Utah’s 2025 Legislative Session: The Bills You Need to Know

Let’s dive in. It’s bad. It’s all bad.

Look, we didn’t want to write a Substack this long. We’re not trying to set a record for Most Pages Spent Explaining Why Everything is Terrible. But if the Utah Legislature would stop doing horrid shit, we wouldn’t have to.

In fact, we had a whole section about good bills, but honestly, it was too much—so we’ll save that for another day. Which, if you think about it, is kind of poetic. The bad bills are so overwhelming they’ve literally pushed the good ones out of the conversation.

Yet here we are—Day 21 of 45, and we’re just scratching the surface. Over 600+ bills have been introduced so far, and while this list highlights some of the worst, trust us—there’s plenty more where that came from.

Bills that take away rights, gut public education, deregulate everything except people’s personal lives, and make it harder to vote. Bills so absurdly dystopian that if we didn’t put them all in one place, you wouldn’t believe they were real.

So now, all of this is in our heads, and that means it’s in yours too. Welcome to our collective nightmare. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, furious, or ready to scream into the void, just know—we are too.

Stay Informed & Get the Full Breakdown

We do daily updates on this legislative horror show on Instagram and TikTok. Come rage with us in real time.

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1. Culture Wars: The Manufactured Distractions

If you thought Utah’s Republican lawmakers were here to solve actual problems—like air quality, housing costs, or making sure your kid’s school has enough funding to afford desks—think again. Instead, they’ve fully embraced their inner hall monitor, running around the Capitol looking for rainbow flags to confiscate, pronouns to police, and drag queens to ban.

Nothing earns you more credibility with the national Republican Party than passing a few performative culture war bills. Utah’s GOP knows that if you dream of climbing the conservative career ladder—whether that’s getting booked on Fox News or landing a cozy gig at a right-wing think tank—you have to prove that you’re sufficiently outraged about The Woke Agenda™.

And so, here we are watching our state lawmakers cosplay as moral enforcers, banning things that weren’t a problem, targeting vulnerable communities, and passing laws that sound like they were written by a Turning Point USA intern.

LGBTQ+ Restrictions

HB 77 - Flag Display Amendments (AKA No Rainbows Allowed)

• Sponsor: Rep. Trevor Lee

• Description: Prohibits public schools from displaying any flag that isn’t the U.S. flag, Utah flag, or military/service flags. This effectively bans Pride flags and other social movement banners.

• Status: Waiting to be heard in the House Education Committee

• Our Take: A completely unnecessary bill that exists purely to make LGBTQ+ students feel less welcome in their own schools. If lawmakers put half this energy into actually funding education, maybe schools wouldn’t be holding bake sales for basic supplies.

HB 252 - Transgender State Custody Amendments (AKA Misgender & Endanger)

• Sponsor: Rep. Karianne Lisonbee

• Description: Prohibits transgender inmates from receiving gender-affirming healthcare, even if medically necessary; requires transgender minors in state custody to be housed according to their assigned sex at birth.

• Status: Passed the House, waiting for a hearing in the Senate Judiciary, Law Enforcement, and Criminal Justice Committee

• Our Take: This bill is deliberately cruel and dangerously irresponsible. It denies necessary medical care to transgender inmates and forces trans youth in state custody into housing that doesn’t match their identity, making an already unsafe system even more unsafe. It ignores medical experts, worsens conditions in Utah’s prisons, and puts the most vulnerable people at even greater risk—all for a performative political stunt.

HB 269 - Privacy Protections in Sex-Designated Areas (AKA Separate but Unequal Dorms)

• Sponsor: Rep. Stephanie Gricius

• Description: Prohibits universities from allowing transgender students to reside in housing that aligns with their gender identity.

• Status: Passed both chambers, headed to the Governor’s desk for an almost certain signature.

• Our Take: This bill is a direct attack on trans students, disguised as a policy fix for a problem that doesn’t exist. It was introduced after a single transgender RA at Utah State was doxxed, showing this isn’t about fairness—it’s about targeting and isolating trans students. Treating queer people like they’re inherently unsafe to live with others is dehumanizing, discriminatory, and shameful. As Sen. Plumb said on the Senate floor: “[Transgender people] will never be legislated out of existence.”

