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Senate approves bill to create ombudsman for obscenity complaints
Summary
The Utah Senate approved House Bill 343, establishing a state ombudsman to mediate complaints about obscenity; sponsors said the role will act as an arbitrator between citizens and businesses. The bill passed the Senate and will be returned to the House for final signature.
The Utah Senate on Feb. 25 approved House Bill 343, a measure to appoint an attorney to serve as a state ombudsman to handle complaints about obscenity and related matters.
An unidentified senator who moved the bill said it "will serve as an arbitrator or mediator between citizens and business to resolve complaints about obscenity or ***********," and told colleagues the bill passed the House 68–0. The mover cited recent media attention on the issue, including an article in the Deseret News, and described the measure as "a very good first step" toward addressing growing concerns.
During floor discussion, Senator Hall asked whether attorneys seeking the post would have to declare conflicts of interest if they were among the sole applicants. The mover and other senators agreed that any conflict should be declared when members vote. A brief, heated exchange among senators interrupted discussion before the final vote was called.
The Senate certified final passage by roll call; the clerk reported the measure passed the Senate 23–1 with five members absent. The president will sign the bill in open session and it will be returned to the House for final signature and enrollment.
The bill was presented as a fiscal-note measure. The record does not include details about the ombudsman's salary, the office's budget, or enforcement mechanisms; those details were not specified on the floor.
