Karen Kwan

• S.B. 14 Utah Commission on Aging Sunset Amendments · Did not pass
• S.B. 29 Child Care Advisory Committee Amendments · Did not pass
• S.B. 53 Public Land Management Advisory Board Amendments · Did not pass
• S.B. 79 Verification Form Amendments · Did not pass
• S.B. 106 Educator Compensation Amendments · Did not pass

• H.B. 420 Municipal Office Vacancy Modifications · Senate floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026

  Presents H.B. 420, which lets municipalities use a random, fair selection method to break ties among three or more candidates in municipal vacancies, citing recent tie-break coin tosses in Midvale and West Valley City, and says the League of Cities and Towns supports it.

  Read what they said

  Thank you Mr. President. So this is a, uh, bill that we saw last year, um, and it was vetoed, but we made it better. It's, uh, in a municipal vacancy when there is a tie of three or more candidates, this gives the, uh, locals, uh, the control to use a random and a fair selection way. Uh, to break a three-way, this three-way tie, um, it, you still can use a coin toss for a two-way tie. Uh, but the need for this was Midvale just, uh, had this happen where they went 12 rounds of coin tosses. West Valley City had the, the same issue. And I've heard of other municipalities having the same issue as well. …

  ▶ Watch at 2:04:38

• H.B. 420 Municipal Office Vacancy Modifications · Senate floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026

  Yields to Senator Fillmore's question and responds briefly, saying she has no particular answer for it.

  Read what they said

  I I will, You don't need to on that one, but if you want to that's okay. I, I will yield, but I have no clever retort for that. So, uh, if maybe we can take it off, uh, offline. Thank you, Mr. President. Now it's going.

  ▶ Watch at 2:05:51

• H.B. 420 Municipal Office Vacancy Modifications · Senate floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026

  Gives closing summary that coin tosses remain an option for two-person ties, notes that choosing by lots has ancient origins, and calls the question.

  Read what they said

  Thank you, Mr. President. The coin toss is still an option, uh, for two or, or, uh, for, for a tie between two people. Coins coin toss is still in, uh, play there and, uh, municipalities can choose to use a coin coin toss if they, uh, would like to do that. Um, but this is a, a choosing by lots is actually something that came about by ancient e uh, ancient, uh, Athens. And I'm, so, it has been around for a long time. Uh, but I'm not gonna go into the whole history of this and I will call the question, Mr. President.

  ▶ Watch at 2:07:52

About

In office since

January 1, 2017

Counties

Salt Lake

Profession

Associate Professor

Affiliations

OCA, Asian Pacific American Advocates - Utah Chapter past chairperson; Rocky Mountain Psychological Association

Education

B.A. Psychology and M.A. Clinical Psychology - Pepperdine University; Ed.D. Educational Leadership and Policy - University of Utah Psychology

Honors and awards

2014 SLCC Distinguished Faculty Lecturer

Email

kkwan@le.utah.gov

Committees

• Executive Appropriations Committee
• Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee
• Transportation and Infrastructure Appropriations Subcommittee
• Economic Development and Workforce Services Interim Committee
• Public Utilities, Energy, and Technology Interim Committee
• General Oversight Committee
• Senate Economic Development and Workforce Services Confirmation Committee
• Federalism Commission
• Legislative Management Committee
• Senate Retirement and Independent Entities Confirmation Committee
• Senate Judicial Confirmation Committee
• Senate Transportation, Public Utilities, Energy, and Technology Confirmation Committee
• Senate Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee
• Senate Ethics Committee
• Senate Rules Committee
• Senate Transportation, Public Utilities, Energy, and Technology Committee
• Subcommittee on Oversight

Profile details come from the Utah Legislature's official legislator data.