Dixie to hold town meeting on polygamy

ST. GEORGE — Hundreds of people are expected to gather here next week to discuss the "unique issues" facing polygamous communities.

Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff and Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard will host the 7 p.m. town hall meeting at the local Holiday Inn on March 3.

"We've made a lot of headway over the past year, but we'd like to open it up for discussion with the public," said Paul Murphy, Shurtleff's communications director. "Basically, we'd like to open a dialogue and receive guidance for the future."

The state first hosted a "polygamy summit" in St. George in August 2003. That gathering attracted far more people than expected, including a large contingent of plural wives and children from the polygamous community of Centennial Park, Ariz.

"A lot of good has come about since that first meeting," said Marlyne Hammon, a lifelong member of a plural family and member of the Centennial Park Action Committee. "So much has been said about us and about our lifestyle that is totally untrue. We decided it was time to define ourselves and not let hate groups do it for us."

Since that first meeting on polygamy, Utah and Arizona have accomplished several important first steps, Murphy said. Among the highlights is a $700,000 grant to provide additional law enforcement, social services, legal help, education and shelter for domestic violence victims from polygamous communities.

"People are showing up to be educated about domestic violence. That's very encouraging to me," he said.

Arizona also installed a multi-use facility in Colorado City for use by social workers, law enforcement officers and victims from both states. Many residents of the polygamous towns targeted by the effort, however, are skeptical anyone will use the facility.

The "Polygamy Primer," a manual created to educate officers and caseworkers about the unique beliefs and barriers facing polygamists, is now available online. The document was produced with the help of polygamy advocates, which brought accusations of favoritism by the anti-polygamy group, Tapestry Against Polygamy.

"We need to break down more barriers so people living in closed communities have the same access to safety and justice as everyone else," Shurtleff said in a news release. "We have come far, but we still have a long way to go."