Lawmakers shun security despite threats

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah lawmakers who received threatening emails during the recent legislative session did not request around-the-clock security details, even when those threats included their families.

But the threats against three legislators were dangerous enough state Capitol security officers, who work for the Utah Highway Patrol, are still investigating them, said security head Capt. Barton Blaire.

No criminal charges have been filed, although some of the alleged threat makers have been identified, Blaire told The Associated Press.

Every year between one and four legislators receive serious threats, Blaire said. But this year, "the volume and number of people sending threats was more, and the tone was more concerning," he said.

Legislators receiving threats included Sen. Luz Robles, D-Salt Lake City, Rep. Stephen Sandstrom, R-Orem, and Rep. Curt Oda, R-Clearfield.

Robles and Sandstrom sponsored immigration bills with enforcement measures, although the bill by Robles also included a guest-worker provision while Sandstrom's was an enforcement-only law.

Oda sponsored a bill allowing people to humanely kill feral animals by shooting or other means. Oda said he wanted to protect people, especially farmers, from felony prosecution for controlling feral colonies. But news coverage before the session began in January "incited a national firestorm" because people focused on feral cats.

"I had six death threats, all but one of them from out of state," Oda said.

Oda, who is a concealed-weapon-permit instructor and often carries a gun, never requested a 24-hour security detail. That's not to say he didn't take the threats lightly.

"They were threatening my kids, so I took every one of them very seriously," he said.

Sandstrom and Robles did not return phone calls from The Associated Press on Monday.

In February, Sandstrom said the threats concerned him because they came at the same time as cars were vandalized at his house. Although Sandstrom, who also has a concealed-weapon permit, never had 24-hour security, he did take extra precautions such as driving different routes each day.