Salt Lake City, UT – Today, the Utah House of Representatives voted to follow their colleagues in the Senate in passing SCR 6, “Concurrent Resolution on Guarding the Civil Liberties and Freedoms of All American People.”
Only a few days after President Trump instituted a travel ban limiting the admittance of refugees from specific countries into the United States, Senator Shiozawa introduced this resolution recognizing the pluralistic nature of Utah’s society and committing to protecting the civil liberties and religious freedoms of all Americans, legal immigrants, and refugees. The resolution further expresses the Legislature and Governor are determined to protecting the constitutional rights of all people.
Chase Thomas, Better Utah’s policy and advocacy counsel, issued the following statement:
“We commend Senator Shiozawa for bringing this resolution forward and the Legislature for showing the rest of the nation our state is a community that welcomes people of different backgrounds, nationalities, and beliefs. The pioneers who first settled this state were immigrants and refugees, fleeing intense discrimination and persecution against their beliefs. With hate crimes on the rise across the country, we hope this resolution will remind our congressional delegation of the lessons learned from Utah’s heritage. We hope they will stand up against the Trump administration as it uses rhetoric that encourages hate and as it continues efforts to deny the American Dream to those across the world who seek refuge within our borders. We also hope our state legislators will heed the commitment they took upon themselves through this resolution to protect the civil rights of all people — particularly those whose rights may be subject to discrimination or whose rights may be challenged based on their race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected under the U.S. Constitution.”
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