Overview
- Lawmakers convened in Salt Lake City and quickly surpassed 500 numbered bills, with 484 filed before gavel-in, signaling a crowded agenda through early March.
- Gov. Spencer Cox reaffirmed his goal of 35,000 starter homes by 2029 and backed new state funding to help cities build housing infrastructure, with state preemption of local zoning described as a last-resort option as voters remain split.
- Republican leaders left the door open to another income tax cut, while Cox said he will support it only if February revenue forecasts allow and budget writers warned money is tight.
- With snowpack near 60% of normal, water conservation rose on the agenda and Cox said he will meet federal officials in Washington, D.C., to discuss the Colorado River Compact and efforts to protect the Great Salt Lake.
- GOP supermajorities prepared to advance priorities as Democrats pledged to oppose new transgender and immigration measures, while proposals also surfaced to expand the state’s appellate courts and to allow the Legislature to alter voter-approved laws.