Don L. Ipson

Office held

Bills sponsored in 2026

Chief sponsor of 5 bills in the 2026 General Session: 5 passed.

• Transportation and Infrastructure Base BudgetSigned by the governor on January 31, 2026
• Assault or Threat of Violence AmendmentsSigned by the governor on March 23, 2026
• Child Abuse Homicide CorrectionsSigned by the governor on March 23, 2026
• Tow Yard AmendmentsSigned by the governor on March 23, 2026
• Wrongful Lien Act AmendmentsSigned by the governor on March 23, 2026

From the Legislature's 2026 General Session bill records. Browse all bills.

Voting record

All votes by Don L. Ipson

Banking, trucking and small business

Don L. Ipson grew up in southern Utah, attended Panguitch High School and studied accounting and business administration at LDS Business College. He began in banking before founding the family company DATS Trucking. His Senate biography also identifies him as founder of the Ernie's Too! restaurant business, giving his career a mix of transportation, finance and customer-facing small enterprise. ^[1]

Legislative service and District 29

Ipson began serving in the Utah House in 2009 and was appointed to the Senate in 2016. He represents Senate District 29 in Washington County. His official biography identifies him as chair of Transportation and Infrastructure Appropriations and describes a longstanding connection to St. George. The 2009 date in the member roster is the start of his combined legislative service. ^[1]

Industry leadership and stated interests

Ipson's biography records leadership of the Utah Trucking Association, Southern Utah Trucking Association and Utah College of Applied Technology. It describes legislative interests in tax policy, small businesses, first responders and veterans. Those are attributed areas of focus; his current committee record separately documents membership in Senate Business and Labor and the transportation, public utilities, energy and technology committee. ^{[1] [2]}

In the 2026 General Session, Don L. Ipson was chief sponsor of S.B. 27, Assault or Threat of Violence Amendments. It splits the offense of assaulting or threatening a peace officer from the one covering military service members in uniform, and extends the peace officer offense to off-duty officers and their family members when the act is committed because of the officer's status. The governor signed it on March 23, 2026. ^[3]

In the 2026 General Session, Don L. Ipson was chief sponsor of S.B. 32, Child Abuse Homicide Corrections. It removes child torture from the child abuse homicide statute, since the offense is already covered under murder, and takes effect immediately. The governor signed it on March 23, 2026. ^[4]

Infrastructure, justice and water

Beyond transportation appropriations, Ipson's current assignments include Criminal Justice Appropriations, Senate Rules and the Legislative Water Development Commission. Interim work includes Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice and Political Subdivisions, while confirmation assignments include judicial review. These records show a portfolio extending from the infrastructure needs of a growing region to criminal-justice spending, local-government issues and the state's long-term water planning. ^[2]

Profile sources

Profile refreshed October 20, 2026. Candidate statements describe the candidate's own experience or positions; official records and reporting are labeled separately.

1. Utah Senate — official senator biography · Official record
2. Utah Legislature — official member biography and assignments · Official record
3. Utah Legislature, S.B. 27 Assault or Threat of Violence Amendments · Official record
4. Utah Legislature, S.B. 32 Child Abuse Homicide Corrections · Official record

From the Legislature's roster

Profession

Businessman

Education

Panguitch High School; Degree in Accounting and Business Administration, LDS Business College

Committees

• Criminal Justice Appropriations Subcommittee
• Transportation and Infrastructure Appropriations Subcommittee
• Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Interim Committee
• Political Subdivisions Interim Committee
• Senate Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Confirmation Committee
• Senate Judicial Confirmation Committee
• Legislative Water Development Commission
• Senate Transportation, Public Utilities, Energy, and Technology Confirmation Committee
• Senate Business and Labor Committee
• Senate Rules Committee
• Senate Transportation, Public Utilities, Energy, and Technology Committee

As listed by the Utah Legislature.

In the news

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