Michael K. McKell

• S.B. 242 Transportation Amendments · Senate floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026

  Moves to reconsider H.B. 513 to add a one-word amendment he says was left out, and asks for the bill number.

  Read what they said

  Thank you. Thank you Mr. President. I move to reconsider on house Bill five 13. I inadvertently left off a, an amendment that I had approved online. It's a one word amendment, but I need to, a motion to reconsider, uh, gimme the bill number again, I need the bill number. Uh, Five 13.

  ▶ Watch at 3:40

• S.B. 242 Transportation Amendments · Senate floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026

  Says he will place H.B. 513 back on the second reading calendar and calls the bill.

  Read what they said

  I'm gonna place that bill back on the top of the second reading calendar where it came from. I'll call the bill

  ▶ Watch at 4:06

• S.B. 287 Targeted Advertising Tax · Senate floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026

  Says the House improved the bill by adding a public awareness campaign on how the money could be used, and moves to concur.

  Read what they said

  Yeah, I actually think the House did a good job with the bill. They added, they added some educational, um, public awareness campaign to how the money could be used. I I, I think they made it the bill actually better and I think what they did, there was a lot of wisdom to it. So I'd move to Concur.

  ▶ Watch at 8:21

• S.B. 192 Legislative Activities Amendments · Senate floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026

  Explains that the House amendments made technical changes to the end of the bill's language, and that the bill codifies what the legislative management committee already does; urges support for concurrence.

  Read what they said

  Senator Macl. Thank You. I move to Concur. Explain the changes. Yeah, There was just some technical changes in the end, end of the language that the House added. Working with our, our staff. The, the bill's, just the legislative management committee bill and it codifies what, what we do there. So that's what it does and I'd urge support.

  ▶ Watch at 30:51

• S.B. 194 Election Modifications · Senate floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026

  Said the House changes were agreed to by consensus, resolved an issue about whether a clerk must sign a ballot, delayed the implementation date, and urged the Senate to concur.

  Read what they said

  of the implementation date that was more, more than anything. We kicked it back. Um, there was an issue of whether or not a clerk would need to, to sign a, a ballot or not. And that was, that was cleaned up with consensus. Um, nothing that was done in the house was not agreed to and it was a consensus change with an implementation date that was delayed. With that I'd urge the body to concur.

  ▶ Watch at 37:40

• H.B. 547 Transnational Repression Amendments · Senate floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026

  Presents H.B. 547, saying it addresses transnational repression, particularly for students in higher education, and cites an Olympic figure skater as an example.

  Read what they said

  Thank you Mr. President. So this is a bill that we've been working on. Um, we've had issues with transnational repression in the past. It's been a significant issue in the state of Utah. If you look at the language of the bill, this deals with transnational repression. Either our higher ed institutions, we want to tackle it there and we wanna make sure that as a student comes from out of state, that they that out, out of our country, that they see, they see that issue. That's part of the language. And we, we've had this issue in the past. You'll see that one of our Olympic fig figure skaters, um, Eliza Lou, who, um, was, did incredible …

  ▶ Watch at 41:18

• H.B. 59 Identification Verification Amendments · Senate floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026

  Says the bill sets a minimum credit-hour requirement for school scheduling instead of a day or instructional-hour requirement, is a consensus bill with no known opposition, and moves to consent.

  Read what they said

  This bill creates a minimum credit hour requirement rather than a day or an instructional hour. Um, this is a consensus Bill. I'm not aware of any opposition and I move to consent.

  ▶ Watch at 46:45

• H.B. 385 Specialized Product Sales Amendments · Senate floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026

  Explains that the third substitute builds a tiered license model in response to stakeholder feedback.

  Read what they said

  Yeah. There's been a lot of stakeholder input and the third substitute builds a tiered license model. And that, that's coming from the feedback from the stakeholders.

  ▶ Watch at 47:04

• H.B. 385 Specialized Product Sales Amendments · Senate floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026

  Says the bill was carefully negotiated and creates oversight for specialty product retailers, prohibits certain items on billboards, and allows enforcement to execute a warrant.

  Read what they said

  Thank you Mr. President. This this bill in its third substitute and really throughout the process has been carefully negotiated. And what we're doing is we're creating some oversight with U daf. We, we've had problems in our specialty product retailers, and that's what this bill does. It also has some prohibitions on certain things that can't show up on, on billboards. It also allows our folks to execute a warrant. Um, as, as we started looking at this issue and create 'em and this and these, these industries just in general, there are a lot, a lot of problems and that's what this bill seeks to solve. Without, I'm open for questions.

