Senate Passes Big Changes to Independent Commissions

(KCPW News ) Utah Senate lawmakers voted today to limit the role of two independent state commissions tasked with reviewing tax policy and constitutional revisions. Republican Senator Margaret Dayton’s bill requires the legislature or Governor to formally request reviews from the Constitutional Revision and Tax Review commissions. Her bill is supported by Republican Senator Lyle Hillyard, who says the two commissions have already achieved their goal of combing through tax code and the constitution.

“I think the concern now is they’re just kind of looking for work to do, so I support the idea of not disbanding them, but putting them there that they can be called to review issues as those issues come up, because I don’t think they want to go through section by section through the constitution again,” said Hillyard.

But Democrats like Senate Minority Leader Ross Romero argue that the commissions should retain their independence.

“It appeared as if those commissions were filling a good role and a public role and it provided am opportunity for transparency and for further discussion, and so I thought they were working well enough to be left alone,” he said.

Romero says he’s not convinced this will be a change for the better. The bill passed the Senate floor with a 21-to-5 vote, falling mostly on partisan lines, and now moves to the House.