Rural Legislative Day

Rural Legislation Day at the Capitol is put on annually by the Utah Governor's Office of Economic Development. This event is used to address the concerns of the rural community with presentation space in the rotunda and scheduled meetings between business owners and organizations, and their legislators. 

Historic Kanab All Women Town Council visits Utah State Capitol

Each day at the Capitol, we see visitors from all over Utah, the U.S., and the world -- but we never expected to welcome visitors from 1912! Today, Kanab City Mayor Nina Laycook arrived at the Capitol, along with five women elegantly dressed in period clothes, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the historic Kanab All Woman Town Council. 

Kanab City women playing the historic roles of (left to right): Luella McAllister, Blanche Hamblin, Mary Chamberlain, Tamar Hamblin, and Ada Seegmiller

In 1912, Kanab made history when voters elected the first all women town council in the United States. The council served until 1914. For more information on the original council, and the characters the women today portray, check out Utah History to Go.

Linda Alderman with her councilwoman's nametag

Linda Alderman (playing councilwoman Luella McAllister), Dickie Robinson (as councilwoman Blanche Hamblin), Joyce Rhodes (as Mayor Mary Chamberlain), Judy Habbeshaw (as councilwoman Tamar Hamblin), and Nayna Christensen (as councilwoman Ada Seegmiller) came prepared to give a short historical performance as a part of their celebration of service.  

¡Saludos a Guadalajara!

Students visiting the Capitol from Guadalajara, Mexico, were as taken with their costumes and gracious attitudes as we were. You go, girls!

Museums Day at the Legislature

On Thursday, February 28th, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Utah Museums Association and the Office of Utah Museum Services Board will hold Museums Day at the Legislature in the Rotunda. Museums from around Utah will take this opportunity to speak with their legislators. This is their chance to remind legislators of the important role of museums of preserving Utah culture and history.

Some features of Museums Day at the Legislature include live animals from the Tracy Aviary; exhibits from the Hogle Zoo, Living Planet Aquarium, and the Historic Wendover Airfield; and artifacts from the Natural History Museum of Utah. In addition to the exhibits there will be various museums' representation of living history folks.

The Utah Museums Association was founded in 1972 and serves Utah by advocating the importance of Utah Museums, Collaborating with organizations to create a museum network, and continuing to recognize museums as a educational resource for the people of Utah.

The Office of Utah Museum Services aids museums in caring for collections, creating educational resources, allowing researchers access to collections, and acquiring financial resources.

An image from last year's Museums Day at the Legislature

Charter Day on the Hill

The Utah Association of Public Charter Schools gathered in the capitol Monday February 11, 2013 for their event “Charter Day on the Hill.” Their goals for this legislative session can be found here.

Thirty-five of the 88 charter schools in Utah were represented, bringing over 400 students, educators, and administrators to the capitol. The Association of Public Charter Schools believes in giving parents a choice in educating their children, as well as in the benefits of a specialized education for students. 

Charter Day on the Hill was a chance for schools to demonstrate the presence of Charter Schools to their legislators. The event was designed to give attention to the activities of the schools themselves and the bills the Utah Association of Public Charter Schools have sponsored this legislative session.

Arts Day at the Legislature

Utah Division of Arts & Museums

The Utah State Capitol was built to serve not only as a place for government, but as a house of the people. During the Legislative Session community members often assemble, advocating for what they hold important for the enrichment of their shared State of Utah. Some of these gatherings include Museum Day at the Legislature, Rural Legislation Day, and the event held yesterday, Arts Day at the Legislature. Arts Day brought over 100 visitors to the Capitol for their participation.

Event Details

Organized by Art Works for Kids! and the Utah Arts Council Board of Directors, Arts Day at the Legislature on Tuesday, February 5, 2013 occupied the State Capitol Rotunda.

What is the purpose of this event?

This event is held in particular to give attention to those who are receiving enrichment from, have been heavily influenced by, and have overall benefited from public funding of arts. Arts Day enables the community to actively introduce artists to their legislators to remind them of the importance of the arts. This event is also a chance for arts supporters to personally thank their legislators for their continued support of art in schools and the community.

