Legislators / Christine F. Watkins

Rep. Christine F. Watkins
State Representative

Christine F. Watkins

Republican · House District 67

Contact Rep. WatkinsSee every vote

The 2025 and 2026 General Sessions (this two-year term). “Typical” is the middle member of the House. Budget requests and remarks are 2026 only.

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Serves onEconomic and Community Development Appropriations SubcommitteeHouse Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment CommitteeHouse Public Utilities and Energy CommitteeNatural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Interim CommitteePublic Utilities, Energy, and Technology Interim CommitteeChild Welfare Legislative Oversight PanelNative American Legislative Liaison Committee

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What they've said in 2026

140 remarks on 49 bills
Show:
  • H.B. 401 Geothermal Study Amendments · House floor debate (day 44) · Mar 5, 2026

    Explains that the amended bill directs Utah State University to study geological and environmental impacts of geothermal energy development, including seismic safety and development techniques, with a focus on sites at or near coal-powered generation facilities.

    Read what they said
    Yes. This, uh, bill will be a little bit different now. It now directs Utah State University, uh, to conduct a study on the geological and environmental impacts of geothermal energy development in the state, including an examination of seismic safety and the impacts of different development techniques. It will also specifically examine impacts at or near coal powered electrical generation facility sites. And that is the change.
    ▶ Watch at 21:06
  • S.B. 254 Extracted Natural Resources Amendments · House floor debate (day 44) · Mar 5, 2026

    Asks whether the sponsor knows the substitute would defund an air quality program in Uintah County by changing the infrastructure interest that funds it.

    Read what they said
    Um, are you aware, um, that one of the things you're doing in this bill will totally defund the air quality program that's going on in Uintah County, Uh, that is not, uh, as part of this substitute and that's not an, uh, included in this substitute? One more question, Mr. Speaker by one more question. Mr. Speaker Representative, will you continue to yield?
    ▶ Watch at 21:14
  • S.B. 254 Extracted Natural Resources Amendments · House floor debate (day 44) · Mar 5, 2026

    Asks whether the substitute would defund the air quality program in Uintah County, which is not included in the substitute.

    Read what they said
    Um, are you aware, um, that one of the things you're doing in this bill will totally defund the air quality program that's going on in Uintah County, Uh, that is not, uh, as part of this substitute and that's not an, uh, included in this substitute?
    ▶ Watch at 21:14
  • S.B. 254 Extracted Natural Resources Amendments · House floor debate (day 44) · Mar 5, 2026

    Says the substitute changes the infrastructure interest that funds the air quality program and states she will oppose the substitute due to air quality concerns in the Uinta Basin.

    Read what they said
    In, in this substitute, there is a part where you, you are changing the infrastructure, uh, interest and that is where this program is funded from. Um, I just, I just want to say that we obviously have rural concerns because the Uinta Basin is one of the areas where we have to have attainment reached because of the industries there. So, uh, for that reason, um, I'm going to oppose this, um, substitute. Thank you Mr. Speaker
    ▶ Watch at 21:52
  • S.B. 254 Extracted Natural Resources Amendments · House floor debate (day 44) · Mar 5, 2026

    Asks about changes to the infrastructure interest that funds the air quality program, citing Uinta Basin attainment concerns, and says she will oppose the substitute.

    Read what they said
    In, in this substitute, there is a part where you, you are changing the infrastructure, uh, interest and that is where this program is funded from. Um, I just, I just want to say that we obviously have rural concerns because the Uinta Basin is one of the areas where we have to have attainment reached because of the industries there. So, uh, for that reason, um, I'm going to oppose this, um, substitute.
    ▶ Watch at 21:52
  • H.B. 401 Geothermal Study Amendments · Senate floor debate (day 44) · Mar 5, 2026

    Describes H.B. 401 as a feasibility study of building geothermal energy facilities near existing coal-fired power plants, citing existing power line and substation infrastructure and base-load power, then opens the floor to questions and calls on Senator Hinkins.

    Read what they said
    of Energy Development to conduct a study, a feasibility study to do geothermal energy facilities near existing coal fired power plants. And for the reason for that is that the infrastructure for the power lines and the substations are already there. And we have, uh, a base load, uh, energy with the geothermal. We have the units at the Glendale plant in Beaver County that's been operational for 60 or 70 years down there. And so it's a, a good clean energy and so we would, uh, would be able to use the existing infrastructure. And with that I'm open to questions. Thank you. Senator Hinkins.
    ▶ Watch at 1:10:25
  • S.B. 216 Higher Education Performance and Enrollment Funding · House floor debate (day 44) · Mar 5, 2026

    Moves Amendment 5, which would require technical college funding formulas to include equivalent funding for secondary and adult students and reflect their statutorily required services.

    Read what they said
    Thank you Mr. Speaker ProAm, I'd like to move, uh, amendment five in my name Motion is to adopt amendment number five. That's in order. Would you like to speak to it? Yes. On line 10, it says, it requires the higher education appropriation subcommittee to ensure the inclusion of certain factors in nons statutory funding formulas for technical colleges. And then on line 78, it says, and ensure that all nons statutory performance and growth funding formulas that contribute to appropriations for technical colleges include equivalent funding for secondary and adult students and reflect the full responsibility of the technical colleges, uh, statutorily required services. And so what this does is it, it was something that we worked on …
    ▶ Watch at 1:13:30
  • S.B. 209 Gooseberry Narrows State Park Study · House floor debate (day 44) · Mar 5, 2026

    Watkins asks the sponsor to yield for a question.