HB 424 - School Activity Eligibility Commission Amendments (AKA School Sports Gender Police)

• Sponsor: Rep. Nelson T. Abbott

• Description: Expands the power of the School Activity Eligibility Commission, which determines if transgender students can play on gendered sports teams. Bans schools from working with athletic associations that don’t comply.

• Status: In House Rules, waiting to be assigned to a standing committee.

• Our Take: Utah lawmakers won’t address air pollution, skyrocketing housing costs, or underfunded schools—but they have plenty of time to micromanage high school sports and target trans kids. Again. It’s not about fairness, safety, or competition—it’s about politically motivated control over kids just trying to play sports.

HB 401 - Adult-Oriented Performance Amendments (AKA Morality Police)

• Sponsor: Rep. Colin Jack
  Description: Criminalizes live performances deemed "adult-oriented" based on vague, subjective criteria. Could apply to school plays, dance performances, or even cheerleading routines.
  Status: In House Rules, waiting to be assigned to a Standing Committee

• Our Take: This bill is a thinly veiled attack on drag performances. It essentially allows one offended person to turn artistic expression into a crime. This isn’t about protecting children—it’s about legislating discomfort and policing art. Drag is one of the oldest and most vibrant art forms—and lawmakers should probably focus on actual issues instead of trying to ban things they don’t understand.

HB 250 - Public Employee Gender-Specific Language Requirements (AKA Your Pronouns, My Choice)

• Sponsor: Rep. Nicholeen Peck

• Description: Prohibits public employers from disciplining employees for refusing to use a person’s preferred pronouns, allowing them to refuse on religious or moral grounds.

• Status: Awaiting committee hearing in the House Education Committee.

• Our Take: This bill gives public employees a free pass to misgender coworkers and students, all under the guise of “religious freedom.” This bill is about protecting discrimination and making public workplaces even more hostile for trans and non-binary people. It sends a clear message: if you’re LGBTQ+, don’t bother working in Utah’s public sector.

Immigration Attacks

HB 178 - Noncitizen Health Insurance Policies Amendments (AKA CHIPping Away at Coverage)

• Sponsor: Rep. Neil Walter

• Description: Eliminates an alternate eligibility program under Utah’s Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) that allows some noncitizen children to access healthcare.

• Status: In House Rules, waiting to be assigned to a Standing Committee

• Our Take: This bill does nothing but punish children for having immigrant parents by stripping away their access to healthcare. It’s cruel, unnecessary, and serves no purpose other than making life harder for kids who already face enough challenges. There’s no justification for this—just heartlessness disguised as policy.

HB 226 - Criminal Amendments (AKA ICE Age)

• Sponsor: Rep. Candice Pierucci

• Description: Increases penalties for noncitizens by raising maximum misdemeanor sentences to one year—triggering automatic deportation when they are released. Also forces local law enforcement to notify ICE when arresting certain individuals.

• Status: Passed House Committee, now on the House floor.

• Our Take: This bill turns local police into an extension of ICE, forcing them to prioritize deportations over public safety. By raising misdemeanor sentences just enough to trigger automatic deportation, lawmakers are deliberately targeting noncitizens for harsher punishment—not because it makes Utah safer, but because it fits an anti-immigrant agenda. It’s a cruel, unnecessary escalation that sends a clear message: Utah’s legislature doesn’t want immigrants here.

“Parental Rights”

HB 233 - School Curriculum Amendments (AKA The Birds, The Bees, and The Ban)

• Sponsor: Rep. Nicholeen Peck

• Description: Prohibits Utah schools from working with Planned Parenthood for health education programs.

• Status: Awaiting a hearing in the House Education Committee

• Our Take: Do we really need to defend the work that Planned Parenthood does to try to supplement the state’s sorry excuse for sex ed in this state? Lawmakers love to pretend they’re protecting kids from “inappropriate content,” but what they’re actually doing is making sure students don’t get the information they need to make responsible choices. Spoiler: Banning sex ed doesn’t stop kids from having sex. It just makes them less prepared when they do.

