Week 3 of the legislative session is in the books. Big conversations this past week include education policy, concealed carry legislation, access to gender-affirming care, driving privilege cards, and a number of bills impacting the judiciary. Each week of the session gets busier, but our work continues and my bills are steadily moving through the process. Appropriations committees are close to finishing their budget priorities, at which point the standing committees will meet more frequently and the legislature will increase its focus on bills. As of this morning 843 bills have been introduced, and 43 have already passed both bodies.
Read on for a week 3 update, including big issues discussed this week, updates on my legislation, and the goings-on on Capitol Hill.
Big Bills This Week…
1. HB452: Firearms at Large Venues
HB452, Concealed Firearm Carry Access on Publicly Supported Entities (Rep. Pierucci), would require private entities that receive $1M or more in public funds to allow concealed carry on property the entity owns, leases, or operates. This would mean facilities like the Delta Center and events like Utah Jazz or Mammoth games. Potential amendments may be coming to the bill that would instead require the private entity offer a “safe storage” area for the individual to store their gun while on the property.
I oppose this legislation, in both forms. Gun violence has become prevalent in the United States and we should be pursuing policies aimed at ending this epidemic. HB452 is reckless legislation that infringes on private property rights and puts the public at risk. I believe that large, crowded venues should be able to set their own safety policies in coordination with local law enforcement.
HB452 is awaiting a committee assignment in the House. If it passes the House and is heard in the Senate, I plan to vote no.
2. HB193: State Insurance Coverage of Transgender Medical Procedures
HB193, Transgender Medical Procedure Amendments (Rep. Peck), would restrict publicly-funded Utah employers, such as the state, city governments, and school districts, from offering insurance that covers transgender surgical procedures or hormonal treatments.
I oppose this legislation. HB193 is yet another bill that targets transgender Utahns and inserts politics into healthcare. I believe every individual deserves medically necessary care, and decisions about what that entails should be made with the patient and their doctor. Our public employers should not be restricted from offering comprehensive, evidence-based health coverage.
HB193 passed the House on Thursday and is now sitting in the Senate Rules Committee. If it reaches the Senate floor, I will be voting no.
3. HB287: Eliminating Driving Privilege Cards
HB287, Immigrant Driving Amendments (Rep. Lee), would end Utah’s driver privilege card program. Driver privilege cards are issued by Utah’s Driver License Division and allow residents who cannot prove legal presence in the United States to legally drive on Utah roads.
I oppose this legislation. The driver privilege card has been in place for over 20 years and has been a good program that grants driving privileges to both undocumented individuals as well as those who came here legally under certain work and student visas. The program ensures we are properly vetting all drivers on Utah’s roads, and allows those individuals the ability to register their vehicles and obtain car insurance, improving public safety.
HB287 is awaiting a committee assignment in the House. If it passes the House and is heard in the Senate, I will be voting no.
4. Request for Appropriation: Colorado River Litigation
Senator Hinkins, who happens to be the chair of the Natural Resources Appropriations Committee, has filed a Request for Appropriation, or RFA, requesting $1 million to prepare Utah for potential litigation over the Colorado River. The Colorado River is a vital 1,450-mile waterway originating in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains and flowing through southeastern Utah. The river provides roughly 27% of our state’s water supply. Utah is part of the Colorado River Compact, a 1922 agreement that regulates water distribution among seven states in the Southwest U.S. Given lower-than-average precipitation levels, these states have been negotiating a new agreement to manage the river, but progress has been slow.
Sen. Hinkins states that the $1M allocation is meant to protect Utah’s water rights in the event an agreement cannot be reached.
The funding request is currently with the National Resources Appropriations Committee, awaiting committee ranking among other funding priorities. It will then go to the Executive Appropriations Committee for a final budget determination.
Updates on My Legislation
Newly numbered bills since last week’s update (current as of 2/9/2026):
SB252 – Water Usage at State-owned Facilities Amendments: Directs the Division of Water Resources to select low-water turf grass when replacing or installing lawn or turf on state properties, and requires the Division of Facilities Construction and Management to routinely audit state facilities to test the efficiency of the landscape irrigation system and determine whether the efficiency of the system operates at or above 75%.
SB258 – Infant at Work Amendments: Expands the Infant at Work Pilot Program, which I initially passed in 2020 and which was piloted with the Utah Department of Health. This bill would expand the program to all state agencies within the executive branch.
SB264 – Elected Official Publicity Amendments: Makes some modifications to the rules regarding publicly funded mass communications for neutral, information purposes.
Click here for a complete list of the legislation I’m working on this session.
Advocacy for Parley’s Canyon
On Thursday, Rep. Nguyen and I met with Bryce Bird, Director of the Utah Division of Air Quality, to discuss the permitting process for Granite Construction’s proposed open-air gravel mine in Parley’s Canyon and to represent our constituents’ interests in preventing construction of the mine. My district is overwhelmingly concerned with the mine and its potential negative impacts on air quality, the environment, our watersheds, and the canyon’s natural beauty. I will continue to explore every possible avenue to prevent construction of the proposed mine.
Snapshots from Week 3
Intern Corner
Hi everyone!
It’s been a wild week. I’ve enjoyed watching Senator Pitcher consider different strategic approaches as she moves her bills through the process. Some highlights this past week include a conversation with the Division of Air Quality regarding the propose gravel pit in Parley’s Canyon, and meeting with various stakeholders to work through bill language. There have also been some awesome events in the Capitol rotunda, including a vibrant Lunar New Year celebration.
One thing you only really realize as an intern is that the Capitol runs at about 100 mph during the session. One of my most important jobs is not only tracking introduced bills, but also tracking the bill watchlists of groups and organizations like the ACLU of Utah and Better Utah. With over 800 bills already introduced, I’m constantly checking floor calendar screens, as their status can change in seconds. It’s chaotic, but it’s the best way to see how the “sausage is made” in real-time! You can track bills along with me here to stay the most up-to-date on Senator Pitcher’s bills and the rest of the legislation being run this year!
Some interesting things as an intern that happened this past week were:
- Both the Natural History Museum of Utah and Loveland Living Planet Aquarium hosted a Legislative night where legislators, staff, and families could come and enjoy!
- Lots of research into AI surveillance product pricing! Some interesting findings here.
- I watched Senator Pitcher give an entire media interview in Spanish.
- I got really good at repairing a broken shoe with a safety pin (new skill unlocked?).
Here are some fun pictures from last week:
Upcoming Town Hall
Join me on February 18! I’ll be participating in the Holladay City Town Hall to discuss everything legislative-related — big bills, my legislation, Capitol happenings, and of course, your questions. I hope to see you there.
A Note on Saturday’s Signature Gathering Events
If you knocked doors with us Saturday morning or picked up a signature packet from me Saturday afternoon — THANK YOU. There may have been a discrepancy in the address you were given to return the packet. Kindly respond to this email and I’ll make sure you have the correct address, for whenever your packet is ready.
If you weren’t able to join us this past weekend, I’ll have more signing events soon! Thank you for your help and support 🙏
Let’s Connect
The issues you care about matter. Let me know what your policy priorities are and what issues you think our state legislature should be focusing on this year. You can contact me anytime:
Cell: (385) 272-8032
Email: spitcher@le.utah.gov
You can also follow my campaign on Instagram, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter).