The 2015 Libertas Legislator Index

Index Key Vote agrees with Libertas' position Vote conflicts with Libertas' position Legislator was absent or did not vote Legislator sponsored the bill(awarded 2% if it's a bill we support,
docked 2% if we opposed)

While hundreds of votes are cast during each year's general session, Libertas chooses for its index the bills and resolutions which directly relate to our mission to defend personal freedom, property rights, free markets, and equal justice.

The overall ranking for the legislature for this year is .

Don't know who your Representative or Senator is? Use our lookup tool to find out.

Tip: You can hover over any of the bill numbers in the top row to learn more about it, and see which vote Libertas supports.
Click any table cell in the header to re-sort the entire table.

House of Representatives (view the Senate)

Legislator	HB104Cow-share Program Amendments In 2007, the Utah legislature banned herd share agreements whereby multiple people could jointly possess, and drink the milk from, one or more cows, sheep, or goats. This bill legalized them, though limited only to two cows, 10 sheep, and 10 goats. Additionally, the Department of Agriculture is prohibited from creating regulations dealing with herd share program participants. This bill passed out of the House 61-11 and passed the Senate unanimously. Libertas supports a "yea" vote.	HB143Prohibition on Tattooing of Minors This bill would have prohibited the tattooing of a child age 13 or younger, whether or not the parent consented to the tattoo. For minors age 14 or higher, they would have been able to receive one with parental consent. This bill is a solution in search of a problem. Further, to be consistent, the legislature would have to ban other alterations of a minor's body, including circumcision or ear piercing. These are decisions that should be left to a parent. This bill passed the House 50-24 but was not considered by the Senate. Libertas supports a "nay" vote.	HB18Children's Hearing Aid Program Amendments This bill converted a recently-created pilot program for taxpayers funding hearing aids for children into a permanent program, along with expanding the eligible pool of children who might qualify. Utah taxpayers will be required to pay an estimated $100,000 per year for this program. We encourage voluntary charity but object to coercing taxpayers into funding programs such as these. Government exists to protect our rights—not force us to help one another. This bill passed the Senate 21-2 and passed the House 47-17. Libertas supports a "nay" vote.	HB328Tax Changes This bill would have limited future property tax hikes by enacting provisions designed to prevent cities and counties from requiring residential property owners to subsidize the government at higher rates when commercial property values declined. The bill could have reduced local property tax revenue by a total aggregate of over $3 million annually. This bill passed the House 40-30 but was not considered by the Senate. Libertas supports a "yea" vote.	HB348Criminal Justice Programs and Amendments This bill was the result of a year-long study by the Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice to make criminal justice “smarter” in Utah, keeping people out of prison who don’t need to be there—saving taxpayers some half a billion dollars over the next 20 years by not needing to incarcerate more people. Lowering the penalty for drug possession is one of the recommendations that received significant attention, though many other provisions of the bill are important as well. This bill passed the House 72-3 and passed the Senate unanimously. Libertas supports a "yea" vote.	HB356Parent and Child Amendments This bill provided parents the explicit right to obtain a second medical opinion when the state desires to take a child into custody on grounds of medical neglect. Importantly, it also tightened up several permissive authorities granted to DCFS to take children out of their home, ensuring that parental rights are better protected. This bill passed the House 71-1 and passed the Senate unanimously. Libertas supports a "yea" vote.	HB394New Car Sales Amendments The laws in Utah contain a large number of regulations of the car dealership industry, as well as numerous protectionist policies that shield them from competition. This bill would have allowed for a new business model allowing direct sales to consumers online, for manufacturers such as Tesla. Such manufacturers would have been exempted from most of the dealership laws, while being required to maintain at least one service center to handle warranty work and other labor for cars sold in Utah. This bill failed in the House on a 32-41 vote. Libertas supports a "yea" vote.	HB48Powdered Alcohol Amendments 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.	HB79Safety Belt Law Amendments This bill allows police officers to now pull a person over for not wearing a seat belt as a primary offense. Previous to this change, not wearing a seat belt was only a secondary offense, meaning that police could not pull you over simply for not wearing a seat belt. While we certainly believe that people should wear seat belts, this decision is a personal and property one, for the driver of the car to determine for him or herself, along with mandating their use for any passengers they may have. If the prospect of harm or death is not already a deterrent, harassment and fines by the police won't be. This bill passed the House 41-32 and passed the Senate 16-11. Libertas supports a "nay" vote.	HB94Investigational Drug and Device Access for Terminally Ill Patients This bill allows terminally ill patients to legally obtain and use an investigational drug or device that has not received full FDA clearance. This bill passed the House 69-3 and passed the Senate unanimously. Libertas supports a "yea" vote.	SB104Education Elections and Reporting Amendments This bill would have modified the State Board of Education election process by making members of this state school board partisan, putting them through the same caucus process as other elected officials. This bill passed the Senate 19-8 and died in the House 31-43. Libertas supports a "yea" vote.	