    Read what they said
    Thank you, Mr. Speaker Pro Tem. Um, may, may, will the sponsor yield to, uh, a question Representative Shelley, will you yield to a question?
    ▶ Watch at 1:45:03
  • S.B. 209 Gooseberry Narrows State Park Study · House floor debate (day 44) · Mar 5, 2026

    Watkins reads from a 2016 US Army Corps of Engineers letter describing potential significant adverse effects on streams and wetlands and the expertise a study would require, and asks how that work can be done for $5,000.

    Read what they said
    Hey, uh, Mr. Speaker, I'd like to, um, give my colleagues some, uh, information that I have. And I, uh, I have a letter here from the Department of the Army, US Army Corps of Engineers out of Sacramento, dated May 27th, uh, 2016. And there's a lot of stuff in here, but I'd like to read just this one part that says, after review of the comments and concerns related to your application, and in response to the public notice for your proposed project, we have determined that development of the proposed project has the potential to cause significant adverse effects to the quality of the human environment. And your proposed project would result in direct impacts to approximately …
    ▶ Watch at 1:45:32
  • S.B. 124 Child Welfare Modifications · House floor debate (day 43) · Mar 4, 2026

    Presents SB 124, which changes juvenile court warrant rules to separate custody and child safety warrants, adds entry protections, and raises required findings before DCFS action, and describes the cases behind the bill.

    Read what they said
    Thank you Mr. Speaker. Um, uh, Mr. Speaker, this is, uh, a really tough bill to present to everyone. It's something that we have been dealing with as the child, uh, oversight Child welfare oversight panel for, um, several years. And it's, it's just been really, really difficult. And what this bill does is it, uh, amends, uh, provisions regarding, uh, warrants by a juvenile co court. It distinguishes between a, a productive custody and a child safety warrant. It also, whoops, I'm reading the wrong one, just said it also, uh, gotta get to the right one. It also adds prog, uh, protections regarding entry into a home during, uh, the execution of a child safety warrant. And it …
    ▶ Watch at 1:10:20
  • S.B. 124 Child Welfare Modifications · House floor debate (day 43) · Mar 4, 2026

    Gives closing summation, saying the bill does not aim to take away parental rights, cites a recent Grand County case, and urges passage so the law can be tested and revised if needed.

    Read what they said
    Thank you. Um, as I listen to the concerns, I take them very seriously. We've tried this before. We are not trying to take away parental rights. Um, as a mom, as a grandma, I absolutely, uh, don't believe in that. But we have a problem here in Utah. I don't know why. We just do. And we have too many people harming kids, keeping them away from everyone. And we're lucky because we have had people realize that something was wrong and, and reported them. We had one down in, uh, grand County in December. People noticed that the child was losing weight and then you start looking and there are marks on, on their wrists and on their …
    ▶ Watch at 1:30:11
  • S.B. 124 Child Welfare Modifications · House floor debate (day 43) · Mar 4, 2026

    Gives summation in support, saying the bill is not about removing parental rights, citing a Grand County case, and suggesting the body try the bill and revisit it if it does not work.

    Read what they said
    Thank you. Um, as I listen to the concerns, I take them very seriously. We've tried this before. We are not trying to take away parental rights. Um, as a mom, as a grandma, I absolutely, uh, don't believe in that. But we have a problem here in Utah. I don't know why. We just do. And we have too many people harming kids, keeping them away from everyone. And we're lucky because we have had people realize that something was wrong and, and reported them. We had one down in, uh, grand County in December. People noticed that the child was losing weight and then you start looking and there are marks on, on their wrists and on their …
    ▶ Watch at 1:30:11
  • S.B. 208 Vehicle Emission Inspection Program Revisions · House floor debate (day 43) · Mar 4, 2026

    Asks which civil penalties the bill covers, specifically penalties for registering a vehicle to an invalid address or an address where the owner does not live.

    Read what they said
    Would you say again, the penalties that they need to take care of If, if they're, um, given a civil penalty because they registered the car to a invalid address or an address that they don't live at. Okay. Thank you. That's all I needed. Thank you Mr. Speaker.
    ▶ Watch at 2:20:11
  • H.B. 2 New Fiscal Year Supplemental Appropriations · House floor debate (day 42) · Mar 3, 2026

    Urges a vote against the motion to circle, saying the expenditure came through her committee and is worth funding.

    Read what they said
    Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I urge you to, um, vote against this, um, to be circled. This, um, expenditure came through my committee and, um, I think it's well worth it. And there's more than just one little thing that's involved in this. This has been an ongoing process and I think we need to, um, vote against this, uh, um, proposal. Thank you.
    ▶ Watch at 39:40
  • H.B. 468 Mobile Mammography Amendments · Senate Health and Human Services Committee · Mar 2, 2026

    Presented HB 468 to require insurers to contract with the state's mobile mammography providers in third through sixth class counties, said there is no fiscal note, and said the bill does not add new services.

    Read what they said
    Thank you. I too wanted to vote yay and nay when I would hear your voice saying things 'cause it just seems so familiar. But thank you. Um, this mobile ma mammography amendments bill deals with, um, uh, women who live in rural Utah. Breast cancer remains the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women, and the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States. The evidence is clear. Early de detection through regular mammography saves lives, and it lowers overall healthcare costs. When screenings are delayed, cancers are found at later stages. When treatment is more intensive, outcomes are worse and the costs are significantly higher. So in Utah, women and live in living in rural communities are …
    ▶ Watch at 1:05:47

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About the transcripts and summaries

Quotes come from the official recordings' automatic captions, and plain-English summaries are written by AI from the official record. A person reviews them, but always check the recording before quoting anyone; every quote links to its moment in the video.

Speakers are identified by AI too. 2026 session only: the Legislature's 2025 recordings don't have captions, so 2025 remarks aren't included yet.

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