Senate gives its preliminary OK to watered-down bill on '17th'

A watered-down version of a bill originally intended to provide a "soft repeal" of the 17th Amendment was given preliminary approval Tuesday by the Senate.

SB156 now sends the controversial issue of whether the Legislature should be involved in choosing party nominees in U.S. Senate races to an interim committee.

The bill still would require the state's two U.S. senators to report to lawmakers. Its sponsor, Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper, said the bill just formalizes that process and is no reflection on Sens. Orrin Hatch or Bob Bennett, both R-Utah.

"I'm happy with what they're doing," Stephenson said. But lawmakers need to hear what's being done about a long list of state's rights issues, he said, including those dealing with roads, public lands and education directives from Washington, D.C.

Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. has said he supports the 17th Amendment, which in 1914 established the direct election of U.S. senators.