Patrice M. Arent (born February 3, 1956) is an American politician who served as a Democratic member of the Utah House of Representatives, representing the state's 36th house district through 2020.
Early life and career
Arent was born February 3, 1956, in Utah. She received her B.S. from the University of Utah in 1978 and her J.D. from Cornell Law School in 1981. Before becoming a member of the House of Representatives, she worked as an Assistant Attorney General in the Utah Attorney General's Office from 1989 to 1995.Biography on Project VoteSmart She currently lives in Salt Lake City with her husband and two children. She is Jewish.
Political career
Arent was elected to the Utah House of Representatives in 1996 where she has served as Democratic Whip and Assistant Democratic Whip. In 2002, because of legislative redistricting, she would have had to run against another incumbent Democratic representative to remain in her House seat. Rather than run for a fourth term in the House, Arent successfully ran to represent District 4 in the State Senate."Paul Rolly: Weep for the Disenfranchised," The Salt Lake Tribune, January 22, 2011 She served in the Utah Senate from 2003 through 2006.Rep. Arent's official page on the Utah Legislature website
Arent was elected Democratic National Committeewoman from Utah at the 2008 State Democratic Convention."Utah Democrats: Springmeyer to challenge governor," Deseret News, May 11, 2008 She represented Utah as a "superdelegate" at the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado, and helped nominate Barack Obama as the Democratic candidate for President of the United States.
In 2010, she returned to public office as the Representative of District 36 in the Utah House of Representatives."Former Legislators Seek Return to the Hill," Deseret News, April 4, 2010 She was reelected in 2012 with 60% of the vote. She was reelected in 2014 with 67.8% of the vote.
In 2011, the Utah Democratic Party awarded her the Eleanor Roosevelt Award.Utah Amicus story on Eleanor Roosevelt Award The award was presented on October 27, 2011, at This is the Place Heritage Park in Salt Lake City, Utah. She was selected by a committee of past award winners. Past award winners include former Congresswoman Karen Shepherd and State Senator Karen Mayne.
During the 2016 legislative session, Arent served on the Executive Appropriations Committee, the Business, Economic Development, and Labor Appropriations Subcommittee, the House Government Operations Committee, and the House Public Utilities, Energy, and Technology Committee.
2016 sponsored legislation Bill number Bill title StatusHB0052S02Office of Outdoor Recreation Amendments Governor Signed - 3/21/2016HB0119Straight Ticket Voting AmendmentsHouse/ filed - 3/10/2016HB0130Electric Vehicle Infrastructure AmendmentsGovernor Signed - 3/29/2016HB0158S01Campaign Funds Restrictions for County and Local School Board Offices Governor Signed - 3/18/2016HB0237Income Tax Contribution for Clean AirGovernor Signed - 3/21/2016HB0267Charitable Solicitation Act Amendments Governor Signed - 3/29/2016HB0275Submission of Nonbinding Opinion Questions to VotersHouse/ filed - 3/10/2016HJR006Joint Rules Resolution on Ethics CommissionHouse/ filed - 3/10/2016
Arent passed five of the eight bills she introduced, giving her a 62.5% passage rate. She did not floor sponsor any bills during the 2016 general session.
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