Karen M. Peterson

Karen M. Peterson is an American politician serving as a member of the Utah House of Representatives. As a member of the Republican Party, Peterson represents the 13th district, which covers a portion of Davis County, Utah.

Early life and education Peterson studied at Utah State University graduating in 2002 with a B.A. in Political Science. She then went to Southern Utah University to receive a M.P.A. in State and Local Government, graduating in 2016.

Karen is a cancer survivor and gave her insights to Deseret News.

Career Politics Peterson was elected a member of the Clinton City Council in 2013. She resigned in 2020 after being selected as Legislative Liaison for Governor Spencer Cox.

After Paul Ray resigned on December 15, 2021, Peterson was elected during a special election of the Davis County Republican Party.

Peterson announced on December 30, 2025 that she will not seek re-election for the upcoming 2026 election.

Current Committees Representative Peterson's current committees are: Education Interim Committee Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee House Education Committee House Political Subdivisions Committee House Rules Committee (Vice Chair) Transportation Interim Committee

Previous Committees Previous committees that Representative Peterson has served: Health and Human Services Interim Committee House Health and Human Services Committee House Transportation Committee Social Services Appropriations Subcommittee

Election Results

Bill Sponsored Legislation This is the bill sponsored legislation during the general session of the Utah Legislature. All sponsored legislation can be found at https://le.utah.gov

+ 2022 Legislation Bill Status HB0251 School Dropout Prevention Amendments signed by the Governor 3/24/22 HB0270 Parent Access to School Data Comparison signed by the Governor 3/24/22 HB0290 School Readiness Amendments signed by the Governor 3/24/22 HB0419 Audit Committee Authority Amendments signed by the Governor 3/24/22

+ 2023 Legislation Bill Status HB0049 Motor Vehicle Safety Inspection Advisory Council Amendments signed by the Governor 3/13/23 HB0071 Local Health Department Revisions signed by the Governor 3/15/23 HB0169 Urban Farming Assessment Act Amendments signed by the Governor 3/14/23 HB0249 Education Related Information Amendments signed by the Governor 3/13/23 HB0345 Local District Property Tax Amendments signed by the Governor 3/14/23 HB0394 Grant Funding for Supplemental Educational Opportunities signed by the Governor 3/14/23 HB0411 Student Behavioral Health Services Amendments signed by the Governor 3/17/23 HB0445 Vehicle Tracking Amendments House file for bills not passed HB0478 Educator Evaluation Pilot Program House file for bills not passed

+ 2024 Legislation Bill Status HB0050 State Highway Designation Amendments signed by the Governor 3/20/24 HB0221 Stipends for Future Educators signed by the Governor 3/20/24 HB0286 State Aid for Scholarships signed by the Governor 3/12/24 HB0367 Local Government Fees Modifications House file for bills not passed HB0438 Higher Education Revisions signed by the Governor 3/12/24 HB0515 Election Administration Modifications signed by the Governor 3/21/24 HB0533 Small School District Scale of Operations Formula House file for bills not passed HB0546 Public Education Modifications House file for bills not passed HB0575 Urban Farming Assessment Amendments House file for bills not passed

+ 2025 Legislation Bill Status HB0001 Higher Education Base Budget signed by the Governor 2/14/25 HB0026 Road Jurisdiction Amendments signed by the Governor 3/26/25 HB0043 Education Program Sunset Amendments signed by the Governor 3/25/25 HB0051 Higher Education Reporting Amendments signed by the Governor 3/26/25 HB0204 Stipends for Future Educators Grant Program Amendments signed by the Governor 3/26/25 HB0265 Higher Education Strategic Reinvestment signed by the Governor 3/26/25 HB0396 Small School District Scale of Operations Formula signed by the Governor 3/24/25 HB0454 Local Government Fees Modifications House file for bills not passed HB0530 Utah Innovation Lab Modifications signed by the Governor 3/27/25 HB0545 School District Governance Agreements signed by the Governor 3/27/25

+ 2026 Legislation Bill Status HB0143 Special Education Amendments signed by the Governor 3/19/26 HB0236 Truth in Taxation Amendments signed by the Governor 3/23/26 HB0242 Initiative and Referendum Signature Gathering and Removal Amendments signed by the Governor 3/7/26 HB0352 Higher Education Alignment signed by the Governor 3/19/26 HB0373 Higher Education Innovation signed by the Governor 3/18/26 HB0425 Local Government Fees Amendments signed by the Governor 3/24/26

Other work After being elected in December, Peterson started work in January as the Community Development Manager for Sunrise Engineering.