Jeremy Hall

Sometimes exciting, sometimes scary — Utah’s state legislature is in session again. The 2024 general session of the Utah State Legislature will run until March 1. Bills will be filed, meetings will happen, debates will occur, decisions will be made, laws will be passed. This is always a time of great interest for Utah’s citizens as the decisions made will greatly affect all of us, including children. Becoming educated about and getting involved in legislative happenings is important and rewarding.

Important issues that directly impact citizens of the state are always part of the yearly session. Some of these include education, health care, wages, public safety, law enforcement and transportation. However we feel about the issues, we can make our voices heard and get involved.

On the Utah State Legislature’s website, information and ways to get involved can be found. The calendar shows the legislature’s schedule, including times when committees and subcommittees will be meeting. There are also instructions for watching legislative meetings online.

Wondering about new bills, their status and who is sponsoring them? That information is also available on the website. Not only is it interesting to read about the various bills, it’s also important to know what could possibly happen in our state. Many of these bills will directly impact — for better or for worse — all of us.

The “Get Involved” section of the site’s Legislative Guide provides great information about understanding the legislative process, how to find out which legislators represent you, how to contact your legislators, how to encourage family and friends to become more involved, and what to do if you are unable to reach your legislator. “Be persistent! Remember that your senator represents approximately 70,000 citizens and your representative represents approximately 40,000 people,” it reads.

Harrison Epstein, Daily Herald file photo

It is important to reach out to our legislators and let them know how we feel about the issues. They have been elected, after all, to be a voice for those who voted for them.

A big question that often comes to mind is whether or not our legislators are doing the job we elected them to do. Here are some questions to ask ourselves:

• Does my legislator listen to and communicate with constituents?
• Does my legislator vote how his or her constituents would vote?
• Does my legislator sponsor and support bills that are important to the community and will have a positive impact?
• Does my legislator focus on “fluffy” issues that are unimportant to the community?
• Does my legislator respond to my inquiries and concerns?

If the answers to these questions leave us feeling frustrated, we’ll be sure to keep this in mind when election time rolls around.

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