SB119Prescription Database Revisions Utah law requires information about one's prescription medication to be stored in a government-managed database. Easy access to this database by law enforcement officers has led to abuse and fishing expeditions. This bill locked down access to this database by requiring probable cause and a warrant. This bill passed the Senate unanimously and passed the House 55-17. Libertas supports a "yea" vote.	SB134Game Fowl Fighting - Amendments This bill imposes criminal penalties on the practice of game fowl fighting—using birds such as chickens to fight one another for "entertainment, sport, or contest." The first penalty is a class B misdemeanor, and subsequent violations can be a third degree felony. Chickens, as personal property, are routinely raised and slaughtered on a massive scale; criminalizing this use of fowl is problematic a government overreach. This bill passed out of the Senate 17-7 and passed the House 41-33. Libertas supports a "nay" vote.	SB204Parental Rights in Public Education Amendments In 2014, the Utah legislature passed a law to protect the right of parents to opt out of assessments performed on their children in public schools. The Utah State Office of Eduaction defied this law and forced children to take mandated assessments despite the wishes of their parents. This bill makes the language more explicit in the hopes that parents will more easily be able to guide the education of their children while enrolled in government schools. This bill passed out of the Senate 18-6 and the House 54-19. Libertas supports a "yea" vote.	SB226Search and Seizure Amendments New technology allows police officers to see through the walls of one's home using a radar device. A Supreme Court ruling requiring a warrant to use such devices has been widely ignored by police departments around the country. This bill requires officers in Utah to obtain a warrant for their use, requires them to notify the target of the warrant that such a device was used to observe them, and requires officers to delete any data they obtain using such a device that does not pertain to the specific person or people named in the warrant. This bill passed both the Senate and the House unanimously. Libertas supports a "yea" vote.	SB293Historic District Amendments This bill would have limited the ability of a legislative body, such as a city council, to create a historic district, which has the effect of allowing a minority of property owners to arbitrarily impose restrictions and regulations on their neighbors, including specific requirements about what structures can be built, what paint color can be used, etc. Under the bill, a high threshold of 75% of affected property owners would have been required to consent to creating the new layer of government over property owners in that area. This bill passed the Senate 19-9 and failed in the House on a 31-38 vote. Libertas supports a "yea" vote.	SB296Antidiscrimination and Religious Freedom Amendments This bill prohibits discrimination in employment and housing on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, violating the freedom of association and property rights in the name of creating a new protected class in Utah. While we object to unreasonable or bigoted discrimination, we affirm the right of a property owner to do so, and believe that market forces can effectively deal with the problem; the government should not punish private property owners for choosing how they wish to manage their business or rental property. This bill passed the Senate 23-5 and passed the House 65-10. Libertas supports a "nay" vote.	SB33Public School Graduation Amendments This bill would have required government high schools to inform students and their parents about how the student can graduate early on an accelerated schedule. It also would have increased the Centennial Scholarship from $1,000 to $2,000, which provides a financial incentive to children who graduate early which can be used on tuition for college in Utah. As taxpayers spend over $6,000 per student in public school, encouraging them to more quickly get out of school is a net savings and positive step. This bill passed the Senate 24-2 and failed in the House on a 31-41 vote. Libertas supports a "yea" vote.	SB52Asset Forfeiture Amendments This bill requires transparency and reporting on the part of law enforcement agencies who use asset forfeiture to seize, and permanently take and profit from, the property of Utah citizens. The raw data submitted by agencies along with the resulting summary report will be provided to the public in order to better understand how this power is being used. This bill passed unanimously in both the House and the Senate. Libertas supports a "yea" vote.	SB82Forcible Entry Amendments Following changes proposed last year by Libertas Institute, this year's bill further restricted forcible entry—no-knock and knock-and-announce warrants—by raising the legal standard required to do them, requiring officers to wear a uniform, requiring them to develop policy for the use of body cameras during forcible entries, and most significantly, prohibits officers from doing forcible entry when the sole allegation is drug possession or use. This bill passed the Senate unanimously and passed the House 67-3. Libertas supports a "yea" vote.	SB97Property Tax Equalization Amendments This bill imposed $75 million in new property taxes on Utahns to increasingly fund government schools, in an effort to provide more equalized funding in certain areas where property valuations are less than other areas. Owners of a residential property worth $200,000 will see an annual increase of $46 in taxes. This tax increase came in a year where the state had a $740 million surplus to work with. This bill passed the Senate 20-9 and passed the House 43-41. Libertas supports a "nay" vote.	2015 Rating
Anderegg, J. (R)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	x	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	x	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	x	Yes	No	78%
Anderson, Johnny (R)	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	x	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	50%
Arent, P. (D)	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	x	No	Yes	No	No	x	Yes	Yes	No	42%
Barlow, S. (R)	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	x	Yes	Yes	55%