Who puts on this event?

Art Works for Kids! particularly advocates for continuing the Beverly Taylor Sorenson Learning Arts Programming. The Utah Arts Council Board of Directors is a governing board of Utah Division of Arts and Museums and is in charge of aiding in the development of arts in the community, managing state and federal arts funding, and working as a springboard for arts planning around the state.

Utah State Legislature Resource Guide

Utah State House of Representatives

The 2013 Utah State Legislative Session began this week, and the Capitol Complex is alive with activity. A combined 548 bills are scheduled to be discussed in the House and the Senate, and public events and tours are quickly filling up. We've collected all the best resources to help you find the information you need—whether you're visiting the Capitol, tracking legislation, or attending an event.

Your Legislators

Full rosters of both the House and the Senate can be found on the Utah State Legislature website. If you are unsure who your legislators are, type your address into the interactive map here. The Utah State Legislature website also lists the current Senate Standing Committees and House Standing Committees, as well as the Appropriations Committees.

Tracking Bills and Committee Meetings

Check out the live stream of session if you're curious about what the elected officials are discussing. The legislative website is also where you can find a list of bills to be discussed, and there are links to track specific bills or view bills that have been passed. If your interests are more specific, you can find a clickable calendar with committee meeting agendas here.

Visiting the Capitol

If you plan on heading up to the Capitol for an event or just to visit, check out our directions and parking information. Other useful pages include information on scheduling your own event,  taking a tour, or photographing the Capitol. Not sure where to go once you're in the building? A map of the Capitol buildings and grounds can be found here.

Keeping Yourself Updated

For all the latest updates, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

State Capitol Visitors Center Unveils New Exhibit

Photo courtesy of the Utah State Historical Society

SALT LAKE CITY—One hundred years ago, a lumbering steam shovel bit into winter-cold soil on a hill just north of Salt Lake City. It was December 26, 1912, and Utah’s state capitol was finally being built—65 years after the arrival of the first pioneers and 16 years after Utah attained statehood. 

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the construction of the Utah State Capitol, the Capitol Preservation Board is pleased to present a new Visitors Center exhibit, Step Back in Time: A Centennial Celebration of the Capitol Construction. Using a collection of striking historic photographs, this new exhibit breathes life into the fascinating stories behind the planning and construction of the Capitol.

“We are thrilled to provide a unique and educational opportunity for all Capitol visitors to experience the vibrant history of this wonderful building,” said Allyson Gamble, executive director of the Capitol Preservation Board.

The exhibit opens on January 24, and will be on view weekdays from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. On January 24, at 10:30 a.m., a special presentation will formally welcome the public to the exhibit.

Admission to Step Back in Time is free. Digital images used in the reproduction of the exhibit’s historical photographs were provided courtesy of the University of Utah J. Willard Marriott Library, the Utah State Archives and Records Service, the Utah State Historical Society, and the Territorial Statehouse State Park Museum.

For more information, please contact 801-538-1800 or showard [at] utah [dot] gov.

New Exhibit: People of Utah, 1892-2011

The Capitol Preservation Board is pleased to announce a new exhibit from the State of Utah Fine Art Collection/Utah Arts Council. The exhibit, located on the fourth floor of the Capitol, features a selection of portraits from the Collection. More than appropriate in the “People’s House,” these artworks reflect a beautifully diverse sampling of the people and artists of Utah

The State Fine Art Collection, also known as the Alice Art Collection, was initiated by Representative Alice Merrill Horne who served in the 3rd Utah Legislature in 1899. She sponsored the legislation that created the Utah Art Institute, now known as the Utah Division of Art and Museums, the first state-sponsored arts organization in the United States.

About the Artists

For more information about the featured artists and their works, please visit the exhibit webpage.

This exhibit is provided courtesy of the State of Utah Fine Art Collection/Utah Arts Council. Now through July 11, 2013, on the fourth floor of the Capitol. Admission is free. For hours and more information, please visit our website.