I am writing to urge you to oppose House Bill 331, sponsored by Rep. Tyler Clancy. This legislation is unnecessary and represents a dangerous attempt to intimidate people from exercising their constitutional right to protest the inequities facing our communities.
Utah already has laws on the books to address traffic obstruction and interference with emergency vehicles. HB331 does not fill a legal gap. Instead, it creates enhanced penalties specifically targeting protesters, which will inevitably chill constitutionally protected speech and assembly. As Sarah Buck of Salt Lake Indivisible noted, this bill risks turning peaceful civil disobedience into a criminal offense and invites selective enforcement against causes that those in power find inconvenient.
The timing of this bill is particularly troubling. It was introduced immediately after thousands marched down State Street in Salt Lake City protesting the shooting of Alex Pretti by ICE agents in Minnesota. This suggests the legislation is a direct response to citizens exercising their First Amendment rights to speak out against injustice. The American Civil Liberties Union of Utah has already expressed serious concerns that HB331 would infringe upon First Amendment-protected activities.
Rep. Clancy claims this bill protects innocent people, but peaceful protest is how citizens demand accountability when systems fail them. The real danger is not from people marching in streets to demand justice, but from legislation that criminalizes dissent and gives authorities broad discretion to punish those who speak truth to power. The provision adding penalties for wearing masks while committing crimes is particularly concerning given its potential for discriminatory application.
I ask you to stand with your constituents' constitutional rights and vote no on HB331. Our democracy depends on protecting the ability to protest, even when that protest is disruptive or uncomfortable for those in power.
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