Briscoe, J. (D)	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	33%
Brown, M. (R)	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	67%
Chavez-Houck, R. (D)	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	52%
Chew, S. (R)	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	52%
Christensen, L. (R)	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	x	No	x	x	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	x	No	53%
Christofferson, K. (R)	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	71%
Coleman, K. (R)	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	x	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	82%
Cox, F. (R)	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	71%
Cox, J. (R)	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	52%
Cunningham, R. (R)	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	62%
Cutler, B. R. (R)	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	38%
Daw, B. (R)	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	x	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	70%
Dee, B. (R)	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	x	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	x	Yes	Yes	32%
DiCaro, S. (R)	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	62%
Draxler, J. (R)	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	48%
Duckworth, S. (D)	Yes	No	x	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	45%
Dunnigan, J. (R)	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	x	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	60%
Edwards, R. (R)	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	50%
Eliason, S. (R)	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	46%
Fawson, J. (R)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	81%
Froerer, G. (R)	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	64%
Gibson, F. (R)	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	x	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	65%
Greene, B. (R)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	x	Yes	x	Yes	Yes	Yes	100%
Grover, K. (R)	Yes	No	No	x	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	x	Yes	No	79%
Hall, C. (R)	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	62%
Handy, S. (R)	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	33%
Hawkes, T. (R)	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	71%
Hollins, S. (D)	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	43%
Hughes, G. (R)	Yes	x	No	No	Yes	Yes	x	No	x	No	Yes	x	No	x	x	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	x	Yes	57%
Hutchings, E. (R)	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	x	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	67%
Ipson, D. (R)	No	No	No	x	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	x	Yes	Yes	x	Yes	No	56%
Ivory, K. (R)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	x	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	x	No	84%
Kennedy, M. (R)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	90%
King, Brad (D)	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	38%
King, Brian S. (D)	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	x	No	No	No	Yes	x	No	37%
Knotwell, J. (R)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	90%
Last, B. (R)	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	57%
Lifferth, D. (R)	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	90%
McCay, D. (R)	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	88%
McIff, K. (R)	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	43%
McKell, M. (R)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	81%
Miller, J. (D)	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	57%
Moss, C. (D)	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	43%
Nelson, M. (R)	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	29%
Noel, M. (R)	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	x	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	60%
Oda, C. (R)	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	81%
Perry, L. (R)	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	x	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	43%
Peterson, J. (R)	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	67%
Peterson, V. (R)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	76%
Pitcher, D. (R)	Yes	No	No	x	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	x	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	53%
Poulson, M. (D)	Yes	No	No	x	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	45%
Powell, K. (R)	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	x	Yes	No	35%
Ray, P. (R)	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	x	No	No	No	x	Yes	Yes	47%
Redd, E. (R)	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	48%
Roberts, M. (R)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	x	Yes	Yes	97%
Romero, A. (D)	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	x	No	No	No	Yes	x	No	42%
Sagers, D. (R)	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	24%
Sandall, S. (R)	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	57%
Sanpei, D. (R)	Yes	No	x	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	x	Yes	Yes	68%
Schultz, M. (R)	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	71%
Snow, V. L. (R)	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	43%
Spendlove, R. (R)	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	67%
Stanard, J. (R)	Yes	Yes	Yes	x	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	90%
Stratton, K. (R)	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	81%
Tanner, E. (R)	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	62%
Thurston, N. (R)	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	71%
Ward, R. (R)	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	48%
Webb, R. C. (R)	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	x	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	50%
Westwood, J. (R)	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	38%
Wheatley, M. (D)	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	x	Yes	Yes	No	45%
Wilson, B. (R)	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	x	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	x	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	63%

