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About The Utah State Senate
Utah's Constitution provides that a part-time citizen legislature meets for 45 days each
year, beginning on the fourth Monday in January. Members then return home to live under
the laws they create. The Utah State Senate and House of Representatives together
comprise the citizen legislature of the State of Utah.
The 60th Senate (2013) is made up of twenty-four men and five women with twenty-four
Republicans and five Democrats. Their occupations include five attorneys, eight
businessmen/women, three bankers, two former educators, one engineer, two CPA's, a
homemaker, a pharmacist, a nurse, a doctor, a dentist, an orthodontist, a licensed social
services worker, and a non-profit director. Nine of the 29 senators served in the House of
Representatives prior to being elected to the Senate.
Senator Lyle Hillyard has the distinction of serving the longest in the Senate, 27 years thus
far. He served two terms in the House of Representatives prior to his election to the Senate
in 1984. Other senior senators (served more than two terms) include Senators Gene
Davis, Peter Knudson, Scott Jenkins, Howard Stephenson, John Valentine, Curt
Bramble, Allen Christensen, and Mark Madsen.
Do you want to serve? The state constitution outlines the qualifications to become a
senator:
·
A citizen of the United States
·
A resident of the state of Utah for three years
·
At least 25 years old
·
A resident of the district from which they are elected for six
months
·
A qualified voter in that district
The 29 members of the Senate are elected to four-year terms, with half up for election
every two years.
About - Utah House of Representatives
The Utah House of Representatives is comprised of 75 men and women elected to two-year
terms. The House Chamber, located on the west end of the third floor, occupies the largest
space in the State Capitol.
The Utah Legislature meets yearly in General Session, convening on the 4th Monday of
January and adjourning "sine die" 45 calendar days later (not including President's Day in
February). Special Sessions are called by the Governor and may last a maximum of 30
days.
Qualifications:
Qualifications to become a member of the Utah House are set forth in the Utah Constitution,
Article VI, Section 5:




must be
must be
must be
and
must be
office.
a citizen of the United States,
at least twenty-five years of age,
a qualified voter in the district from which the person is chosen (elected),
a resident of the state of Utah for three consecutive years prior to filing for
Leadership
On the first day of the beginning of each term (two years), the House elects a presiding
officer, known as the Speaker of the House. In January of 2011, the Utah House elected the
first female to preside over either chamber of the Utah Legislature: Speaker Rebecca
Lockhart (R) of Provo, Utah.
Redistricting
Every ten years, state governments redraw district boundaries using data from the federal
census. Article IX, Section 1 of the Utah Constitution states: "No later than the annual
general session next following the Legislature's receipt of the results of an enumeration
made by the authority of the United States, the Legislature shall divide the state into
congressional, legislative, and other districts accordingly."
Redistricting allows legislatures to shift boundaries to accommodate for population shifts
and varying growth rates in the state. The ideal population for the 75 House districts based
on data from the 2010 Census will be 36,852.