  ▶ Watch at 47:34

• H.B. 358 School Scheduling Amendments · Senate floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026

  Sponsor says the bill conforms the veterinary code to administrative rule by replacing six months with a thousand hours, following a discussion with Mark Steinle.

  Read what they said

  Thank you Mr. President. This, this bill just conforms with the administrative rule. Um, it goes from six months to a thousand hours and had a chance to talk to Mark Steinle. That's the, it's basically the same, same definition. We're, we're actually putting a thousand hours in the code rather than than months and dates to make sure we, we conform with the administrative rule.

  ▶ Watch at 48:09

• H.B. 247 Great Salt Lake Related Amendments · Senate floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026

  Presents the school excused absence bill, which broadens approved absences to include programs such as shooting sports and mountain biking tied to Utah State for high school students.

  Read what they said

  Thank you Mr. President. Um, a year or two ago I worked on a bill, um, working on what, what qualifies as an approved absence and Representative Albrecht saw, saw the bill and, and added to it just, just a little bit, making sure. Um, for years we've always been really good at excusing kids for football and, and basketball and cheerleading. And what we're doing is just broadening that policy. You'll see that programs that are tied to Utah State for high school kids are listed shooting sports and mountain biking. Um, without, I'm open for questions.

  ▶ Watch at 1:10:20

• H.B. 247 Great Salt Lake Related Amendments · Senate floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026

  Waives summation and moves that the bill pass.

  Read what they said

  Thank you. I'll waive summation and move under suspension of the rules that this bill pass.

  ▶ Watch at 1:11:03

• H.B. 457 County Governance Modifications · Senate floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026

  Moves to uncircle first substitute H.B. 137, Violent crime clearance rate amendments. · speaker not certain

  Read what they said

  Yeah, sorry I was off the floor. So I would move to Uncer. First substitute house bill 1 37. I have A motion to Uncer first substitute house bill 1 37 Violent crime clearance rate amendments.

  ▶ Watch at 1:56:21

• H.B. 137 Violent Crime Clearance Rate Amendments · Senate floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026

  Presents H.B. 137 as floor sponsor, saying it creates a violent crime clearance rate fund to help law enforcement solve more violent crimes through hiring, tools, and victim support, with some private funding expected; he waives summation and moves that the bill pass.

  Read what they said

  Yeah. Thank you Mr. President. So the, the, the basis of this bill and the main purpose is just increasing the likelihood that violent offenders are identified and apprehended. It creates a violent crime clearance rate fund to help Utah law enforcement agencies to solve more violent crimes and strengthen public policy. Utah's violent crime clearance rate is hovering around 53% since 2019, meaning nearly half of our violent crimes result in no arrest and one in four murders go unresolved. These outcomes are not due to a lack of effort by our law enforcement community, but rather resource constraints that limit investigative capacity. This bill supports hiring, retaining and investigators, criminal analysts, and upgrading forensic tools and strengthening victim …

  ▶ Watch at 1:56:40

• H.B. 218 Digital Skills Amendments · Senate floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026

  Presents H.B. 218, which would require a digital skills course for seventh and eighth grade, set digital skill standards for middle schools, and create an advisory tech council to advise superintendents on tech education, and says the bill is long overdue.

  Read what they said

  Thank you. Um, let me just say I, I love serving this legislature and I love the work that we've done to protect kids online. And I, I think of all the bills that have been run by colleagues in this body and I, and I think we've done a remarkable job. Um, top, top to bottom. Um, this is, this is a bill that's, well, it seems basic. I think it's really important. One of the questions we always get asked is, what are we doing for digital literacy? What are we doing to teach kids about the dangers online? Um, we have a website, social harms dot Utah dot gov that has resources and tools for parents. But …

  ▶ Watch at 2:18:42

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From the official recordings' automatic captions, with speakers and summaries identified by AI. Use the ▶ links to check the recording before you rely on a quote.

How they voted

Their full voting record, attendance, and party-line score are still being compiled from the official roll calls. Each bill page shows their vote on that bill.

