SALT LAKE CITY — Some senators appeared startled when the drums began.
The American Fork High School marching band drum line acted as the gavel to begin the 2025 Utah State Legislature in the Utah State Senate chamber. But after the pomp and ceremony, the Senate President delivered a fiery speech calling for lawmakers to defend "The Utah Dream."
"The Utah Dream is rooted in values we all hold dear, like hard work, community, family, innovation and opportunity. Where every child, family and community has a chance to grow to achieve and to prosper using principles of personal freedom, responsibility and the collective good. There are some who would like to alter or destroy this Utah Dream. We cannot let that happen," Sen. J. Stuart Adams, R-Layton, told the crowd.
He particularly took aim at citizen ballot initiatives, something the Utah State Legislature faced a bruising defeat on in court last year.
"We cannot let unelected special interest groups outside of Utah run initiatives and override our republic, destroy our businesses, demean, impugn and cast aside those who are duly elected to represent their neighbors and friends in Utah," Sen. Adams said. "We cannot let the Utah Dream die. We will not let initiatives driven by out-of-state money turn Utah into California."
The American Fork High School Marching Band "gaveled in" the legislative session below:
One of the groups suing the Utah legislature over its decision to override a citizen initiative countered that the citizens support and defend the constitution.
"It is our Utah constitution that gives voters the right to make laws when their elected representatives ignore them. The voters of this state are not 'special interest groups' but rather concerned citizens," said Katharine Biele, the president of the League of Women Voters of Utah. "These continued attempts to bypass the will of voters are unwelcome and unnecessary. If our representatives were simply more responsive to their constituents, they would not see initiatives popping up."
The Republican supermajority is expected to tackle some major issues, bolstered by the Trump administration.
"It’s time for Utah to manage Utah. In fact, we’d like to petition the federal government to allow Utah to stand as a national experiment, allowing us to keep a portion of our federal tax dollars, run the programs, and discontinue federal oversight," House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, said in his opening remarks. "To our federal delegation, I have three words: Sign. Us. Up. We do it better than anyone. Whether it’s education, transportation, Medicaid, public lands – we manage more effectively, more efficiently, and more affordably."
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Lawmakers are gearing up to make major changes to immigration, energy policy and higher education.
"A traditional four-year degree increasingly stretches into five years or more, and the cost of that extended education can weigh heavily on students and their families. At the same time, our workforce needs more engineers, nurses, teachers, mental health professionals, and more," Speaker Schultz said. "We have the tools to change this. By partnering with our universities, we can streamline operations and refocus resources where they matter most. Trimming administrative costs, consolidating under-performing programs, and reinvesting the savings will allow us to expand high-demand, high-impact programs."
The House Speaker also called for reforms to ensure people can afford housing in Utah. That's a view shared by his Democratic counterpart.
"As we know, housing availability is a huge issue for everyone not just for Salt Lake City but across the country," said House Minority Leader Angela Romero, D-Salt Lake City. "The other thing, I want us to be smart when we’re talking about energy."
On the subject of energy policy, the Senate President pushed for investments in nuclear energy in Utah, while defending keeping existing coal plants operating.
"We need to establish Utah as the next frontier of energy innovation for not only the nation but the world – a center of excellence that will position our state as a global leader in reliable, affordable power," Sen. Adams said. "Utah needs to be positioned as the nation's nuclear hub, not only in power production but also in key areas of the supply chain – including mining, manufacturing and workforce development."
The Senate President also threw his support behind something the Colorado River Collaborative (of which FOX 13 News is a member reported on): the idea of paying California for desalination plants in exchange for Colorado River water.
"This is an exciting time to work with our neighbors to solve some of the most critical issues facing Utah and our nation," he said.
Democrats on Utah's Capitol Hill have their own priorities. Senate Minority Leader Luz Escamilla, D-Salt Lake City, said child care, food security and taxes will be big topics they will push. The Senate's top Democrat called for her colleagues to go "back to basics."
"That tax on Social Security, just in policy, we fundamentally think it should be removed," she said. "More cuts on the income tax? Just pause, we’ve been doing multiple years now in a row. Can we just pause and make sure we're funding early childhood education and health care?"
But Sen. Escamilla acknowledged with the new federal administration and a Republican supermajority: "We are going to be playing a lot of defense and we recognize that."
