Lyle Hillyard, the longest-serving member of the Utah Senate, will be out as chairman of the budget committee in the coming legislative session after a dozen years in the post.
Hillyard, a Logan Republican who has been in the Legislature for nearly 36 years, will be replaced by Sen. Jerry Stevenson, R-Layton, who has been Hillyard's vice chairman for the last four years.
In addition, longtime Sen. Howard Stephenson, who has been instrumental in driving education policy in the state, will also no longer serve as chairman of the subcommittee in charge of the public education budget. Hillyard will take his place on that subcommittee.
Senate President Wayne Niederhauser made the shakeup Wednesday night as he announced committee assignments for the next two years.
"Lyle Hillyard is one of the heroes of the last 12 years," Niederhauser, R-Sandy, said in a statement. "Through good times and bad, he developed budgets that were balanced and conservative, without significant debt. ... He was beholden to no one but the people of his district and the State of Utah."
Hillyard said it was a privilege to serve as budget chairman and appreciated the work of the Legislature's budget analysts and the governors and their staffs.
"Though we occasionally found ourselves on opposing sides, we were generally able to resolve those in the best interest of the State of Utah," Hillyard said. "Change is rarely easy, but the timing is great for my family."
Niederhauser picked Sen. Kevin Van Tassell, R-Vernal, to fill the position of vice chairman on the budget committee. Van Tassell, who had been chairman of the influential Rules Committee, will be replaced by Sen. Deidre Henderson, R-Spanish Fork, making her the only female member of Republican leadership in the House or Senate.
Stephenson moves to the chairmanship of the Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee, a spot that could pose potential conflicts since he is the president of the business-backed Utah Taxpayers Association.
As education budget chairman, Stephenson had drawn criticism for using the post to drive technological reforms, including some that benefited specific software vendors.
gehrke@sltrib.com
Twitter: @RobertGehrke
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Sen. Lyle W. Hillyard discusses the Prison Relocation Commission's recommendation to build a new correctional facility in Salt Lake City, during a special session, Wednesday, August 19, 2015.
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Senator Howard Stephenson, comments on bill SB89, on the floor of the senate Friday, February 19, 2016.
Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune Senator Howard Stephenson comments on refining an approach for business tax incentives during the Utah Legislature's Revenue and Taxation Interim Committee at the state capitol Wednesday September 21.
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