Karianne Lisonbee

Karianne Lisonbee is an American politician serving in the Utah House of Representatives, representing District 14.

Early life and career[]

Karianne Lisonbee lives in Syracuse. She graduated from Brigham Young University.^[1] Prior to her election to the Utah legislature, Lisonbee was serving her second term on the Syracuse City Council.^[2] She is currently serving her third term in the House. Lisonbee is a member of the board of Open Doors, the Utah Home Education Association, and Wasatch Adoptions.^[3]

Political career[]

In the 2017 Utah Legislative Session Karianne sponsored a bill creating a Provisional Concealed Carry Permit for adults aged 18 to 20.^[4]

In the 2019 Utah Legislative Session Karianne sponsored a bill providing a process for the Utah Attorney General's Office to review alleged first degree felonies if the local and district level enforcement agencies decline to prosecute or wait more than six months to analyze the case.^[5]

In the 2019 Utah Legislative Session Karianne sponsored the Down syndrome Nondiscrimination Abortion Act,^[6] a bill seeking to halt the eugenic-like eradication of children with Down syndrome through elective abortion.^[7] The bill contained a contingent effective date. This bill will enact when a court of jurisdiction decides in favor of a Down syndrome Nondiscrimination Act being challenged in another state.

In the 2019 Utah Legislative Session Karianne sponsored HB231, Tangible Personal Property Tax Revisions^[8] alleviating onerous regulatory and tax pressure from small businesses in Utah.

In the 2019 Utah Legislative Session Karianne sponsored HB250,^[9] a bill placing guardrails around the assessment of school fees.

In the 2019 Utah Legislative Session Karianne sponsored HB246,^[10] a bill that created reduced cost hunting and fishing licenses for disabled veterans.

In the 2021 Utah Legislative Session Karianne passed HB227. This bill enacted a process for certain charges the state may bring against an individual who has acted in self defense. Before the bill, the burden of proof was on an individual to prove to the court that they had acted in justifiable self defense if charged. Now, for a person who has been charged after acting in self-defense, this law provides an option to motion for a special hearing at least 28 days prior to trial where the state has the burden to prove with clear and convincing evidence that the individual did not act in justifiable self defense in order to bind over the case for trial. Just trials of this kind can be every expensive. The hearing process in HB227 will save individuals who act in justifiable self defense the often devastating expense of a jury trial.

In the 2021 Utah Legislative Session Karianne floor sponsored Property Tax Amendments^[11] alleviating onerous regulatory and tax pressure from 40,000 small businesses in Utah through a significant tax cut.

Karianne had a Republican challenger in convention in 2016, Dan Pitcher.^[12] Karianne received 64% of the vote in convention.^[13] Karianne also had a Democratic challenger in 2016, Kathleen Villanueva, who withdrew from the race before ballots were printed because she moved out of state. In 2018 Karianne had a Democratic challenger, Shanell Day.^[14] In 2016, Rep. Curt Oda had filed to run for a seventh term representing district 14. Lisonbee and another Republican candidate, Dan Pitcher, filed on the last filing day.^[15] Then Oda withdrew his candidacy. Lisonbee won the Republican convention race and ran unopposed in the Republican primary. A 2016 Democratic challenger, Kathleen Villanueva, moved before the general election ballots were printed resulting in Lisonbee running unopposed in the general election.^[16][17][18] In the legislature, Lisonbee sponsored legislation to create the provisional concealed carry permit, and legislation to increase restrictions on abortion.^[19][20]

For more information, see her website at Karianne.org

References[]