Utah lawmaker attempts to put 'Word of Wisdom' in state code

By Bridger Beal-Cvetko, KSL | Updated - March 4, 2026 at 8:05 p.m. | Posted - March 4, 2026 at 11:47 a.m.

SALT LAKE CITY — An unusual situation unfolded in the Utah Legislature Wednesday as a Republican lawmaker attempted to insert scriptural references to the Word of Wisdom in state code.

The proposal, which was floated as representatives debated a bill to limit sales of kratom in the state, was quickly shot down, but an apparent typo led to a reference to the Latter-day Saint scripture being read on the Senate floor.

This all comes as lawmakers are entering the final stretch of this year's legislative session, which ends Friday at midnight.

Here's what else lawmakers were up to on Wednesday:

Wednesday, 08:05 pm

Lawmaker attempts to codify 'Word of Wisdom'

During debate on the House floor over a bill to limit where kratom can be sold in Utah, one Republican lawmaker introduced a substitute version that would add much of the "Word of Wisdom" into state code.Kratom derives from a tropical tree but has been nicknamed "gas station heroin" due to extracted versions being available in convenience stores and other shops. Parents of children who have died after using kratom have been pushing the Legislature to restrict its sale.

But while lawmakers debated SB45 on Wednesday, Rep. Matt MacPherson, R-West Valley City, spoke of alcohol and tobacco, which can also be dangerous, and suggested lawmakers "just go all the way and put into effect a health code that's already been adopted in vast areas of Utah."He added the bill would "really just impart the wisdom of the Legislature upon the masses on the streets that just don't have the same moral clarity we do."Though MacPherson didn't directly invoke the "Word of Wisdom" — a revelation in the Doctrine and Covenants, a sacred text of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that advises against consuming alcohol and tobacco — in his floor speech, he introduced a substitute bill titled "Word of Wisdom Amendments."That bill lacked typical policy language and instead quoted the entirety of Doctrine and Covenants Section 89, almost word-for-word, though it removed all references to God.The third verse of Section 89 describes the Word of Wisdom as being: "Given for a principle with promise, adapted to the capacity of the weak and the weakest of all saints, who are or can be called saints."Subsection 3 of MacPherson's bill reads: "Given for a principle with promise, adapted to the capacity of the weak and the weakest of all state residents, who are or can be called state residents."The bill goes on to say, "And all state residents who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones." The bill concludes, again replacing "saints" from the scripture with "state residents."It appears to be the only time in recent memory that a lawmaker has proposed inserting scripture into state code.Rep. Katy Hall, R-Ogden, the floor sponsor of SB45, opposed the change."While I really do love the representative ... and I appreciate the light-heartedness of this, to me, I'm sorry, this isn't a light-hearted issue," she said. "Until you've had to see opioid addicts at work and how their addiction affects everything in their lives, including the pain control that they have when they're going into surgery, including the withdrawals that they have, including having to be on other opioid drugs to stop the pain that's happening when they're addicted, I don't think you understand it."In closing, MacPherson said he wasn't trying to make light of the situation but was bringing up a discussion about why the state would seek to ban kratom purchases when it has simply regulated and taxed other vices like alcohol and tobacco."For far more dangerous products that have far greater effects on the totality of the state, why is regulation and tax the appropriate way forward, and why is ban the way forward on other products?" he asked.Lawmakers voted down MacPherson's change but passed the bill after changing it to bar the sale of any kratom that is not pure leaf. An earlier version of the bill allowed kratom producers to sell processed kratom through March 6, 2027. Representatives voted to make that ban take effect a year earlier, if the bill is signed into law.But when the bill was sent back to the Senate to consider the House changes, it was read in by the Senate clerk as "Word of Wisdom Amendments."Senate Majority Assistant Whip Mike McKell, R-Spanish Fork, later told reporters a typo caused the wrong title of the bill to be read. He said senators corrected that and were considering the accurate version, but called the situation "a little weird.""It is a serious issue, and I think when that discussion came off, I actually appreciated Rep. Hall," said McKell, the original sponsor of the bill. "I think it's good to have levity up here, and we need to have levity. ... I think she brought it back and talked about the seriousness of the bill and the amount of harm that's happening in public. And I think that's the message."Senators unanimously approved SB45 on Wednesday afternoon.