Senate

Legislator	HB104Cow-share Program Amendments In 2007, the Utah legislature banned herd share agreements whereby multiple people could jointly possess, and drink the milk from, one or more cows, sheep, or goats. This bill legalized them, though limited only to two cows, 10 sheep, and 10 goats. Additionally, the Department of Agriculture is prohibited from creating regulations dealing with herd share program participants. This bill passed out of the House 61-11 and passed the Senate unanimously. Libertas supports a "yea" vote.	HB18Children's Hearing Aid Program Amendments This bill converted a recently-created pilot program for taxpayers funding hearing aids for children into a permanent program, along with expanding the eligible pool of children who might qualify. Utah taxpayers will be required to pay an estimated $100,000 per year for this program. We encourage voluntary charity but object to coercing taxpayers into funding programs such as these. Government exists to protect our rights—not force us to help one another. This bill passed the Senate 21-2 and passed the House 47-17. Libertas supports a "nay" vote.	HB348Criminal Justice Programs and Amendments This bill was the result of a year-long study by the Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice to make criminal justice “smarter” in Utah, keeping people out of prison who don’t need to be there—saving taxpayers some half a billion dollars over the next 20 years by not needing to incarcerate more people. Lowering the penalty for drug possession is one of the recommendations that received significant attention, though many other provisions of the bill are important as well. This bill passed the House 72-3 and passed the Senate unanimously. Libertas supports a "yea" vote.	HB356Parent and Child Amendments This bill provided parents the explicit right to obtain a second medical opinion when the state desires to take a child into custody on grounds of medical neglect. Importantly, it also tightened up several permissive authorities granted to DCFS to take children out of their home, ensuring that parental rights are better protected. This bill passed the House 71-1 and passed the Senate unanimously. Libertas supports a "yea" vote.	HB48Powdered Alcohol Amendments 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.	HB79Safety Belt Law Amendments This bill allows police officers to now pull a person over for not wearing a seat belt as a primary offense. Previous to this change, not wearing a seat belt was only a secondary offense, meaning that police could not pull you over simply for not wearing a seat belt. While we certainly believe that people should wear seat belts, this decision is a personal and property one, for the driver of the car to determine for him or herself, along with mandating their use for any passengers they may have. If the prospect of harm or death is not already a deterrent, harassment and fines by the police won't be. This bill passed the House 41-32 and passed the Senate 16-11. Libertas supports a "nay" vote.	HB94Investigational Drug and Device Access for Terminally Ill Patients This bill allows terminally ill patients to legally obtain and use an investigational drug or device that has not received full FDA clearance. This bill passed the House 69-3 and passed the Senate unanimously. Libertas supports a "yea" vote.	SB104Education Elections and Reporting Amendments This bill would have modified the State Board of Education election process by making members of this state school board partisan, putting them through the same caucus process as other elected officials. This bill passed the Senate 19-8 and died in the House 31-43. Libertas supports a "yea" vote.	SB119Prescription Database Revisions Utah law requires information about one's prescription medication to be stored in a government-managed database. Easy access to this database by law enforcement officers has led to abuse and fishing expeditions. This bill locked down access to this database by requiring probable cause and a warrant. This bill passed the Senate unanimously and passed the House 55-17. Libertas supports a "yea" vote.	SB134Game Fowl Fighting - Amendments This bill imposes criminal penalties on the practice of game fowl fighting—using birds such as chickens to fight one another for "entertainment, sport, or contest." The first penalty is a class B misdemeanor, and subsequent violations can be a third degree felony. Chickens, as personal property, are routinely raised and slaughtered on a massive scale; criminalizing this use of fowl is problematic a government overreach. This bill passed out of the Senate 17-7 and passed the House 41-33. Libertas supports a "nay" vote.	