Utah Legislature: Affirmative action proposal is on hold

SALT LAKE CITY — A proposed amendment to the Utah Constitution that has raised controversy both for its content and the speed with which it has moved through the Legislature is now on hold in the Utah House, at the request of the sponsor.

HJR24, sponsored by Rep. Curtis Oda, R-Centerville, proposes to rewrite the state's governing document so it bans any policy aimed at affirmative action, an idea that has raised concerns with civil-rights groups across the state and some lawmakers.

Critics of the bill have also lodged complaints about the rate at which the proposal has advanced — it was made public last Thursday and in a mere three days has moved through a party caucus meeting, legislative committee, constitutional review and was scheduled for a House vote Tuesday morning. Instead of opening up floor debate on the bill, Oda asked that it be moved to the third reading calendar and circled, a maneuver that places the proposal in a holding pattern. The decision may have been in recognition of pushback on the idea's unusually speedy path through the Legislature.

"Let's slow this down a little bit and get a few things worked out," Oda said.

Link to the bill: le.utah.gov/~2010/bills/hbillint/hjr024.htm

— Arthur Raymond