HB 281 - Health Curriculum and Procedures Amendments (AKA Wait, Call My Mom)

• Sponsor: Rep. Stephanie Gricius

• Description: Requires written parental consent for telehealth and in-school mental health therapy. Would also require the school therapist to report back to parents what topics were discussed in each session. Also restricts sex education content to ensure it does not "endorse or disparage" religious beliefs.

• Status: Passed House Committee, waiting to be heard on the House Floor.

• Our Take: So, let’s get this straight—a kid in crisis has to wait until their parent signs a permission slip before talking to a counselor? Then the therapist has to tell the parent what they talked about? That’ll go well. Some kids don’t have supportive parents or might not feel safe discussing certain issues at home. This bill isn’t about protecting kids—it’s about making sure they have fewer resources to turn to.

HB 209 - Homeschool Amendments (AKA Trust Us, We’re Parents)

• Sponsor: Rep. Nicholeen Peck

• Description: Removes the requirement for homeschool parents to go through a background check.

• Status: Passed House Committee, waiting to be heard on the House Floor.

• Our Take: Most homeschool parents are doing their best, but removing basic accountability measures opens the door for neglect, abuse, and kids being left behind educationally. If you need a license to fish in Utah, maybe you should at least pass a background check before pulling your kid out of school indefinitely.

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2. Rigging the System: Suppressing Voters, Workers, and Dissent

You’ve got to hand it to Utah’s GOP, they’re not taking any chances. They see the writing on the wall: the state is changing, young voters are less conservative, and ballot initiatives keep passing progressive policies they hate. Instead of trying to win people over with, you know, better ideas, they’re going with Plan B: rig the system so they can never lose.

That’s why this session, they’ve gone full “lock the doors, hide the ballots, and unplug the WiFi” mode. They’re making it harder to vote, harder to sue them, harder for judges to hold them accountable, and harder for workers to organize. It’s basically the legislative equivalent of a landlord turning off the heat so the tenants give up and move out.

And the best part? They’re doing all of this while calling themselves defenders of “freedom.” Because nothing says "limited government" like passing laws that ensure no one can challenge your power ever again.

Workers Rights

Utah is already a “right to work” state (which, let’s be clear, just means right to work for less money). But that’s not enough for the Legislature.

HB 267 - Public Sector Labor Union Amendments (AKA No Bargaining, Just Begging)

• Sponsor: Rep. Jordan Teuscher

• Description: Bans collective bargaining for public sector unions, making it harder for teachers, government employees, and others to organize.

• Status: Passed both chambers, awaiting governor's signature.

• Our Take: Utah already has some of the weakest union protections in the country. This is just kicking workers while they’re down. If teachers were paid what they deserved, they wouldn’t need to negotiate for basic job protections, but instead of fixing that, the Legislature decided to make sure they can’t negotiate at all.

HJR 8 - Right to Work Amendment (AKA Right to Work, Wrong to Organize)

• Sponsor: Rep. Jordan Teuscher (AGAIN)

• Description: Attempts to enshrine Utah’s already existing "right to work" law into the state constitution, making it nearly impossible to repeal in the future.

• Status: In House Rules, waiting to be assigned to a Standing Committee.

• Our Take: Ah, a nice little one-two punch with HB 267. Utah’s GOP really, really hates unions. They already passed this law decades ago, but now they want to carve it into stone. Apparently, the idea that workers should be able to negotiate better pay and working conditions is so offensive to them that they’re willing to change the constitution over it.

Suppressing Voting Rights

The Legislature knows that when more people vote, they tend to lose. So, they’re putting up new barriers.

HB 205 - Ballot Counting and Drop Box Modifications (AKA Your Vote Got Lost in Transit)

• Sponsor: Rep. Norm Thurston

• Description: Requires ballots to be received (not just postmarked) by 8 p.m. on Election Day, likely throwing out thousands of votes due to mail delays.