SB164Access to Health Care Amendments This bill, nicknamed "Healthy Utah," would have expanded Medicaid in Utah. Its chief proponent, Governor Gary Herbert, heavily promoted the legislation as a way to purportedly reclaim Utah's tax dollars to provide private health care insurance to the allegedly needy, though critics argued that it was a costly entitlement with federal strings attached that would be fiscally unsound. This bill passed the Senate 17-11 but failed in a House committee. Libertas supports a "nay" vote.	SB204Parental Rights in Public Education Amendments In 2014, the Utah legislature passed a law to protect the right of parents to opt out of assessments performed on their children in public schools. The Utah State Office of Eduaction defied this law and forced children to take mandated assessments despite the wishes of their parents. This bill makes the language more explicit in the hopes that parents will more easily be able to guide the education of their children while enrolled in government schools. This bill passed out of the Senate 18-6 and the House 54-19. Libertas supports a "yea" vote.	SB226Search and Seizure Amendments New technology allows police officers to see through the walls of one's home using a radar device. A Supreme Court ruling requiring a warrant to use such devices has been widely ignored by police departments around the country. This bill requires officers in Utah to obtain a warrant for their use, requires them to notify the target of the warrant that such a device was used to observe them, and requires officers to delete any data they obtain using such a device that does not pertain to the specific person or people named in the warrant. This bill passed both the Senate and the House unanimously. Libertas supports a "yea" vote.	SB256Concealed Firearm Amendments This bill would have allowed a person 21 years or older to carry an unloaded, concealed firearm without having to obtain a permit. This bill passed the Senate 21-6 but was not considered by the House. Libertas supports a "yea" vote.	SB259Medical Cannabis Amendments This bill would have legalized medical cannabis (marijuana) in Utah under a heavily regulated ecosystem of licensed growing, production, and dispensary facilities. Only select illnesses would have been allowed, along with select physicians matched to those illnesses. Numerous other regulations in the bill, such as security, background checks, inspections, licensure, and other provisions aimed to quell concerns in order to legalize this unfortunately controversial product. This bill failed in the Senate on a 14-15 vote. Libertas supports a "yea" vote.	SB290Civil Actions Involving Law Enforcement Officers or Emergency Vehicle Operators In 2014, the Utah legislature passed a bill that inadvertently created absolute immunity from liability to fleeing suspects for police officers who pursued the suspect in violation of their department policy. This bill would have repealed the problematic language, restoring liability in cases of policy violations. This bill passed the Senate 18-9 but was not considered by the House. Libertas supports a "yea" vote.	SB296Antidiscrimination and Religious Freedom Amendments This bill prohibits discrimination in employment and housing on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, violating the freedom of association and property rights in the name of creating a new protected class in Utah. While we object to unreasonable or bigoted discrimination, we affirm the right of a property owner to do so, and believe that market forces can effectively deal with the problem; the government should not punish private property owners for choosing how they wish to manage their business or rental property. This bill passed the Senate 23-5 and passed the House 65-10. Libertas supports a "nay" vote.	SB33Public School Graduation Amendments This bill would have required government high schools to inform students and their parents about how the student can graduate early on an accelerated schedule. It also would have increased the Centennial Scholarship from $1,000 to $2,000, which provides a financial incentive to children who graduate early which can be used on tuition for college in Utah. As taxpayers spend over $6,000 per student in public school, encouraging them to more quickly get out of school is a net savings and positive step. This bill passed the Senate 24-2 and failed in the House on a 31-41 vote. Libertas supports a "yea" vote.	SB52Asset Forfeiture Amendments This bill requires transparency and reporting on the part of law enforcement agencies who use asset forfeiture to seize, and permanently take and profit from, the property of Utah citizens. The raw data submitted by agencies along with the resulting summary report will be provided to the public in order to better understand how this power is being used. This bill passed unanimously in both the House and the Senate. Libertas supports a "yea" vote.	