Wednesday, 08:05 pm

Income, gas tax cuts cross the finish line

Utahns will likely pay less to the state after lawmakers approved a 0.05% cut to the income tax and a six-cent cut to the fuel tax — though the second second cut will only be in effect from July 1 until the end of this year when the gas tax reverts to a rate set by the motor fuel tax formula.The income tax cut is the sixth decrease in a row and is estimated to save a typical Utah family around $45 a year.The Utah Taxpayers Association celebrated both bills, calling them "a win for Utah taxpayers.""It's clear Utah's leaders are committed to keeping the state affordable for families and businesses," association President Billy Hesterman said in a statement.Lawmakers have until Friday at midnight to approve the rest of the state's $31 billion operating budget.

Wednesday, 07:16 pm

House rejects bills on child care, child safety warrants

The Utah House voted down bills on child care and child safety warrants Wednesday, both sponsored by Senate Minority Leader Luz Escamilla, D-Salt Lake City.SB124 was introduced after 12-year-old Gavin Peterson died in 2024 due to abuse at the hands of his father, stepmother and brother. The bill would have allowed juvenile court officials to issue special "investigative warrants" allowing law enforcement officials or caseworkers to check on the status of children they fear may be in danger.Rep. Christine Watkins, R-Price, who ran the bill on the House floor, said abusers can sometimes avoid accountability by isolating children and not responding to child caseworkers or law enforcement."It's still really, really hard for me to think about it, because I think about it a lot," she said of the Peterson case. "I raised four sons. I love all of them, and to think that someone could do that was just not — it's beyond my ability to think about."She said the bill was meant to "fill some of these holes" to prevent a similar situation from happening again.But the bill was met with skepticism from many representatives who feared it could intrude on parental rights and make it easier for the state to take children into protective custody. Rep. Stephanie Gricius, R-Eagle Mountain, noted that the Division of Child and Family Services had contact with Peterson and his family prior to his death and blamed the agency in part for "mishandling" the case."It is tragic," she said. "It is absolutely tragic, but I don't believe the mishandling of some cases is enough to open the door on parental rights for everyone else."The bill failed 43-30.Representatives also shot down SB248 in a 47-25 vote. That bill would let the state rent out some "unused space" in a state facility to a child care provider, according to floor sponsor Rep. Anthony Loubet, R-Kearns.Similar policies have been proposed before, but several lawmakers said it would be inefficient or suggested the state sell the property if it wasn't in use.

Wednesday, 06:05 pm

Senators vote down bill removing 'gender' from state code

A Senate committee rejected a bill that would have replaced most references to "gender" in state code with "sex," after several senators questioned whether the bill would actually change anything.The bill was on its third sponsor in a week. Rep. Tiara Auxier, R-Morgan, took over the bill from Rep. Trevor Lee, R-Layton, before an emotional House committee meeting on the bill last week. But it was Bluffdale Republican Rep. Mark Strong who presented HB183 to the Senate Government Operations and Political Subdivisions Committee on Wednesday.Strong acknowledged that the bill was "a bit divisive to start" — it initially would have prevented Utahns from changing the sex designation on their birth certificate — but said the latest version just makes a distinction between the two words."Historically, the word gender and sex were used interchangeably," he said. "However, today they have distinct meanings."Senators weren't convinced it was a needed distinction."Why? That was the first question that came up was, why?" asked Sen. Evan Vickers, R-Cedar City. "Could you help me understand why we would want to do that?"Senate Minority Assistant Whip Jen Plumb, D-Salt Lake City, said there "ain't much left, except the final piece of what feels like wasn't very kind policy all along."The committee voted unanimously not to advance the bill.

Wednesday, 05:30 pm

Utah seeks to change judicial retention standards

The Utah House of Representatives voted to change the commission that makes recommendations on judicial retention.SB233, sponsored by Sen. Brady Brammer, R-Highland, would require the Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission to let a judge appear and speak to the commission if they are on track to receive a negative recommendation. It also changes some of the standards and priorities for evaluation.For the Court of Appeals or Utah Supreme Court, the bill directs the commission to create criteria that would evaluate justices based on the "timely management of the judge's caseload."Republican lawmakers have long criticized the state's high court for taking too long to rule in cases regarding abortion and redistricting, though the courts have said the issue with caseloads is most pressing at the lower court level.The Utah State Bar initially opposed the bill."When considered as part of the larger legislative package, it increases political influence over judges by shifting evaluations toward subjective criteria that could be wielded as a tool for political retaliation rather than impartial assessment," it wrote.Rep. Karianne Lisonbee, R-Syracuse, the House sponsor of the bill, said the changes would help the public interest."They ensure the highest quality, relevant data when deciding whether to vote to retain a judge, and it leads to more public confidence in our retention elections," she said on the House floor.The bill passed the House 51-18 and now heads to the governor.