• Status: In House Rules, waiting to be assigned to a Standing Committee

• Our Take: The post office shouldn’t determine your right to vote, but here we are. Utah has had one of the most successful vote-by-mail systems in the country, but the GOP saw what happened in 2020 and decided to start messing with it (again).

HB 213 - Voting Revisions (AKA Make Voting Harder)

• Sponsor: Rep. Rex Shipp

• Description: Changes Utah’s successful vote-by-mail system from automatic enrollment to an opt-in system, requiring voters to re-register just to receive their ballots.

• Status: In House Rules, waiting to be assigned to a Standing Committee

• Our Take: Utah’s vote-by-mail system is a national model for how elections should work. Naturally, instead of keeping it that way, lawmakers are trying to create unnecessary hurdles to make it less accessible. This is a solution in search of a problem—except the only problem here is too many people voting.

HB 300 - Amendments to Election Law (AKA DMV Lines for Democracy)

• Sponsor: Rep. Jefferson Burton

• Description: Forces voters to return their ballots in person, instead of by mail, creating unnecessary barriers to voting. Also increases voter ID laws.

• Status: Passed House Committee, waiting for a final vote on the House Floor.

• Our Take: This bill basically says, "Voting was too easy, let’s fix that." Who needs convenient drop boxes or a functional mail system when you can force people to stand in DMV-style lines instead? Also, who’s staffing these 24/7 ballot drop box ID checkpoints? The ghost of elections past? The Legislature didn’t think that part through and clearly they don’t really care to.

HB 445 - Revisions to Election Law (AKA Oh Look, More Voter Suppression!)

• Sponsor: Rep. Doug Fiefia

• Description: Requires voters to register 29 days before an election, eliminates same-day voter registration, makes it harder to cast provisional ballots, and limits ballot curing (fixing ballot mistakes) to one week. Also requires all voting systems to be uniform statewide, per the Lt. Governor’s office.

• Status: In House Rules, has not been heard in committee.

• Our Take: This is just a big fat gift to voter suppression efforts. The shorter your window to fix ballot mistakes, the more people’s votes get tossed out. And eliminating same-day registration? That’s a fantastic way to make sure young people and first-time voters get completely shut out. If you wanted a MasterClass in how to quietly rig a system in your favor, this bill is it.

HB 369 - Elections Office (AKA Diedre, You’re Fired)

• Sponsor: Rep. Ryan Wilcox
  Description: Transfers election oversight away from the Lt. Governor’s office and into a new state-run elections office controlled by political appointees.
  Status: Waiting to be heard in House Government Operations Committee.

• Our Take: This bill is a direct hit job on Lt. Gov. Diedre Henderson, who (likely) has ambitions to run for something bigger. They’re kneecapping her biggest responsibility—overseeing Utah’s elections—so they can take credit for it later. Classic move: Eliminate a potential opponent’s most important job, then call them irrelevant. You almost have to respect the pettiness. Almost.

General Rigging the System: Legislating Themselves More Power

If they can’t win fairly, they’ll just change the rules to make sure no one can stop them.

SB 204 - Suspensive Appeals Amendments (AKA Courts Can’t Stop Us)

• Sponsor: Sen. Brady Brammer

• Description: Prevents courts from temporarily blocking unconstitutional laws while legal challenges are pending. This means harmful laws stay in effect even while they’re being challenged.

• Status: Passed Senate Committee, waiting for a final vote on the Senate Floor

• Our Take: If a law is likely unconstitutional, it shouldn’t be allowed to take effect while the courts sort it out—that’s a basic safeguard in our legal system. But this bill strips courts of that power, meaning harmful laws stay in place even while they’re being challenged. This is a direct response to Utah’s abortion trigger ban, which was blocked while its constitutionality is decided in court. If this bill had been law, the trigger ban would have taken effect immediately, regardless of legal challenges. It’s a blatant power grab, designed to sideline the courts and force extreme laws onto Utahns.

