Utah steps forward to protect digital privacy
The “third party doctrine” might have made some sense before the digital era, but our inherent reliance on numerous third parties to facilitate any digital interaction makes it clear that the case law needs a major overhaul.
HB 158: Free Speech on Campus Does Not Equal Harassment
This bill would restrict a university's ability to adopt overly broad or vague harassment codes that could be used to punish constitutionally protected speech.
Government Accountability for Causing Individuals Harm
Utahns should be able to hold their government accountable when its actions cause them harm.
SB 231: Judicial Sentencing Discretion
This bill would allow judges to lower a minimum sentence by up to 50% of what the law dictates, on a case by case basis.
HB 431: Automatic Expungement for Certain Cases
This bill would help thousands of people by automatically expunging records of those with a past low-level criminal history.
HB 438: Prohibiting Self-Incrimination with Biometric Phone Access
This bill prohibits law enforcement from using a person's biometric information, such as a fingerprint of facial scan, to access the person's electronic device.
SB 52: How Much Water Does Utah Use?
This bill gradually requires the use of secondary water metering to eventually help consumers understand their water usage better, allowing them to better conserve if they want.
SB 214: Property Tax Relief and Modernizing Water Funding
This bill curtails property tax subsidies in many of Utah's water districts, while exempting smaller water districts that face a more complex water reality.
SB 102: A Better Way to Fund Higher Education Building Projects
This bill requires a new funding model for higher education institutions to minimize incentives to create expansive and expensive new buildings.
SB 56: Transparency in Local Economic Development
This bill requires cities counties to produce a transparency website showing tax exemptions they provide to favored businesses.