Elective abortion ban, other bills signed by Gov. Gary Herbert – Deseret News

SALT LAKE CITY Gov. Gary Herbert concluded signing bills passed during the Utah Legislatures recently completed session, including legislation pertaining to the disposal of fetal remains, a penalty reduction for polygamy, and an elective abortion ban with a trigger clause that will only take effect if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade.

Utah lawmakers passed 510 bills throughout the 45-day general session that ended at midnight on March 12. Herbert vetoed five bills and didnt act one one, which went in effect without his signature.

Herbert explained in a letter to Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, and House Speaker Brad Wilson, R-Kaysville, that he vetoed four of the five bills because they amend tax policy in a time of economic uncertainty.

He had until the end of Wednesday to sign or veto the bills.

Herbert signed one of the more controversial bills a sweeping abortion ban with a few exceptions on Saturday.

SB174, sponsored by Sen. Dan McCay, R-Riverton, will only go into effect if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade. It will only allow abortions in cases of rape, incest, substantial impairment of the mothers health, or if the fetus has a lethal birth defect or severe brain abnormality that would render it in a vegetative state.

Anyone who performs an abortion that doesnt fall under these exceptions could face a second-degree felony charge.

Herbert signed another controversial bill Saturday that has to do with the disposal of fetal remains.

SB67, sponsored by Sen. Curtis Bramble, R-Provo, requires health care providers to either bury or cremate aborted and miscarried fetal remains.

Like SB174, the bill passed along party lines and was opposed by abortion-rights groups in this case arguing that the legislation will increase a womans trauma by forcing a decision on how she wanted the remains to be disposed.

Bramble said the woman would receive a form asking how she wants the remains to be taken care of, but emphasized that she could choose not to select a method at all if she preferred.

Other bills Herbert has signed include SB102, which drastically lowers the penalty for bigamy between consenting adults while enhancing penalties for crimes committed in concert with bigamy like sexual abuse, domestic violence or fraud.

Sponsored by Sen. Deidre Henderson, R-Spanish Fork, the new law drops the penalty for bigamy from a felony punishable to up to five years in prison to an infraction, which is less severe than some traffic tickets.

Henderson said the laws purpose is to drive victims of abuse in polygamist communities out of the shadows so they can get aid, explaining they would have been less inclined to do so before out of fear of the felony penalty.

The bill earned a great deal of support from lawmakers in both the Senate and the House, but it encountered resistance from some victim advocate groups that were concerned reducing the criminal penalty would actually embolden perpetrators of crimes in polygamous families.

Herbert also signed SB97, which tightens the rules for what can be requested for a personalized license plate legislation that came about after controversy regarding vanity plates erupted when a picture of the license plate DEPORTM was posted to Twitter.

The new law, sponsored by Senate Minority Whip Luz Escamilla, D-Salt Lake City, expands restrictions to include a provision saying requests should be denied when they disparage a group based on race, color, national origin, religion, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, citizenship status, or physical or mental disability.

Plate requests can currently be denied when they carry connotations offensive to good taste and decency or that would be misleading. The Utah Division of Motor Vehicles details this as meaning requests that reference drugs; are sexual, vulgar or derogatory; suggest ideas dangerous to public welfare; or disrespect race, religion, deity, ethnic heritage, gender or political affiliation.

The law also allows for vanity plates that reference a state symbol such as the Utah firearm.

Other notable bills signed

Bills vetoed

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Elective abortion ban, other bills signed by Gov. Gary Herbert - Deseret News