HB 412 - Boards and Commissions Revisions (AKA Governor’s Friends & Family Boards)

• Sponsor: Rep. Jefferson Burton

• Description: Allows state boards and commissions permission to be dominated by one party, removing existing rules that require some partisan balance.

• Status: In House Rules, waiting to be assigned to a Standing Committee

• Our Take: This bill clears the way for GOP supermajority control over every state board and commission. Say goodbye to oversight, balance, and fair(ish) representation—hello to rubber-stamp politics where one party continues to make all the decisions.

SB 203 - Judicial Standing Amendments (AKA Sue Who?)

• Sponsor: Sen. Brady Brammer

• Description: Restricts who can sue the state, making it harder for advocacy groups, parents, and organizations to challenge unconstitutional laws.

• Status: Died in Committee!!!

• Our Take: This bill is exactly what you’d expect from a legislature that doesn’t want anyone questioning their power. The idea that only people directly harmed by a law can challenge it means if a law hurts everyone, no one can sue to stop it. Fortunately, this one died in committee (for now), but it’s a sign of what’s coming—more ways to shut down anyone who challenges them.

Amendment D Retaliation: Punishing Voters for Saying No

Last year, the courts rejected Amendment D, which would have let lawmakers rewrite ALL voter-passed initiatives. Now they’re retaliating.

SB 73 - Statewide Initiatives Amendments (AKA Good Luck Getting That On The Ballot)

• Sponsor: Sen. Lincoln Fillmore

• Description: Adds more hurdles to the citizen initiative process, making it harder to get issues like Medicaid expansion or independent redistricting on the ballot by requiring initiatives to identify a funding source as part of the application process.

• Status: Passed Senate, waiting to be heard in the House Business, Labor, and Commerce Committee.

• Our Take: The citizen initiative process exists so voters can bypass legislators who refuse to act. Naturally, lawmakers hate that. This bill throws more obstacles in front of everyday people trying to get something on the ballot—because nothing says "small government" like making democracy harder. Also, let’s be real—if legislators were actually concerned about “funding sources,” they wouldn’t have given away millions in tax breaks to corporations. They just don’t want voters making decisions without them.

SJR 2 - Constitutional Amendment on Initiatives (AKA Good Luck Getting That Passed)

• Sponsor: Sen. Lincoln Fillmore

• Description: Raises the voter approval threshold for initiatives that raise taxes to 60%, ensuring progressive policies like education funding never pass.

• Status: Passed Senate, waiting to be assigned to a Standing Committee in the House

• Our Take: Ah, what a nice pairing to SB 73. Raise the threshold for approval, and suddenly initiatives like Medicaid expansion or funding public schools are impossible to pass. Lawmakers don’t want voters deciding to spend more on social good, so they’re rigging the game to ensure they can keep cutting taxes for the wealthy and funding public services with scraps.

HB 451 - Judicial Election Amendments (AKA The Raise the Bar, Lower the Bench)

• Sponsor: Rep. Jason Kyle

• Description: Raises the retention threshold for judges from 50% to 67%, making it easier to remove judges who rule against the Legislature.

• Status: Waiting to be assigned to a Standing Committee in the House

• Our Take: The Utah courts have been doing their job—ensuring that the Legislature doesn’t overstep. But when judges don’t rule the way they want, lawmakers make it easier to remove them. This is the kind of legal chicanery that makes the courts a rubber stamp for whatever the Legislature wants to do. No checks, no balances—just more of their power.

Amendment A Retaliation: Playing Games With School Funding

Voters rejected Amendment A, which would have let lawmakers divert school funding. Now, they’re doing it anyway.

SB 37 - Education Funding Diversion (AKA Just trust us, we'll fund the schools)

• Sponsor: Sen. Lincoln Fillmore

• Description: Redirects education property tax funding into the general state fund, bypassing voters' rejection of Amendment A.

• Status: Passed Senate, waiting to be assigned to a Standing Committee in the House

• Our Take: This is a sneaky move. They couldn’t get voters to approve Amendment A, so they’re just going to do it anyway—by quietly diverting funding from education and into the general fund. What’s next? “Trust us, the schools are fine” as they siphon money off for tax cuts for the rich. Classic bait and switch.

