Utah House swears in new speaker, passes resolution in support of Israel

Utah Rep. Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, is the new Utah Speaker of the House, which is pictured in the background, dates unspecified | Photos courtesy of house.utleg.gov, St. George News

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah House of Representatives officially has a new House speaker after lawmakers approved former House Majority Leader Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, for the role on Wednesday.

Schultz won an internal caucus vote on Tuesday, and Wednesday’s vote was widely seen as a formality thanks to the Republican supermajority in the chamber. Former House Speaker Brad Wilson, R-Kaysville, resigned from the body, effective 5 p.m. on Wednesday, to pursue a Senate campaign next year.

“Like many of you, I often point out that the big reason for me being here is tied to building the best future for my family, for my kids and my grandkids — but it’s not lost on me that they make the biggest sacrifice for me being here,” Schultz said shortly after being sworn in as speaker.

He drew a distinction with the U.S. House of Representatives, which recently struggled to elect a new speaker after Rep. Kevin McCarthy was ousted from the role.

Read the full story here: KSL News.

Written by BRIDGER BEAL-CVETKO, KSL.com.

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