• Andy Hood

Like many things in Utah, our legislative session marches to the beat of its own drum. Perennial topics—like medical cannabis, stodgy alcohol regulations and right-to-die legislation—will be brought out of the freezer on Jan. 28 only to remain vacuum sealed and discussed in perpetuity. All the while, manager's specials like hidden language in bills and a very loose definition of "separation of church and state" will surely manifest and distract voters from real issues—the meat, if you will.

So, what's in store for the rip-roaring 63rd Legislature? Hopefully not another musical parody. Referred to by Stephen Colbert as "easily the worst political rap since FDR's Twerks Progre$$ Administration," last year's Fresh Prince of Bel-Air viral performance by state lawmakers (Rep. John Knotwell's stuck-out tongue still haunts me) set an unbeatable bar.

With this special issue, we aimed to trim the fat, and give you an insider's take on what to expect during these 45 days. Things like a shortlist of bills to watch; a reminder of past initiatives banished to the discount bin; and how to best exercise civil disobedience. We also paint a historic picture of how lawmaking has changed over the years and introduce you to a group of USDA-approved fresh faces looking to make a splash on the Capitol floor.

Before you make your way through one of our handy express self-checkout lanes, you can also earn 4X the fuel points while catching up on Utah's flight to embrace renewable energy. Oh, and make sure to give our session bingo panel a go. Go old-school and dab each square as it happens (we're banking on you, stagnant education funding!) or add a little spice and throw back a shot every time one of our predictive scenarios comes to play. We'll guarantee you'll be sloshed by the end of Week 1. Clean up on aisle 8.