Angela Romero

Some believe lawmakers don’t see the need to codify it after the U.S. Supreme Court decided the federal ICWA was constitutional.

Even with Utah’s Republican supermajority, Democrats in the House and Senate still have priorities they hope to make progress on this session.

Bills focusing on everything from cracking down on the fentanyl trade and organized crime to people who drive their cars without a license will be taken up by the Legislature in 2025.

Despite bipartisan support, Utah’s initial version of the federal Indian Child Welfare Act failed to pass in 2023. Now, it’s returning for the 2025 legislative session.

Democrats on the Ethnic Studies Commission voted against the recommendations. The ties to Utah’s anti-DEI law raised “big red flags” for Rep. Angela Romero.

The recommendations were required as a part of a 2022 law mandating ethnic studies be incorporated into Utah’s K-12 core standards.

The three-term mayor was a political icon in Utah. His daughter, current Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson, followed in his footsteps.

The bill also allows Utah school districts to sidestep a statewide student health and risk prevention survey without risking funding.

Similar clergy-penitent privilege bills have failed in the past. However, Rep. Anthony Loubet’s proposal has one major difference, resulting in a lack of opposition from the state's dominant faith.

Equal Opportunity Initiatives sailed through both chambers in the first two weeks of the 2024 General Session.

Week one of the legislative session has come and gone and Utah lawmakers are pedal to the metal. They're moving fast. Like, Usain Bolt in the Olympics FAST.

The bill now heads to the Senate for further consideration.