Getting Ready for the 2026 Utah Legislative Session
Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others." — Winston Churchill
"Laws are like sausages, it is better not to see them being made." — Often attributed to Otto von Bismarck
I've always loved that second quote, though I respectfully disagree. There's something thrilling about watching laws being made—the negotiations, the compromise, the moment when good ideas find their champion. The legislative process, messy as it is, remains one of our republic's most vital and beautiful instruments.
As we pause this Thanksgiving week—gathering around tables, counting blessings—there's wisdom in also looking ahead. Utah's 2026 General Legislative Session is coming, with all its intensity and promise. Here are five things worth considering as you prepare.
#1 Give Thanks to Those Who Serve
Utah's part-time legislature is a misnomer. There's nothing part-time about the commitment. Our legislators wrestle with complex policy while maintaining careers, raising families, coaching Little League. They sacrifice evening hours and weekend peace to represent us. This week especially, as we count our blessings, we ought to count them. Their service comes at real cost to other pursuits. They deserve more than our votes—they deserve our gratitude.
#2 Align Interests and Consolidate Your Ask
November's interim meetings have concluded, and with them the window for expedited bills. We're in regular order now—the traditional rhythm of drafting, committees, the democratic machinery grinding forward. It's not too late to advance an idea, but you'll need the right team and a legislator willing to carry it. With more than 1,000 bills heard each session, attention is the scarcest commodity.
This is where I've found real joy working with organizations like Cities Strong Foundation and other civic platform projects. They're building waves, not just making asks. When private-public partnerships work well, the conversation shifts from "please help us" to "let's build this together." That partnership mindset changes everything.
A year ago, Scott Anderson and I wrote about Utah's productive paradoxes—how our fiscal conservatism enables bold investment, how our deep roots foster global ambition. That piece was about being authentically Utah, and it's never been more relevant. The best legislative work happens when we're not trying to import someone else's solutions but building on our own strengths: citizen service, stable governance, a culture that makes tension productive rather than destructive.
#3 Get Some Rest
Forty-five days. The fastest legislative session in the nation, often the earliest. Last year felt like we were also front seat to the first 100 days of a new administration—overwhelming change compressed into an impossibly small window. It's lightning in a bottle, and there's something magnificent about that intensity, that focus, that urgency. But lightning requires energy. Use these quieter weeks to recharge, because once the gavel drops, it's pure sprint to the finish.
#4 Know the Budget and Economy
Good work—truly good policy work—means understanding the landscape you're operating in. Federal tax changes that ripple through Utah code were already signaling a leaner revenue year. Add economic uncertainty, even with Utah's remarkably strong fundamentals, and the picture tightens considerably.
I sit on the Utah Economic Council, and we're anxious to complete our economic report to the governor, which debuts in January. The data tells a complex story. Yes, Utah's economy remains sterling by national standards. But we face real pressures: energy prices that pinch families and businesses, homeownership costs that lock young Utahns out of the market, infrastructure needs that can't wait—especially with the Olympics bearing down on us, pressurizing every decision.
As the executive appropriations committee heard last week, this will be a constrained session for new initiatives. Watch for the governor's budget in coming weeks to establish consensus numbers, followed by the Executive Appropriations Committee recommendations in December. Often the real moves—set aside adjustments, structural changes—happen before the session even begins. Legislative leadership understands how to balance the body's will with fiscal reality, ensuring we maintain the balanced budget Utah is known for.
#5 Stay Flexible
The appropriations process can feel like it starts and ends in a fortnight. If you find yourself without a sponsor, if your bill stalls, if the moment isn't quite right—don't despair. The session has a way of creating unexpected opportunities. The amendment process, substitute bills, committee discussions that shift perspectives—sometimes the best policy emerges from paths you didn't plan to walk. And if this isn't your session, there's interim 2026 for broader stakeholder building, for letting ideas ripen.
The legislative session is messy and uncertain, but it rewards persistence and good faith.
As we enter this season of preparation and gratitude, I'm thankful for the chance to work alongside dedicated public servants, engaged citizens, and partners who understand that building something worthwhile takes time, patience, and genuine collaboration. Utah's future is being written now, in these quiet weeks before the storm, in the conversations we're having, in the coalitions we're building.
May your Thanksgiving be full of warmth and rest. We'll need both for what's ahead.
