Senate Bill 288 passes House for utility assistance program

The 2023 General Legislative Session continued on March 1, 2023, with a focus on several key bills. The meeting began with the discussion of Senate Bill 288, which pertains to a utility bill assistance program. Representative Stoddard announced the results of the vote, confirming that the bill passed the House with 50 votes in favor and 24 against. The bill will now be signed by the speaker and returned to the Senate for the president's signature.

Next on the agenda was Senate Bill 220, which involves amendments related to juvenile court judges, introduced by Senator Wyler. This bill had previously been reviewed in the judiciary committee, where it received unanimous support with a vote of 10-0-2. House sponsor Representative Tesher proposed a motion to circle the bill, which was approved by voice vote.

Following this, the discussion moved to Third Substitute Senate Bill 235, concerning tax amendments, presented by Senator Bramble. This bill was heard in the revenue and taxation committee, where it garnered a vote of 9-3-1. Representative Stevie E. Lisonbee, the House sponsor, also motioned to circle this bill, which similarly passed with no opposition.

The meeting concluded with these motions to circle, indicating that further discussion on these bills will take place in future sessions. Overall, the session highlighted significant legislative progress on utility assistance and judicial amendments, as well as ongoing discussions regarding tax policy.