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3. Making Utah Less Livable: Worsening Air, Water, and Healthcare

If you thought the cost of living in Utah was getting out of control, don’t worry—the Legislature is hard at work making everything even worse. Instead of tackling housing affordability, education funding, or healthcare access, they’ve thrown their full support behind polluters, private school voucher lobbyists, and the anti-fluoride conspiracy crowd.

Apparently, their vision for Utah is a smog-covered wasteland where teachers are underpaid, public land is up for sale, and you have to personally negotiate the rights to fish in a river like you’re in an episode of Yellowstone.

It’s a bold strategy to gut environmental protections, cut education funding, and funnel more tax dollars into private schools because if we make Utah unlivable for everyone except mining execs and charter school CEOs, maybe people will stop moving here!

Attacking Public Health + The Environment

HB 81 - Fluoride Amendments (AKA Cavities for Freedom)

• Sponsor: Rep. Stephanie Gricius

• Description: Prohibits water districts from adding fluoride to public drinking water. Fluoridation has been a standard public health practice for decades, reducing tooth decay in children by nearly 25%.

• Status: Passed House, waiting to be assigned to a standing committee in the Senate

• Our Take: For Republicans who love to talk about “local control” this is the opposite. Currently, counties decide on water fluoridation and only 2 counties in Utah participate (Salt Lake and Davis). Regardless, the science is clear—fluoride helps prevent tooth decay. But in the name of “freedom,” Utah lawmakers would rather let kids get more cavities than listen to public health experts. Maybe next session, they’ll ban seat belts and recommend we all drink raw milk straight from the cow.

HB 355 - Critical Infrastructure Materials Amendments (AKA Pit Happens)

• Sponsor: Rep. Casey Snider

• Description: Overturns Salt Lake County’s 2022 ordinance banning new mines in the Wasatch Mountains, making it easier for developers to dig up protected land (The Parleys Gravel Pit).

• Status: In House Rules, waiting to be assigned to a standing committee

• Our Take: If you enjoy breathing air and drinking water, this bill is not for you. Instead of listening to environmental experts or local officials, lawmakers are giving mining companies the green light to destroy even more of Utah’s natural landscape. Because what’s another layer of smog between friends?

HB 386 - Public Waters Access Act Amendments (AKA Get Off My Lawn, But Make It a River)

• Sponsor: Rep. Scott H. Chew

• Description: Redefines "navigable waters," restricting public access to rivers and streams that run through private property. Unless Utahns can prove 10+ years of continuous use, the landowner can block access with fences, signs, or legal threats.

• Status: In House Rules, waiting to be assigned to a standing committee

• Our Take: If you love fishing, kayaking, or literally just existing near a body of water, too bad—this bill is a massive giveaway to private landowners. Utah’s rivers and streams belong to the public, but lawmakers are trying to privatize them piece by piece.

Guns, But Make It Even Easier

HB 133 - Dangerous Weapons Amendments (AKA 18 and Openly Armed)

• Sponsor: Rep. Karianne Lisonbee

• Description: Allows 18-year-olds to open carry firearms in Utah without restrictions.

• Status: Passed House, waiting to be assigned to a standing committee in the Senate

• Our Take: Rent a car? Too young. Buy a beer? Irresponsible. But walking around with a gun in public at 18? Totally fine. This bill is an NRA wet dream and a public safety disaster waiting to happen.

Cutting Public Education While Pouring Millions into Private School Vouchers

While Utah’s public schools struggle with underfunding and teacher shortages, the Legislature is gutting funding for critical programs and redirecting more money into private schools.

SB 102 - Public Education Funding Modifications (AKA This Is Why Schools Can’t Have Nice Things)

• Sponsor: Sen. Lincoln Fillmore

• Description: Defunds several key education programs by setting expiration dates for concurrent enrollment, student counseling, dual-language immersion, and teacher success programs. Would strip $1.6 million from Salt Lake City School District.

