Libertas Legislator Profiles

Name: Steve Eliason
Type: Representative
Party: Republican
District: 43
Email: seliason@le.utah.gov
Mobile: 801-673-4748
Follow @steveeliason

Libertas Legislator Index Rankings

The following rating measures how consistently this legislator votes in support of individual liberty, private property, and free enterprise. To learn more, see the main index page.

To see the specific votes used to rank this legislator, click the link in the table above for any of the yearly percentages listed.

Sponsored Ranked Bills

This legislator was the sponsor of the following bills, which were ranked by Libertas Institute in their respective year's Legislator Index.

• HB323: School Mental Health Funding Amendments (2020)
  This bill created a mental health assessment tool to be used in participating schools to conduct evaluations of each child, with parental consent -- though the terms of consent are not defined and the sensitive data may be stored over the long term. Schools should focus on teaching, not extra things such as this.
  
  This bill passed the House 44-28 and passed the Senate 19-9. Libertas supports a "nay" vote.
• HB324: Tobacco Age Amendments (2019)
  This bill increased the age limit for possession and purchase of tobacco from 19 to 21. However, it exempted those 18 or older who are in the military, or married to or the child of somebody in the military, to possess or purchase tobacco.
  
  This bill passed the House 47-19 and passed the Senate 15-12. Libertas supports a "nay" vote.
• HB309: Drug Distribution Induced Homicide (2018)
  This bill would have allowed drug dealers to be charged with homicide if the drugs they sold or shared with another person caused that person to die. This bill violates "mens rea" by charging person with a crime they did not intend to commit.
  
  This bill passed the House 45-23 and failed in the Senate 11-12. Libertas supports a "nay" vote.
• HB48: Powdered Alcohol Amendments (2015)
  This bill would have prohibited Utahns—including adults who may legally possess and consume liquid alcohol—from possession or using powdered alcohol.
  
  This bill passed the House 68-5 and passed the Senate 24-4. Libertas supports a "nay" vote.
• HB212: DNA Collection Amendments (2014)
  This bill allowed law enforcement officials to collect DNA evidence of a person merely alleged of committing a crime. While proponents argue that they are only keeping a select portion of one's DNA, which is essentially the "21st century equivalent of a fingerprint," the government is permanently preserving the entire DNA specimen which contains a person's intimate biological information, including their medical profile.
  
  Libertas Institute opposed this bill. Numerous breaches of information, whether the NSA, Target, or even the state of Utah, suggest that this data might be subject to future leaks, hacks, or wrongful disclosures. The government should not be able to so easily collect information like this from a person merely alleged (but not convicted) of a crime.
  
  This bill passed the House 43-28 and passed the Senate 18-4. Libertas supports a "nay" vote.

View this Representative's official legislative page.

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