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Senate passes SJR 8 on religious liberty and prayer before public meetings, 20–9
Summary
SJR 8, a proposed state constitutional amendment regarding religious liberty and permitting prayer before public government meetings, passed the Utah Senate Feb. 19, 1993 by roll call (20 ayes, 9 nays).
Senator Lyle Hilliard opened floor debate on SJR 8, a joint resolution proposing state constitutional language on religious liberty and allowing prayer before public government meetings. Hilliard urged prompt action, saying an earlier ACLU letter had paused litigation and that adopting state language would provide a clear target for discussion and potentially reduce future lawsuits. He cited a poll (reported in the Desert News) showing 57% support for immediate action on an amendment allowing prayer before public meetings and said federal constitutional protections remain unchanged.
Senator Steiner questioned the effect of a specific wording change on page 2, line 10 — altering "there shall be no union of church and state" to "there shall be no union of a church and the state" — asking whether the change might allow certain kinds of unions between religion and government. Hilliard responded that federal language remains unchanged and that the proposed state wording clarifies Utah’s approach without diminishing federal protections.
Following a motion to call the Senate, a roll-call vote recorded 20 ayes and 9 nays (no absences); because the resolution requires 20 votes to pass in this procedural posture, the measure passed on the floor and was transmitted to the House for its further action.
