The timeframe for a special legislative session to deal with the coronavirus pandemic is accelerating. Legislative sources tell UtahPolicy.com that a special session, held entirely online, could come as early as next week.
Gov. Gary Herbert said last week he planned to call the legislature into a special session by the end of the month. However, as UtahPolicy.com first reported, there is a growing movement among lawmakers to use their newly approved authority to call themselves into a session so that they would have more control over what items are considered. Whoever calls the session has the authority to determine what issues go on the agenda.
“If there was a special session” it may well be next week, confirmed one legislative source.
Lawmakers urgently need to address a number of items because of the widening coronavirus pandemic. First and foremost is making adjustments to the current fiscal year’s budget which ends on June 30. Since the state has moved the income tax filing deadline to July 15, millions of dollars in revenue will shift to the next fiscal year.
Lawmakers also need to apply for federal stimulus grant money, but they won’t make any decisions on how to spend those funds during the special session. They also must adjust the state’s worker’s compensation fund to match changes on the federal level approved by Congress so that Utahns who are out of work can access it more easily.
“We’re going to get a whole lot of money from the feds. A lot,” said a legislative source to UtahPolicy.com. “We want to spend it wisely. We want it to have a multiplier effect, so that when we start up the economy again” the money goes to help people and businesses.
There may be other issues on the special session call, but those will be determined at a later date.
The special session will be unique in Utah history as it will be held online due to social distancing requirements to prevent the spread of the virus.
Legislative sources say staffers are preparing to hold some online meetings this week in preparation for the special session. A larger-scale test involving all lawmakers will take place at some point before the session itself.
Lawmakers cannot call themselves into a special session for 30 days following a regular session. That 30-day prohibition ends on Saturday. In order for lawmakers to convene their own session, two-thirds of both the House and Senate must vote in favor.
If Governor Herbert ends up calling a special session, he is required by the Utah State Constitution to give 48 hours notice. It’s not clear that the legislature is bound by the same 48-hour notice requirement.
