Karen M. Peterson

• S.B. 193 State Legal Holiday Amendments · House floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026

  Proposes a verbal amendment on line 62 to strike Washington and Lincoln.

  Read what they said

  I'm on the first substitute, yes. So line 62. Okay. I'd like to strike Strike Washington and Lincoln and replace it with presidents.

  ▶ Watch at 41:23

• S.B. 193 State Legal Holiday Amendments · House floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026

  Speaks to the amendment, noting it is their last day in the legislature and that the federal name of the holiday is President's Day.

  Read what they said

  Yes. You know, it's my last day here in the legislature and it has always kind of bothered me that we haven't had this called President's Day. That's the name of it as a federal holiday, and we've had a lot of incredible presidents. So I think we can go ahead and align it while we have this section of code open.

  ▶ Watch at 41:42

• S.B. 251 Local Health Department and Department of Environmental Quality Coordination · House floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026

  Explains that the bill came from DEQ and local health departments working together to create a process for local governments and health departments to recover extraordinary costs from responding to environmental enforcement, and that the amount to be paid is not set by the bill.

  Read what they said

  Thank you Mr. Speaker. So this bill came about, um, from a conversation between DEQ and our local health departments, um, who have worked together to create this piece of legislation. What it does is it creates a coordinated effort between DEQ and local health departments and local governments to recoup costs in the event that there's an extraordinary expense incurred in responding to environmental enforcement activity in the community. So this just really sets the process, if something like this happens, um, then, um, then you know, the outcome of of, um, how much will be paid out or whatever will be a result of the process. The outcome isn't set, just, um, starting to put together a process. …

  ▶ Watch at 57:20

• S.B. 251 Local Health Department and Department of Environmental Quality Coordination · House floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026

  Says they are not familiar with why the reporting decision was made between those entities and agrees to continue yielding for questions.

  Read what they said

  You know, I, I am not, uh, familiar with why that decision was made, um, between those entities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm, I will sponsor continue to yield.

  ▶ Watch at 59:00

• S.B. 251 Local Health Department and Department of Environmental Quality Coordination · House floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026

  Summarizes that the bill keeps administrative rulemaking under legislative direction, that the process was requested and worked on together by the entities involved, and urges support.

  Read what they said

  So, um, so this bill still requires, um, that, you know, while we allow administrative rulemaking procedures, um, administrative rulemaking procedures always do follow under the direction of the legislature. Um, so, um, this is a process that they've all requested and worked on together and I'd encourage your support.

  ▶ Watch at 1:00:04

• H.B. 236 Truth in Taxation Amendments · House floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026

  Explains that the Senate made two changes to the bill: one on how stakeholders operationalize holding their budgets until they go through truth in taxation, and one technical change requested by the Tax Commission.

  Read what they said

  Uh, there were two changes to the bill in the Senate. Um, both that I, I worked with the stakeholders on the first was how they're gonna operationalize, holding their budgets, um, so that they don't use money that they don't have yet because they haven't gone through truth in taxation. That was resolved in this, uh, substitute as well as the technical change requested from the tax commission.

  ▶ Watch at 2:09:59

• H.B. 242 Initiative and Referendum Signature Gathering and Removal Amendments · House floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026

  Explains that the Senate amendments make two parts of the bill immediately effective: the criminal penalties for impersonating government officials and the ban on paying for or giving value to remove signatures, including prepaid postage.

  Read what they said

  Uh, thank you Mr. Speaker motion to concur with the Senate amendments. That motion is nor as I speak to it. Yes. So the two, uh, amendment or the a amendment that they made affects two portions of the bill. So as you recall, this is the bill that said the same rules apply for signature gathers if you're paid, that apply to people who are paid to remove signatures. So the same rules apply. Um, the Senate put in a immediate effective date on two portions of the bill. The first bill, the first part is the deceptive practices. Uh, in the bill it says you cannot, uh, impersonate that you're from the government and that those criminal penalties, …

  ▶ Watch at 2:58:45

• S.B. 216 Higher Education Performance and Enrollment Funding · House floor debate (day 44) · Mar 5, 2026

  Presents S.B. 216, which changes higher education performance funding metrics to fit each institution's mission and focus on adult learners, and revises enrollment funding and capacity planning.

  Read what they said

  Thank you Mr. Speaker ProAm. So, um, this is our performance funding bill. So we've had performance funding metrics for our universities. So this is, uh, the way that we reward our universities for certain outcomes, um, that, um, that we want. So we, we, we set metrics, we set standards, and then we, we, um, reward our universities for meeting those standards and metrics. We've had this for a while, um, and we've learned some things along the way. And one of the concerns, there's probably two big concerns that have come up with our current, um, performance funding metrics. The first is that, um, every, every university and technical college has the same metrics. So if you think …

  ▶ Watch at 1:09:15

• S.B. 216 Higher Education Performance and Enrollment Funding · House floor debate (day 44) · Mar 5, 2026

  Gives closing remarks, saying the bill helps ensure state tax dollars lead to institutional outcomes that benefit students, and asks for support.

