Huntsman searching for spot to give state address

The Utah Legislature has spent around $20,000 rebuilding a new dais in the temporary House chambers to accommodate incoming Gov.-elect Jon Huntsman Jr.'s State of the State address in early January.

But now Huntsman may give his speech somewhere else; maybe even in the old Territorial State House in Fillmore, Utah's first capitol.

Huntsman spokesperson Jami Palmer said Huntsman is looking at several places for his State of the State address, the location of which he'll announce soon after Christmas.

Dave Hart, head of the Capitol Preservation Board, the state agency that's overseeing the four-year $200 million remodeling of the Capitol building itself, said while the governor's yearly address to lawmakers and Utah residents would be a bit cramped in the new House chambers — located on the first floor of the Legislature's temporary quarters in the west office building on Capitol Hill — "it can work."

The Legislature moved into its new building last June, the Capitol then closing for renovation.

But over the past month construction workers have been pulling out the brand new speaker's podium in the chambers (only used once during a late fall special session) and, ironically, installing the old dais from the House chambers in the Capitol (where it was originally scheduled to sit during the extensive remodeling).

Workers were also installing two new fire exit doors at the rear of the new chambers and making some other improvements. All told, the work is around $20,000, said Hart.

The new dais didn't allow room to set up folding chairs between the front row of House members' desks and what's called "The Circle," the front of the dais where legislative staffers physically handle the hundreds of bills and amendments during debate and voting.

That expanded walkway is needed so the 29 senators and five Supreme Court justices can sit and listen to the governor give the legally required State of the State address, historically delivered during the first week of each general legislative session. The evening speech is usually televised live by local stations.

"Oops," joked one House staffer a month ago. The new chamber's design "didn't allow any space for the senators" — who would have had to sit at the back of the chambers like poor relations — "and they weren't happy about that."

Any time the Senate and House meets together it's called a joint conference. And usually the two bodies only meet together to hear a gubernatorial address or the rare speech by some national bigwig, like the president or vice president.

When other dignitaries address the Legislature they speak to representatives in the House, then walk over and address the senators in their own chambers.