Utah Legislature

Republican lawmakers want to save money, cut taxes and build more homes. Democrats are more focused on other parts of the household budget, such as child care and food security.

Among other judiciary changes, lawmakers will consider expanding the Utah Supreme Court by two justices. “We apply a presumption of good faith to the work you do,” Chief Justice Matthew Durrant told lawmakers. “I hope you will accord us that same presumption.”

2025 got all the attention, but the fight over Utah’s congressional map goes all the way back to 2018. And it's likely to overshadow what lawmakers are doing in 2026.

Utah's transgender youth are going under the microscope again this legislative session. One bill would make changes for gender-affirming care patients grandfathered in under the state ban adopted in 2023. It also seeks to refute recommendations from the Department of Health and Human Services.

Solo la mitad de los estudiantes de tercer grado en Utah están leyendo al nivel de su grado. El gobernador Spencer Cox cree que tener una ley para hacer que los estudiantes con dificultades en lectura repitan el grado ayudaría a aumentar ese número.

The first day of Utah's annual General Session is Jan. 20, 2026. Mark your calendars for the first day of the 45-day sprint — and there's a lot to take in the year, all colored by tensions with the courts, redistricting and national political tensions. We're ready. Are you?

Last year, Utah lawmakers banned cellphones during class time. But Gov. Spencer Cox thinks phones also need to be off-limits in between classes. That’s called a bell-to-bell ban.

Only half of Utah third-graders are reading at grade level. Gov. Spencer Cox thinks having a law to hold students struggling with reading back a grade would help boost that number.

Republican leaders say expanding the state’s highest court from five to seven justices makes practical sense for a growing state, but others see it as flirting dangerously with court packing.

Honey bees are considered domesticated livestock by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Pollinators native to Utah, on the other hand, aren’t typically cared for by people.

Third District Court Judge Dianna Gibson says until the Utah Supreme Court weighs in, there will be a “cloud” over the state’s 2026 midterm elections.

Utah lawmakers bought time to appeal the redrawn map in a special session, but they also created conditions that could have candidates thinking: “This is my chance to run against somebody. I don't have to necessarily wait in line.”