Controversial bills pass the Senate and House

A set of 3 bills related to transgender minors have passed the Utah Senate and are headed to the House. SB16 bans sex-change surgeries and puberty blocking hormones for minors. SB93 prevents minors from changing their birth certificates and SB100 prevents schools from changing a student's pronouns without parental permission. Proponents say the bills protect children while opponents say the bills are "a solution looking for a problem" and send a message to the LGBTQ+ community that they are not welcome here.

Over on the House side, HB215, the education bill that combines teacher salary increases to a bill authorizing an Educational Spending Account (ESA) for children outside the public school system, passed easily out of the House Education committee on Thursday evening. Suspending the rules that require a bill to be on the House board for 24 hours, the bill was debated Friday morning on the House floor for a little over an hour. It passed the House on a 54-20 vote, and is heading to the Senate. Proponents say this bill increases parental choice in educating their children and shows Utah values teachers while opponents say the bill marginalizes lower-income and rural students, as well as those with disabilities. A different opposing group says the bill is the "heavy hand of government."