Christine F. Watkins

• 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.

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  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.

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  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.

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  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.

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  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.

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  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.

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  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.

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  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.

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  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.

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  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.

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  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.

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  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.

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  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.

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  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.

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  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.

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  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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