This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The simply named House Building on Capitol Hill could be named for the late House Speaker Becky Lockhart, the first woman to hold that high position.
The House Transportation Committee voted unanimously Monday to endorse HB322 to make that change, and sent it to the full House. The hearing occurred in the building that could be named for Lockhart, who died last year of a rare disease at age 46.
"Speaker Lockhart was a dynamic woman and a ground-breaker who did not see boundaries," said Rep. Susan Duckworth, D-Magna, sponsor of the bill.
Lockhart's husband, Stan, said his wife "changed the way that things operate up here, whether its her designation as the first woman speaker of the House or her style, which was collaborative, or her mother bear attitude about members of this body."
Rep. Jack Draxler, R-North Logan, noted that he gave the nominating speech for Lockhart's opponent for House speaker. So when she won instead, he figured "I was probably headed for chairman of capitol toilets."
But, he said, "She did exactly the opposite. She drew me in. She appointed me to chair a standing committee. She appointed me to the Rules Committee. And she absolutely overwhelmed me with her goodness and kindness. So something needs be done to acknowledge the sea change in the way the House did business."
— Lee Davidson