With the exception of eighteen months in Florida and two years in South Africa, well and 4 months in California, and six weeks in Mississippi, I have lived my entire life in Utah. Its interesting living here, and on a regular basis entertaining or exasperating, depending on your point of view.
I have watched my fair state twist itself into a pretzel through the years as it worked to maintain a very states rights, conservative Republican approach to governance. Add to that the very strong LDS church presence here and you have to potential for missteps, over reaches and sometimes comedic, to the point of farcical, attempts at legislating.
Some years ago it was discovered that the State Board of Education was allowing history credit to be awarded for taking church history in LDS seminary. Even though the Supreme court had ruled many years prior that seminary was released time and not in any way connected to the state school system. At the same time it was discovered that seminary attendance was being calculated as school attendance. The ACLU intervened and both practices were stopped.
When cable TV came to Utah it was seen as an influence for bad and money and time was expended trying to prevent it making its way into Utah cities. Another lawsuit and another loss for Utahan's.
Some Utah cities have tried to ban free speech on city sidewalks. More lawsuits and more losses for state and city governments. We have also found out that you cannot place memorial crosses for fallen highway patrol troopers along public highways. And the highway patrol has been restrained from crossing into Wyoming to try and apprehend cars with trunks full of bootleg alcohol.
I do want to note that my home town of Pleasant Grove prevailed in their suit and the ten commandments monument has been allowed to be placed on public property. That set a precedent for the entire country.
Utah and alcohol are like oil and water. That has led to a set of laws that defy logic. Some have started to realize that our quirky laws are impacting the conference and tourism business in Utah. Both of which we spend tax dollars to promote. So attempts have been made to modernize our alcohol laws. However each time a law is updated there is also a new restrictive law passed. So we go forward and back at the same time. We for years forced clubs to sell memberships to alcohol consuming guests to our state, we then started scanning drivers licenses. Next came making restaurants ask you if you intended to eat in their establishment before you could be served alcohol. Why else do you go to restaurants? And finally we have forced restaurants that have opened since 2010 to have a seven foot wall for the bartender to mix drinks behind, lest we corrupt young minds. So we have two classes of restaurants in Utah now, some with the so called seven foot "Zions Curtain" and those without.
Utah continually faults the Federal government for owning approx. 70 percent of Utah, making it impossible for us to make roads and develop the land for......private use. On closer examination we find that in spite of Utah disliking the Federal government and its funds, our state budget is about 40% federal dollars.
One of the states loudest complaints about federal dollars is having them spent for abortions. Utah has done its best to completely outlaw them, but has not succeeded.
This past December was an especially trying month for Utah as more of its laws came under judicial review and Utah lost. First of all it was ruled that our anti polygamy laws are invalid because they prevent non marital cohabitation. Next judge, santa claus, Shelby ruled that our constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman was unconstitutional. The usual hue and cry of activist judges interfering with states rights was heard, as was the argument that a majority of the people voted for the amendment. Based on the logic of both those arguments the poll taxes, literacy tests, and all segregationist laws, should have been allowed to stand. Voting for something unconstitutional or illegal will not make that thing legal in a state. That supremacy clause in the constitution is so troublesome.
These December decisions came on the heels of many in Utah still in mourning for Romney's loss to President Obama in the November election. The populace just tried to will Romney to victory, despite the fact that no valid poll ever showed him coming out the winner and certainly no examination of any pre election projections of the electoral college vote showed him ever having a chance at winning.
In the states wish to be an all Republican state, the legislature on two different occasions tried to redistrict Jim Matheson out of congress. Much to my glee they didn't succeed either time. Score: Mathesons successful elections to congress: 7. Utah legislatures attempts to unseat him: 0.
I know people who have left Utah because they could not deal with the politics here. Me I'm staying. We have 5 more weeks left in our legislative session. 5 weeks of angst and laughter.
The comment the other day by one of our legislators that he was opposed to upgrading the penalty for destroying formations in Goblin Valley State Park is a good example of the mindset there. He is opposed he said "because a rock is a rock". Other legislators are suggesting we give complete immunity to police involved in high speed chases should things go awry and there is injury/death, or destruction.
One more item about our legislature. In spite of all their shenanigan's, such as ending the investigation into wrongdoing in the AG's office because he resigned, or saying no new liquor laws this session, they do keep our state fiscally sound. We are ranked number one often in surveys of fiscally well managed states. We are not deeply in debt and don't have mandates we cannot pay. That means tough decisions have to be made some years, but they get made. That is worth applauding.
Utah a pretty great state.
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