Utah Post-2012 Legislative Session Wrap-up

Sign the Petition... Consider this an early opportunity to accomplish something useful and positive this morning folks.

Now that the 2012 Utah legislative session has drawn to a close, here's a wrap-up of the most important legislative "achievements" of the now completed of the latest round of legislative "madness," gleaned straight from the pages of the Salt Lake Tribune and Standard-Examiner morning editions:

Salt Lake Tribune:

• Schools: Lawmakers focus on sex ed, educator accountability
• Legislature recalls, changes bill after veto threat
• A bit more money for prisons, new troopers
• Utah open-carry gun bill put on ice
• Divorce waiting period passed
• Legislature hands-off on immigration
• Lawmakers overhaul environmental boards
• Unwed fathers, parents and drug users get attention in 2012 Utah Legislature
• Lawmakers tackle SLC idling rule, ethics oversight
• GRAMA battles quiet this year
• Liquor changes won’t affect consumers
• Utah higher ed gets 3 percent bump, but many funding requests languish
• Utah lawmakers block LGBT-related bills
• Transportation bills hit bumpy road
• 2012 Utah Legislature adjourns; session focused on sovereignty
• Utah moves to triple abortion waiting period

Standard-Examiner:

• Senate approves Aubree Jo's Law on final night of session

And for those readers looking for a little post 2012 Regular Session activist action, the Trib also reports that "[t]housands of people have signed an online petition urging Utah’s governor to veto a bill lawmakers passed this week to prohibit instruction about contraceptive use during sex education classes and allow schools to drop such classes altogether":

• Thousands sign petition asking for veto of Utah sex ed bill

Unfortunately, for unknown reasons, the Trib neglects to provide a link to the actual petition; so we'll pick up where the Trib left off.

In that connection, and for the benefit of those readers who agree with us that HB363 is possibly the most irresponsible legislation of the 2012 session, click the link below to view and Sign the petition that the Trib merely mentions, urging Governor Herbert thusly: "Governor Herbert, please veto HB363. Our children need to be given enough information about sex and contraception that they are able to make good decisions concerning sex":

• Petition: Gov. Herbert Veto HB363 (sex education)

Consider this an early opportunity to accomplish something useful and positive this morning folks.

Update 3/11/12 9:00 a.m.: The SL-Trib editorial board provides another good 2012 legislative session summary this morning:

• Thumbs: Short takes on Legislature ‘12