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House committee advances HCR 15, a concurrent resolution affirming religious freedom after brief debate and public comment
Summary
The committee voted to adopt a first substitute and then passed HCR 15 as sub, a nonbinding concurrent resolution affirming religious freedom and urging accommodation of religious observances; the measure drew public testimony from faith advocates and one recorded opposing vote on committee action.
Representative John Peterson presented HCR 15, a concurrent resolution on religious freedom, to the committee and urged members to support it as a reaffirmation of religious liberties reflected in the Declaration of Independence and the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom. "Religious freedom is not a privilege. It's a right," Peterson said.
The sponsor described four purposes for the resolution: support public expression of religion, encourage accommodation of religious observances, protect religious symbols in public spaces, and affirm historical protections recognized by the courts. Peterson cited Supreme Court decisions including American Legion v. American Humanist Association (2019) and Kennedy v. Bremerton (2022) as part of the legal context he relied on.
Committee members debated language and scope. Representative Dominguez expressed support for religious freedom but emphasized inclusivity for people of all faiths and raised concerns about how messages from the resolution might be received by religious minorities. "We are a community of all religions," Dominguez said, urging attention to Muslim and Jewish residents in particular. Representative Peck and others said they had reviewed the text and did not find explicit references to any single faith in the substitute language; Peck said he searched the document and that "the word Jesus is not in there."
The committee opened the item to public comment. Mary Anne Christiansen, executive director of Utah Legislative Watch, supported the resolution and said she believed Utah's culture discouraged public religious expression compared with other states. Diane Livingston of Worldwide Organization for Women and Delaine England of Utah Eagle Forum and United Women's Forum also testified in support, each saying the resolution would help protect and encourage public religious expression.
After discussion, Representative Peck moved to adopt the first substitute to HCR 15; the committee adopted the substitute and later voted to pass HCR 15 as sub with a favorable recommendation. The chair announced the motion passed with one recorded nay on committee action. The sponsor said the first substitute was important because it "impels us as a legislature to do something with this," and he asked members to support sending the resolution out to county and municipal legislative bodies and local school boards so those local entities would know the Legislature’s stance.
The resolution is nonbinding (a concurrent resolution) and, as presented in committee, does not itself create a statutory obligation or change state law. The sponsor and several committee members described the measure as a statement of principle intended to encourage local bodies and agencies to accommodate religious expression and consider religious symbols and observances, not as a bill that imposes penalties or new legal duties.
The committee closed public comment and the item will move forward as HCR 15 (sub) with the committee’s favorable recommendation.
