House backs Utah Highway Patrol roadside memorials, adds family-choice language

The House considered House Concurrent Resolution 4 to express legislative support for the Utah Highway Patrol’s use of white crosses as roadside memorials for troopers killed in the line of duty and to back the Patrol in pending legal challenges.

Representative Paul Ray explained the resolution grew from a committee discussion and court threat raised by an atheist group; he said the crosses are intended as memorials, not religious symbols, and urged support for troopers’ families. "All this resolution is doing is stating the fact that those crosses are not meant as religious symbols," Representative Ray said on the floor.

Representative Litvak offered a friendly floor amendment to add the phrase "or other symbol as requested by the family," which the sponsor accepted to accommodate families of differing faiths. Some members urged caution about overly broad language so memorials could not be misused; others argued the amendment struck the right balance.

Following debate, the House adopted the amendment and passed HCR4 66-1; the resolution will be sent to the Senate for further action.

Next steps: The resolution goes to the Senate; sponsors encouraged working with families and the Highway Patrol Association to finalize appropriate language for memorial symbols.