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House approves 'Minuteman Highway' designation after heated floor debate over the name
Summary
House Bill 192 passed 62–12 to name a portion of State Highway 85 the 'Minuteman Highway' in honor of National Guard service; opponents raised cultural and historical objections to the Minutemen term during floor debate.
The Utah House on Feb. 13 approved House Bill 192 to designate part of State Highway 85 in Salt Lake County as the "Minuteman Highway," a commemorative honor the sponsor said was requested by the National Guard Association of Utah.
Sponsor Representative Thurston told colleagues the designation recognizes repeated deployments of Utah National Guard members and explained signage logistics and funding. He and other supporters described the name as an honorific widely used by members of the Guard.
Several members supported the bill as a fitting recognition of military service. Representative Fossum, for example, noted the Guard’s contributions to hazardous missions and emergency response.
Opponents raised objections focused on historical and cultural resonance. Representative Romero warned that the term "Minutemen" evokes a negative history for Native American communities and has, in some contexts, been associated with anti-immigrant vigilantism. Representative Carol Spackman Moss said the term recalled activists who had sat on the border with weapons during an earlier period of heightened anti-immigration fervor; she described the vote as difficult because of her respect for the Guard.
Sponsor Thurston apologized for consultation oversights with local representatives and municipal officials and said he had assumed the National Guard Association’s outreach had covered stakeholders. He emphasized that many Guard members prefer the minuteman honorific and that the designation is meant as a commemorative sign rather than a change to route nomenclature.
The House approved the bill 62–12. The sponsor said the National Guard Association agreed to raise initial funding to place signs, and the Utah Department of Transportation will replace signs with the updated name over time as part of normal sign replacement.
Next steps: HB192 will be transmitted to the Senate for its consideration; the transcript records the House vote and floor debate but not any subsequent Senate action.
Vote: HB192 — Passed 62 yes, 12 no.
