4 to 5 days, according to estimates.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox stated that he has not yet reviewed a pair of bills that were unveiled on Thursday that restrict trans people’s access to restrooms, but that on Friday, “he is concerned with protecting ‘women’s spaces’ while treating trans people ‘with dignity.'”
Cox was asked about transgender issues, which have become a hot-button problem at the Capitol in recent years, when he spoke with KSL.com on Friday afternoon to discuss several plans ahead of the 2024 legislative session. The governor particularly addressed two bills that would mandate that people use facilities that correspond to their biological sex at birth in government-owned buildings or schools.
“Since I haven’t seen the bills yet, I must be honest,” Cox said. “They just emerged.” “I haven’t had a chance to review them, but I can generally say that protecting women’s spaces is something that people in our state should be concerned about. That’s quite significant to me.”
He continued, “I think it’s crucial that we have the conversations taking place across the nation.” “I have absolutely no issue with that. However, I sincerely hope that we may approach it with respect, dignity, and the ability to come up with the best answer to a pretty, very challenging problem.”
Rep. Kera Birkeland, R-Morgan, who likewise drafted a contentious bill in 2022 to forbid transgender girls from participating in high school sports, is the author of one of the bills proposed for this session, HB257. Since then, portions of that bill have been put on hold while a court challenge is being heard.
All taxpayer-funded buildings in the state are subject to HB257, which forbids people from using a room or locker room that is gender-specific unless they have undergone transgender-related surgery and officially changed the sex on their birth certificate. According to Birkeland, the act also mandates that state facilities offer more single-stall or mixed restrooms in order to give “everyone the most amount of privacy.”
Similar legislation, HB253, has been introduced by Rep. Phil Lyman, R-Blanding, who is opposing Cox in a Republican gubernatorial primary. It aims to limit trans exposure to facilities and locker rooms in K–12 schools, colleges, and universities.
Gov. Spencer Cox discusses the upcoming 2024 legislative session at the Utah Capitol in Salt Lake City. (Photo: Deseret News, Megan Nielsen)
Cox didn’t discuss the specifics of either bill, but he seemed to be leaning toward Birkeland’s unisex solutions.
“Are there any ways that we can accomplish this in a finite world?” He inquired. “Are we able to offer mixed bedrooms? Those are possibilities, in my opinion,
that we should always be considering.”
A spokesperson told KSL.com on Thursday that she appreciates the mixed room requirements. Equality Utah, one of the country’s top LGBTQ organizations, has been working behind the scenes with Birkeland on the bill.
The governor is aware that some members of the LGBTQ community are worn out by the rash of bills, but he asserted that “that’s how elections work” after lawmakers passed the bill on trans athletes in 2022 and a ban on minor surgery-related procedures last year.
“People are worried; there is a problem. They visit the government. I don’t blame the Legislature for being exhausted because they work and try to find a solution,” Cox said. “I realize they’re worn out. They have found this to be very challenging. I’ve had those discussions with them, and once more, I sincerely hope that we can come up with a solution that… protects our children’s spaces and… treats them with the respect and dignity they deserve.”
He continued, “I hope that’s possible.” “We’ll see,” she said.
Veto Threat
Cox famously vetoed the ban on transgender athletes in 2022, but he has since claimed that his issue was with the process rather than the plan. The governor has stated that he was bothered by last-minute changes that were approved without government input by lawmakers in the final hours of that year’s session.
Cox warned lawmakers in a letter last spring not to push bills through without much government input or run the risk of losing public trust. He raised the bar by threatening to veto legislation that he believes is being rushed.
On Friday, the governor reiterated his willingness to issue that warning, saying he would still exercise his veto power even if the policy was sound.
He asserted that just because you are capable of doing things does not automatically imply that you should. “And almost as important to me as what we do is how we do it. We set up a process for that reason.”
At this point, Cox stated that he hasn’t observed any significant policy disagreements between himself and politicians, but added that this year’s legislative process will be “watched very closely.”
He said, “I might actually agree with the bill’s content and I might veto it simply because I felt like it didn’t deserve a day in the sun.” “And I genuinely care about that.”