  Read what they said

  Thank you. We've done a lot of work in our legislature the last couple of years thinking about ensuring the ROI of our institutions and thinking about how our state tax dollars go, uh, to our institutions. And also just the experience that our students have. We wanna make sure that our students are able to go to our institutions and participate in programs that really do lead to outcomes. Uh, performance metrics is one of the tools that we have as a legislature to ensure that's happening. So I'd appreciate your support. Thanks.

  ▶ Watch at 1:15:30

• S.B. 324 Outcome-based Investment Grant Pilot Framework · House floor debate (day 44) · Mar 5, 2026

  Moves to recall S.B. 324 from the Senate.

  Read what they said

  Thank you Mr. Speaker. I'd like to make a motion to recall Senate bill three twenty four from the Senate.

  ▶ Watch at 1:22:59

• S.B. 324 Outcome-based Investment Grant Pilot Framework · House floor debate (day 44) · Mar 5, 2026

  Says the bill needs the amendment.

  Read what they said

  you like to speak to that motion? Yes. This is the bill that just needs the amendment.

  ▶ Watch at 1:33:37

• S.B. 324 Outcome-based Investment Grant Pilot Framework · House floor debate (day 44) · Mar 5, 2026

  Says the amendment was requested by the Senate sponsor and has now been added to the bill.

  Read what they said

  Yes. Um, this amendment was at the request of the Senate, uh, sponsor and it didn't make its way over. It made its way over just now. So we're getting it into the bill. Thank you.

  ▶ Watch at 1:34:18

• S.B. 324 Outcome-based Investment Grant Pilot Framework · House floor debate (day 44) · Mar 5, 2026

  Says the amendment is the only change and asks that the bill be sent on to the Senate.

  Read what they said

  Thank you. The, so that's the only change. Um, we passed this bill out earlier, I think yesterday afternoon. Um, so if we could, uh, send it on its way, that would be much appreciated. Thank you.

  ▶ Watch at 1:35:05

• H.B. 373 Higher Education Innovation · House floor debate (day 44) · Mar 5, 2026

  Explained that the House had moved $17 million from the performance funding account to the grant program, while the Senate appropriated $50 million instead.

  Read what they said

  Yes. So, um, when we passed the bill out of here, we took $17 million from the performance funding account, um, to fund this grant program. Um, when it went through all of our EAC processes, um, they instead just appropriated 50 million to the program.

  ▶ Watch at 1:49:21

• H.B. 373 Higher Education Innovation · House floor debate (day 44) · Mar 5, 2026

  Said the $17 million will still be swept from performance funding, and that the bill did not need that language to accomplish its purpose.

  Read what they said

  Yes. They're still going to sweep the 17 million, um, from performance funding to cover the, I think that portion of it, but I don't think they needed that in the bill to accomplish. Um, but yes, that's what happens.

  ▶ Watch at 1:49:52

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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

• H.B. 143 Special Education Amendments · Governor Signed
• H.B. 236 Truth in Taxation Amendments · Governor Signed
• H.B. 242 Initiative and Referendum Signature Gathering and Removal Amendments · Governor Signed
• H.B. 352 Higher Education Alignment · Governor Signed
• H.B. 373 Higher Education Innovation · Governor Signed
• H.B. 425 Local Government Fees Amendments · Governor Signed

Carried in the House as floor sponsor

• S.B. 1 Higher Education Base Budget · Governor Signed
• S.B. 195 Workforce Development · Governor Signed
• S.B. 216 Higher Education Performance and Enrollment Funding · Governor Signed
• S.B. 241 Early Literacy · Governor Signed
• S.B. 244 Cardiac Emergency Response Plans in Schools · Governor Signed
• S.B. 251 Local Health Department and Department of Environmental Quality Coordination · Governor Signed
• S.B. 258 Infant at Work Amendments · Did not pass
• S.B. 324 Outcome-based Investment Grant Pilot Framework · Governor Signed

About

In office since

January 5, 2022

Counties

Davis

Profession

Policy Analyst

Education

B.A. Utah State University; M.P.A. Southern Utah University

Honors and awards

None listed in their official profile.

Committees

• Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee
• House Education Committee
• House Political Subdivisions Committee
• House Rules Committee
• Education Interim Committee
• Transportation Interim Committee

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