SB82Forcible Entry Amendments Following changes proposed last year by Libertas Institute, this year's bill further restricted forcible entry—no-knock and knock-and-announce warrants—by raising the legal standard required to do them, requiring officers to wear a uniform, requiring them to develop policy for the use of body cameras during forcible entries, and most significantly, prohibits officers from doing forcible entry when the sole allegation is drug possession or use. This bill passed the Senate unanimously and passed the House 67-3. Libertas supports a "yea" vote.	SB97Property Tax Equalization Amendments This bill imposed $75 million in new property taxes on Utahns to increasingly fund government schools, in an effort to provide more equalized funding in certain areas where property valuations are less than other areas. Owners of a residential property worth $200,000 will see an annual increase of $46 in taxes. This tax increase came in a year where the state had a $740 million surplus to work with. This bill passed the Senate 20-9 and passed the House 43-41. Libertas supports a "nay" vote.	SJR2Proposal to Amend Utah Constitution -- Rights of Political Parties This bill would have submitted a constitutional amendment proposal to Utah voters that would have protected the right of political parties to determine the process for selection of their nominees free from interference by the government. This bill failed in the Senate on a 14-15 vote. Libertas supports a "yea" vote.	2015 Rating
Adams, J. Stuart (R)	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	x	Yes	Yes	No	No	x	Yes	Yes	No	x	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	53%
Bramble, C. (R)	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	x	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	x	Yes	No	60%
Christensen, A. (R)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	91%
Dabakis, J. (D)	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	50%
Davis, G. (D)	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	x	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	55%
Dayton, M. (R)	Yes	Yes	Yes	x	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	90%
Escamilla, L. (D)	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	45%
Harper, W. (R)	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	68%
Henderson, D. (R)	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	x	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	86%
Hillyard, L. (R)	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	x	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	62%
Hinkins, D. (R)	Yes	No	x	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	83%
Iwamoto, J. (D)	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	41%
Jackson, A. (R)	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	93%
Jenkins, S. (R)	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	93%
Knudson, P. (R)	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	64%
Madsen, M. (L)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	x	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	100%
Mayne, K. (D)	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	50%
Millner, A. (R)	Yes	No	x	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	x	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	55%
Niederhauser, W. (R)	x	No	x	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	55%
Okerlund, R. (R)	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	59%
Osmond, A. (R)	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	79%
Shiozawa, B. (R)	Yes	No	x	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	36%
Stephenson, H. (R)	Yes	Yes	x	x	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	92%
Stevenson, J. (R)	Yes	No	Yes	x	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	57%
Thatcher, D. (R)	Yes	No	Yes	x	No	x	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	x	Yes	No	No	x	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	61%
Urquhart, S. (R)	Yes	x	x	Yes	No	No	x	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	x	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	67%
Van Tassell, K. (R)	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	64%
Vickers, E. (R)	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	73%
Weiler, T. (R)	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	61%

Note: Like any legislative index, this one is based on a limited sampling of an elected official's voting record. It is important to do your own in-depth research when determining whether or not to support a candidate for office and consider other factors, including unreported committee or subcommittee service and constituent interaction.

Author @cboyack

Connor Boyack

President