in on,” he told KSL.com in December. “That money would be set aside as programs are eliminated, then it can be used to facilitate additional programs.”

Those discussions will certainly continue into the legislative session, with the outcome yet to be seen.

Potential election changes

Utah has seen several election-related controversies over the past year, with some Republicans challenging the signature-gathering path to the primary ballot, late postmarked ballots causing a stir in an extremely close congressional race, and legislative audits raising concerns about signature verification in ballot access petitions and on mail-in ballots.

Schultz used the results of a December audit to argue that “it’s clearly not the case” that mail-in voting is as secure as in-person voting — though the audit found only two votes had been cast by voters believed to be dead — and suggested the state’s mail-in voting system be revisited.

Lawmakers voted in an interim meeting to advance a bill that would criminalize disclosing how individual voters cast their ballots after Utah County Clerk Aaron Davidson admitted to tracking how some politicians voted. Other proposals could change when mailed ballots can be counted as late, require voters to opt in to receive a mail-in ballot, and potentially create an independent office to oversee elections in place of the lieutenant governor’s office.

“I don’t think we need to eliminate mail-in voting, but we should always be doing more to make it more secure,” Cox told reporters in December.

Legislature vs. judicial branch

The Utah Legislature faced a pair of legal setbacks over the summer when the Utah Supreme Court issued opinions that found lawmakers overstepped in changing a 2018 voter-led initiative on redistricting and allowing the state’s near-total abortion ban to remain on hold pending the outcome of a legal challenge.

Republican lawmakers expressed anger at both decisions, and the redistricting ruling prompted a special session in August through which lawmakers passed a resolution to try to amend the state Constitution as it relates to citizen ballot initiatives. That amendment was struck from the November ballot, however, after a court ruled that lawmakers failed to accurately describe the impact of the amendment on the ballot question and failed to publish the text of the amendment in newspapers.

Lawmakers are expected to reintroduce that proposed amendment — possibly as soon as the 2026 midterm elections — and other proposals could make it harder for such citizen-led ballot initiatives to pass in the first place.

Schultz and Senate President Stuart Adams called the redistricting ruling from the court “one of the worst outcomes we’ve ever seen” and some lawmakers have floated the idea of changing state law to elect, rather than appoint judges, in an effort to rein in what they see as overly burdensome checks on the Legislature’s power.

Cox has said he doesn’t support electing judges in the state, but it will be worth watching to see if lawmakers attempt to constrain the state’s judicial branch.

KSL 5 TV Live

Local News

Autumn Mercado, who was found dead in her home on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025....

Garna Mejia

Charges pending in case of West Jordan mother found dead, family seeks justice and protection for children

Nearly a month after the discovery of West Jordan woman's body during a welfare check, charges in the case have yet to be filed.

4 minutes ago

FILE - A police vehicle flashes its lights. (Matt Rourke, Associated Press) FILE: police lights. On...

Michael Houck

Pedestrian killed after being hit by a vehicle, Santa Clara-Ivins police say

A woman was fatally hit by a vehicle Friday evening, Santa Clara-Ivins police say.

32 minutes ago

An Orem home that was scheduled to be demolished on fire on Feb. 4, 2025....

Brian Carlson

Massive Orem house fire being investigated as arson

A fire that destroyed an empty Orem home in a wooded area of the city is now being investigated as arson.

1 hour ago

Nancy Duncan and Nick Jenderko behind Sabrina Carpenter at the 2025 Grammy Awards show....

Mike Anderson

Utahns sat among stars at the Grammys

Some Utahns earned some bragging rights after a night at the Grammy Awards.

2 hours ago

FILE: On the same day the Utah’s Senate unanimously passed a resolution to bring an NHL franchise...

Daniella Rivera

‘You are inviting rapists to Utah’: Survivor urges lawmakers to consider consent bill

Year after year, Utah lawmakers have resisted or ignored efforts to close what experts and advocates say is a gap in the state’s sexual assault laws. The lawmaker behind those efforts hopes this year will be different.

3 hours ago

Over a thousand people filled the state Capitol rotunda Friday pleading for Gov. Spencer Cox to vet...

Shara Park

Thousands gather at Capitol Hill to protest against controversial union bill

Over a thousand people filled the Utah State Capitol rotunda Friday pleading for Gov. Spencer Cox to veto HB267.

3 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

holiday gift basket with blue tissue paper and gingerbread cookies...

Kneaders Bakery & Cafe

Holiday hacks for a stress-free season

Get more out of your time with family and loved ones over the holidays by following these tips for a stress-free season.

2 computer techs in a computer shop holding up a computer server with the "hang loose" sign...

PC Laptops

A comprehensive guide to choosing the right computer

With these tips, choosing the right computer that fits your needs and your budget will be easier than ever.

crowds of people in a German style Christmas market...

This Is The Place Heritage Park

Celebrate Christkindlmarket at This Is The Place Heritage Park!

The Christkindlmarket is an annual holiday celebration influenced by German traditions and generous giving.

Image of pretty woman walking in snowy mountains. Portrait of female wearing warm winter earmuff, r...

Lighting Design

Brighten your mood this winter with these lighting tricks

Read our lighting tips on how to brighten your mood in the winter if you are experiencing seasonal affective disorder.

A kitchen with a washer and dryer and a refrigerator...

Appliance Man

Appliance Man: a trusted name in Utah’s home appliance industry

Despite many recent closures of local appliance stores, Appliance Man remains Utah's trusted home appliance business and is here to stay.

abstract vector digital social network technology background...

Les Olson

Protecting yourself against social engineering attacks

Learn more about the common types of social engineering to protect your online or offline assets from an attack.

Higher education, voting in focus for Utah Legislature in 2025