SALT LAKE CITY — The House Speaker and Senate President appear split on a resolution praising President Donald Trump being run in the aftermath of Utah Sen. Mitt Romney's vote to convict the president.
Meeting with reporters on Friday morning, House Speaker Brad Wilson, R-Kaysville, said he was working on a resolution thanking President Trump for his work for Utah and the nation. He acknowledged the Senate was not generally supportive of it.
"We'll see where it goes," he said.
Senate President J. Stuart Adams, R-Layton, said Friday that he was considering a citation instead. Slightly different from a resolution, it carries a similar impact as a resolution, but does not require any hearings or even a legislative vote. Citations are generally given by the legislature in thanks for some type of service to the state.
The Senate President reiterated his desire to "move on" from the drama surrounding Sen. Romney's vote.
"I think there’s a sentiment of trying to be positive. We have a lot to be positive for. I think as far as censureship or the unconstitutional effort to try to remove a senator, I think it will be problematic," he said.
The resolution was brought up as Republican leaders on Utah's Capitol Hill met with Sen. Romney hours after his vote to convict the president in the impeachment trial. Some appeared to fear the president might take some kind of action against the state as payback from the vote.
Rep. Phil Lyman, R-Blanding, told reporters he wanted to maintain good relations with the White House, so he opened a resolution to censure Sen. Romney for his vote.
On Friday, Governor Gary Herbert weighed in and said he would oppose efforts to censure Sen. Romney.
“Governor Herbert understands that Senator Mitt Romney voted in accordance with his conscience, bearing in mind all the information he had after sitting through the impeachment trial. He does not feel that voting in this manner warrants censure," his office said in a statement to FOX 13.
