SALT LAKE CITY – Gov. Gary R. Herbert finished reviewing the bills that passed through Utah’s 2018 General Legislative session on March 28, signing a grand total of 498 pieces of legislation.
Utah’s Legislative session lasted two months and ended March 8. After the sessions commencement Herbert spent the following twenty days carefully reviewing the bills, vetoing a few, but signing most.
In a tweet posted Wednesday, Herbert said he signed 498 pieces of legislature and vetoed three.
Among the three, Herbert vetoed HB198, which would force the state attorney general to give legal opinions whenever they are asked by the legislature session. This was created to prevent legislatures being barred from seeking legal advice.
In a similar fashion SB17, which attempted to grant Utah lawmakers the ability to arrange their own defense when necessarily challenged in court, was also vetoed.
According to Salt Lake Tribune reporter Dan Harrie in an article posted yesterday, these vetoes were a strike against balance-tipping bills aimed at increasing the power lawmakers have in creating and enforcing laws.
Harrie said he is unsure moving forward if the legislature will attempt to override Herbert’s vetoes. In order to do so there would need to be two-thirds of the vote in both the house and the senate.
Among the 498 pieces of legislation signed were bills previously covered by BYU’s legislature team, including Utah Anti-discrimination Act Amendments, Mental Crisis Line Amendments, Domestic Violence Provisions, Trauma-informed Justice Provisions, Utah Athletic Commission Amendments and many more.
In addition there were thirty other resolutions passed by the legislation that didn’t require the governor’s signature.