Wednesday, 04:06 pm

Changes to voter registration privacy

Utah law has allowed voters to request that some of their personal information be withheld from the public when they register to vote, but that could change after the House passed SB153. The bill still allows individuals to keep their information private but only if they are considered an "at-risk voter," which includes law enforcement officers, public figures, members of the armed forces and those protected by a restraining order.Rep. Trevor Lee, R-Layton, the floor sponsor of the bill, said a significant number of voters have requested their records be private, making it harder for political parties and campaigns to contact voters. He said the bill brings the law in line with the original intention of creating a private voter record."We have no way of knowing and contacting who they are in the state of Utah," he said. "That creates problems and issues with us being able to campaign and know who we are supposed to talk to, specifically within the party primaries."The bill passed 56-12 on mostly partisan lines but still needs the Senate to approve changes made in the House. Rep. Ashlee Matthews, D-West Jordan, was the only Democrat to vote in favor.

Wednesday, 11:47 am

Taxes on streaming, "adult websites"

Lawmakers gave final approval on Wednesday to bills that would close tax loopholes on video streaming services and add a new tax on purchases on adult websites.SB73 adds a 2% excise tax on online content deemed "harmful to minors," including online pornography and other adult content. The money raised will go to a new fund to address mental health for minors.Utah already has laws requiring age verification for adult websites, and Rep. Steve Eliason, the bill's floor sponsor, credited that law and other changes with improved mental health for young Utahns reported in a large statewide survey last year.Eliason, a Republican from Sandy, noted that 51% of boys and 32% of girls encounter online pornography before the age of 13."Why this bill matters is because Utah is kind of the national standard for protecting our youth," he said, "and we know that these companies without guardrails will be focused on maximizing the bottom line instead of maximizing the well-being of our youth."The bill passed 66-1, with only Rep. Leah Hansen, R-Saratoga Springs, voting in opposition.Eliason is also the floor sponsor of SB162, which aims to close a loophole that has allowed some video streaming services to avoid charging sales tax. The bill was proposed by the Utah Tax Commission, which found a "small number" of platforms were not collecting the tax, according to Eliason."SB162 eliminates this confusion by clarifying that digital video, audiobooks, gaming are subject to sales and use tax regardless of whether they're streamed or downloaded," he said.He said Utah has always meant to tax those products, so the bill doesn't add a new tax."This clarifies that and treats it the way that we have done it over since the good old days when we would go to Blockbuster," Eliason added.That bill passed 69-1, with Hansen once again casting the lone "nay" vote. Both bills now head to the governor's desk.

Utah lawmaker attempts to put 'Word of Wisdom' in state code

By Bridger Beal-Cvetko, KSL | Updated - March 4, 2026 at 8:05 p.m. | Posted - March 4, 2026 at 11:47 a.m.

An unusual situation unfolded in the Utah Legislature on Wednesday as a Republican lawmaker attempted to insert scriptural references to the "Word of Wisdom" in state code. (Scott G Winterton, Deseret News)

Lawmaker attempts to codify 'Word of Wisdom'

Income, gas tax cuts cross the finish line

House rejects bills on child care, child safety warrants

Senators vote down bill removing 'gender' from state code

Utah seeks to change judicial retention standards

Changes to voter registration privacy

Taxes on streaming, "adult websites"

Most recent Utah Legislature stories

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Utah lawmaker attempts to put 'Word of Wisdom' in state code

By Bridger Beal-Cvetko, KSL | Updated - March 4, 2026 at 8:05 p.m. | Posted - March 4, 2026 at 11:47 a.m.

An unusual situation unfolded in the Utah Legislature on Wednesday as a Republican lawmaker attempted to insert scriptural references to the "Word of Wisdom" in state code. (Scott G Winterton, Deseret News)

Lawmaker attempts to codify 'Word of Wisdom'

Income, gas tax cuts cross the finish line

House rejects bills on child care, child safety warrants

Senators vote down bill removing 'gender' from state code

Utah seeks to change judicial retention standards

Changes to voter registration privacy

Taxes on streaming, "adult websites"

Most recent Utah Legislature stories

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No sales tax on Olympic tickets in 2034? Here's what the Utah Legislature just decided

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No sales tax on Olympic tickets in 2034? Here's what the Utah Legislature just decided

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