SALT LAKE CITY — Utah legislators gave their final approval Friday to tighten the rules for what can be requested on vanity plates — legislation aimed at combating inscriptions that disparage a group based on race, sexual orientation, citizen status and other protected categories.
SB97, sponsored by Senate Minority Whip Luz Escamilla, D-Salt Lake City, soared through the House Wednesday with a vote of 68-0 with an amendment. On Friday, senators approved the amended version 23-5, sending the bill to the governor.
“The House passed this bill unanimously from the committee and the House floor supporting the changes,” Escamilla said. “They did want to change the word gender and put sex instead of gender as the word — that’s the only change, and I think it’s a very friendly change.”
The legislation expands restrictions by adding a provision to current law declaring plate requests should be denied when they disparage a group based on race, color, national origin, religion, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, and now sex.
Currently, plate requests can be denied when they carry connotations offensive to “good taste and decency or that would be misleading.” The Utah Division of Motor Vehicles outlines this as 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 bill also has a provision that would prevent the DMV from rejecting vanity plates that reference a state symbol such as the Utah firearm.
Controversy over vanity plates erupted when a picture of the license plate DEPORTM circulated across social media and various media outlets both in and out of the state in January.
Sen. Wayne Harper, R-Taylorsville, suggested ending the personalized license plate practice entirely during floor time, but the motion failed.
from Deseret News https://ift.tt/2PytxRQ
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