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- Gov. Spencer Cox signed bills banning public sector collective bargaining and limiting dorm access to transgender people.
- HB267 faced protests, with critics arguing it silences public employees and unions.
- HB269 would not allow transgender women to stay in women's dorms and instead designate gender-neutral dorms.
SALT LAKE CITY — Gov. Spencer Cox inked the first batch of bills from the ongoing 2025 legislative session on Friday, making two of the session's more controversial bills official.
The governor in a news release announced he signed 10 bills to approve the state's base budget, as well as HB267, which bans public sector collective bargaining, and HB269, which limits where transgender students can reside in dorm rooms at public universities.
"Utah has long been known as a state that can work together to solve difficult issues. I'm disappointed that in this case, the process did not ultimately deliver the compromise that at one point was on the table and that some stakeholders had accepted," Cox said in a statement, referring to HB267.
Collective bargaining
Collective bargaining is when an employer and a union come together to negotiate a contract for employees. HB267 applies only to public sector labor unions and has nothing to do with the private sector.
Since its introduction, HB267 prompted protests from public workers as it progressed through the Legislature. A "compromise" version of the bill that would've allowed unions to collective bargain if they had a majority of all employees vote for them failed to pass. The final version of the bill that passed brought back the complete ban on collective bargaining.
The Utah Education Association said on Friday the governor and Legislature "ignored the voices of thousands" by signing the bill into law.
"In a matter of weeks, anti-public education politicians dismissed thousands of emails, phone calls and more than 16,000 petition signatures from public employees and supporters. This is a blatant attack on public employees and our right to advocate for the success of our profession and students," the statement said.
The association said through this fight, it has seen how many Utahns stand with public sector employees and that "we will move forward together." The organization is looking into how to continue the advocacy and said a ballot referendum is an option.
"If anything, this moment reinforces why Utah needs strong unions," the statement said. "We will continue to build relationships and strengthen our communities, knowing that our collective power makes a difference."
Legislative leaders, after the bill's passage in the Legislature, voiced their support for the bill despite the pushback.
"It seems like there is a great deal of frustration with the communication or miscommunication. They'll ask me, 'Why didn't you listen to our voice?' and I was like, 'I was trying to listen to your voice and your union's voice, and those got conflicted,'" said Sen. Scott Sandall, R-Tremonton, the Executive Appropriations vice chairman.
"I stand by the policy as well. I am hopeful the rank-and-file union members will get the message about what the bill actually is and what it actually does and at least know what they're protesting," said Senate Majority Leader Kirk Cullimore.
Cullimore said the bill's passage will save taxpayers money and give more public workers who are not represented by a union a voice.
Dorm access
Utah lawmakers gave the final approval to the bill limiting where transgender students can reside in dorm rooms at public universities Monday, after online backlash against a transgender resident assistant at Utah State University.
Sponsor Rep. Stephanie Gricius, R-Eagle Mountain, said the bill allows transgender students to reside in gender-neutral housing, meaning they will still have options for on-campus housing.
"I want to be very, very clear: This is a sensitive and emotional issue, but no person deserves harassment — trans or otherwise," she told her House colleagues last month.
HB269 passed on mostly partisan lines, with one Republican voting against it in the Senate. Republicans have said the bill protects women from biological males in private spaces, while Democrats argued the issue is already addressed on an individual basis at each university and the bill needlessly singles out transgender Utahns.
Transgender issues have been a mainstay at the Utah Legislature in recent years, with HB269 marking the fourth-consecutive legislative session in which bills have been passed limiting transgender Utahns' ability to play high school sports, for minors to receive gender-related surgeries, and restricting access to restrooms and locker rooms in public buildings.