• Status: Passed Senate Committee, circled on the Senate Floor (but not for long, I’m sure)

• Our Take: Less support for teachers, fewer resources for students, and more barriers to learning. It’s almost like the goal is to make public schools worse so they can justify sending kids to private ones.

HB 265 - Higher Education Strategic Reinvestment (AKA No History, No Humanities, No Problem)

• Sponsor: Rep. Karen M. Peterson

• Description: Forces Utah’s public universities to shift funding away from programs that don’t align with the Legislature’s "workforce demand" priorities. Creates a new Strategic Reinvestment Fund that redistributes 10% of university funding to programs lawmakers deem "worthy."

• Status: Passed House, waiting to be assigned to a Senate committee.

• Our Take: Don’t study the arts, humanities, or anything that teaches you how to think critically—study whatever lawmakers decide is useful. This bill puts politicians in charge of higher ed funding, ensuring that Utah’s universities exist to serve their economic interests, not students’ futures.

Utah Fits All Appropriations Request

• Sponsor: Sen. Kirk Cullimore

• Description: Expands the Utah Fits All private school voucher program from $82 million to $162 million. This program funnels taxpayer dollars into private schools and homeschoolers, with little to no accountability.

• Status: Awaiting budget hearings.

• Our Take: Public school students get less, while private schools get a massive taxpayer-funded check. Lawmakers love to complain about how much we spend on education, but when it comes to subsidizing private schools, they have $80 million to spare. I can think of a lot of other things we can do with $80 million dollars. Check out this piece from Voices for Utah Children

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4. The Unhinged: Bills That Are Just Plain Wild

There are bad bills, and then there are bills that seem like they were written after watching a 3-hour conspiracy theory video at 2 a.m.

Enter the Conspiracy Theory Caucus—a new faction in the Utah Legislature that seems to be legislating based on Facebook comment sections and Alex Jones soundbites.

These bills aren’t about governing—they’re about prepping for a dystopian future where the UN takes over Utah, hospitals feed you with vaccine-laced lettuce, and the government forces you to receive medically approved blood transfusions.

HB 158 - State Sovereignty (AKA: W.H.O. Do You Think You Are?)

• Sponsor: Rep. Lisa Shepherd

• Description: Declares that international organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations (UN) have no legal authority in Utah and prohibits the state from implementing their rules or policies.

• Status: Passed House Committee. Waiting to be heard on the House Floor.

• Our Take This bill is for the people who think Agenda 2030 is a real thing and that the UN is coming for our water rights. (Spoiler: They’re not.) Utah is already not bound by international law unless the U.S. government signs a treaty. The WHO doesn’t even have enforcement powers. If the UN ever did try to take over Utah, a strongly worded bill from the Legislature isn’t stopping them. But sure, let’s waste time on this instead of funding schools.

HB 400 - Blood Transfusion Amendments (AKA: BYOB - Bring Your Own Blood)

• Sponsor: Rep. Kristen Chevrier

• Description: Allows patients to supply their own blood for medical procedures instead of using hospital-supplied blood, citing vaccine concerns.

• Status: Assigned to House Committee

• Our Take: This bill is based on the conspiracy theory that vaccinated blood is dangerous, despite zero scientific evidence supporting that claim. Blood transfusions are already highly regulated for safety. This is one step away from people demanding "pure blood" hospitals—yes, that’s a real anti-vax movement. If you’re worried that a vaccinated person’s blood will alter your DNA, you should probably sit out of the legislative process altogether. Also…. WHERE ARE THEY GETTING THE BLOOD?

HB 84 - Vaccine Amendments (AKA: No Vax in MY Salad)

• Sponsor: Rep. Trevor Lee

• Description: Establishes regulations and drug enforcement for food containing "vaccine material."

• Status: Passed House Committee. Waiting to be heard on the House Floor.

Our Take: We have unaffordable housing, an underfunded education system, and worsening air quality. But instead of fixing those things, lawmakers are panicking about vaccine lettuce. Imagine explaining this bill to literally any other country where people are worried about actual problems.

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