SALT LAKE CITY — Gov. Spencer Cox signed the final bills of the 2021 Utah Legislature on Thursday, capping off his first legislative session as governor.
The four bills Cox signed were all budget bills, giving the final stamp of approval to the state’s over $23 billion budget approved by lawmakers earlier this month.
Those included HB2, the over $59.6 million public education budget supplemental appropriations bill, HB3, the House’s nearly $95.7 million fiscal year supplemental appropriations bill, SB2, the Senate’s over $871.6 million fiscal year supplemental appropriations bill, and SB3, an appropriations adjustments bill, which funds operations of the state beginning July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2022.
Cox signed SB3, with some line item vetos, striking funding for some bills he vetoed Tuesday and Wednesday. Those included funding for SB39, a bill relating to hemp regulation in Utah and social media regulation bill SB228.
Cox also vetoed funding for a HB76, a bill that didn’t pass but would have clarified the state, not cities or counties, has the ability to regulate firearms.
“Overall, I’m very pleased with the results of the 2021 Legislature,” Cox said in a statement issued Thursday. “Major investments including historic funding for education, broadband access and double-tracking FrontRunner will benefit Utahns for generations to come. Utah is poised to emerge from this pandemic stronger than ever.”
Signing of those final bills completed Cox’s work for the 2021 legislative session.