Well, with just a couple of days left to go (but very long days!), most of the land use bills we are tracking are pretty much settled as to their content (now whether they will all pass, we’ll see), with a couple of exceptions.

The big news, though, is a bill that is now dead – that is, for now.  It’s pretty certain it will be a big point of discussion over the interim until the next legislative session, and it will be back in some form.  That bill, of course, is the big Beehive Development Authority bill, SB377 – Land Use and Development Amendments.  The bill generated a lot of opposition from a variety of places – here’s a good news story, and another story about it that really shows the controversy it generated.  The bill is dead, for all intents and purposes, because the bill was circled on the Senate floor (circled means it is being held), and did not get a vote before the end of the day yesterday.  Legislative rules say that yesterday was the last day for the legislative chambers to act on their own bills; after that, they can only consider bills that have been passed by the other chamber.  Since the Senate did not act on SB377 by the end of the day, according to the rules it is finished (now, having said that, it is possible for both chambers to vote for suspension of the rules to allow a bill to proceed, but that is a rare occurrence – but possible).

Another bill hanging fire, though just barely, is SB195 – Transportation Amendments.  Most of the provisions of this bill have been settled, but a battle continues over a section of the bill that would be a really extraordinary overreach by the state legislature into what is normally a regular city function – the planning and construction/modification of its street system.  The bill is written so that the only city really affected by this provision is Salt Lake City, but wow, what a reach into the city’s normal role!  The bill has gone back and forth over this a few times, it is now on its fifth version, which would have left most city streets alone, but a last moment amendment on the House floor yesterday put much of it back in.  Miranda Jones Cox at WFRC has written up a good description of this bill, have a look.  I guess this means that the legislature could do this to any city it wants to for whatever reason, so it will be interesting to see what happens.  The bill has been passed by the Senate and then by the House with the new amendment, it must go back to the Senate for their concurrence with the amendment, we’ll all be watching to see what happens with that vote.

Another bill still not fully resolved is HB355 – Mining and Critical Infrastructure Materials Amendments.  While the bill has been substituted and modified, it didn’t really change the virtual exemption of sand and gravel operations from local regulation (there is still some, but it is pretty limited, especially when it comes to expansion of such operations).  The bill is awaiting final approval by the Senate, it will be interesting to see if any changes are made to the bill before it comes up for a vote, or if opposition to it can waylay a final vote.

That’s all the really big stuff.  Like I said, two days left after today, but that the legislature, that’s still a lot of time for something to happen.