Sex offender bill advances without sodomy provision

The Salt Lake Tribune Published: February 23, 2007 12:58 am
This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2007, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Senate Majority Leader Curtis Bramble never mentioned sodomy on Thursday.

And he didn't explain his amendment to a bill that seeks to increase the penalties for sex offenders.

He didn't have to. Senate Republicans already knew that he planned to remove a provision added by Sen. Scott McCoy, D-Salt Lake City, which would repeal Utah's law prohibiting anal or oral sex.

The U.S. Supreme Court has already ruled that states can not outlaw sodomy among consenting adults, but some Utah Republicans object to removing Utah's now defunct law because they believe it shows tacit support for the gay community.

McCoy, the Senate's only openly gay member, said: "Well I was king for a day. There really is support for fixing this statute. We just need to find the right time, place and vehicle. We'll keep working on it."

Rep. Carl Wimmer, R-Herriman, didn't want McCoy's amendment in his bill that would increase the penalty for rape or child kidnapping.

The Senate lent its preliminary approval to Wimmer's bill and is expected to pass it today.

- Matt Canham

HB86

Increases the penalty for sex offenses.

Next step: The Senate will vote on the bill today.

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