Bills they sponsored

• S.B. 21 Geothermal Amendments · Governor Signed
• S.B. 45 Kratom Adjustments · Governor Signed
• S.B. 82 Securities Investor Education, Training, and Enforcement Fund Amendments · Governor Signed
• S.B. 152 Public and Higher Education Collaboration · Governor Signed
• S.B. 192 Legislative Activities Amendments · Governor Signed
• S.B. 194 Election Modifications · Governor Signed
• S.B. 204 Physical Therapy Payment Amendments · Governor Signed
• S.B. 253 Library Materials Amendments · Did not pass
• S.B. 263 Vehicle Loads Amendments · Did not pass
• S.B. 287 Targeted Advertising Tax · Governor Signed
• S.B. 310 Uniform Intimate Images Amendments · Governor Signed
• S.B. 313 Recidivism Amendments · Governor Signed
• S.J.R. 10 Joint Resolution Amending Court Rules Regarding Jury Selection · Did not pass

Carried in the Senate as floor sponsor

• H.B. 38 Local Government Amendments · Governor Signed
• H.B. 89 Use of Polygraph Amendments · Governor Signed
• H.B. 110 Offender Modifications · Governor Signed
• H.B. 137 Violent Crime Clearance Rate Amendments · Governor Signed
• H.B. 145 School Excused Absence Amendments · Governor Signed
• H.B. 153 Law Enforcement Officer Employment Amendments · Governor Signed
• H.B. 154 Water Loss Study Amendments · Did not pass
• H.B. 171 Physician Assistant Amendments · Governor Signed
• H.B. 181 Uniform Estate Planning Amendments · Governor Signed
• H.B. 201 Radioactive Waste Facility Tax Amendments · Did not pass
• H.B. 218 Digital Skills Amendments · Governor Signed
• H.B. 248 Family Law Modifications · Governor Signed
• H.B. 266 Highway Designation Changes · Did not pass
• H.B. 274 Sentencing Amendments · Governor Signed
• H.B. 286 Artificial Intelligence Transparency Amendments · Did not pass
• H.B. 291 Security and Land Restriction Amendments · Governor Signed
• H.B. 301 Drug Recodification · Governor Signed
• H.B. 303 Family Court Amendments · Governor Signed
• H.B. 311 Elections Study · Governor Signed
• H.B. 328 Water Usage Modifications · Senate/ 2nd Reading Calendar to Rules
• H.B. 329 State Employee Maternity and Leave Amendments · Governor Signed
• H.B. 353 Higher Education Credit Transfer Amendments · Governor Signed
• H.B. 358 School Scheduling Amendments · Governor Signed
• H.B. 382 Uniform Assignment for Benefit of Creditors Amendments · Governor Signed
• H.B. 385 Specialized Product Sales Amendments · Governor Signed
• H.B. 392 District Court Amendments · Governor Signed
• H.B. 394 Veterinary Amendments · Governor Signed
• H.B. 408 Data Sharing Amendments · Governor Signed
• H.B. 479 Election Code Modifications · Did not pass
• H.B. 502 School Attendance Modifications · Governor Signed
• H.B. 509 Wetlands Study Amendments · Governor Signed
• H.B. 513 Attorney General Funding Amendments · Governor Signed
• H.B. 537 Olympic Ticket Sales Tax Exemption · Governor Signed
• H.B. 547 Transnational Repression Amendments · Governor Signed
• H.B. 548 Primary Election Amendments · Did not pass

About

In office since

January 1, 2013

Counties

Utah

Profession

Attorney; Title Officer

Affiliations

Adjunct Professor, Utah Valley University; Spanish Fork Chamber of Commerce, board member; Spanish Fork Kiwanis, board member; Utah Association for Justice; Central Utah Bar Association; A. Sherman Christensen Inn of Court

Education

B.A., Southern Utah University; J.D., University of Idaho

Honors and awards

Utah's Legal Elite, Top Lawyers of 2011, 2012; Super Lawyers, Rising Stars 2012

Committees

• Executive Appropriations Committee
• General Government Appropriations Subcommittee
• Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee
• Economic Development and Workforce Services Interim Committee
• Government Operations Interim Committee
• Senate Education Confirmation Committee
• Senate Judiciary Confirmation Committee
• Legislative Management Committee
• Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Coordination Committee
• Legislative Water Development Commission
• Utah Commission on Uniform State Laws
• Senate Education Committee
• Senate Ethics Committee
• Senate Government Operations and Political Subdivisions Committee
• Senate Judiciary, Law Enforcement, and Criminal Justice Committee

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