Gov. Spencer Cox delivers his 2024 State of the State address to the legislature at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024. (Pool photo by Marielle Scott/Deseret News)
Buttoning up one of the most hotly contested bills to surface so far from the Utah Legislature, Gov. Spencer Cox has signed legislation to restrict transgender people from accessing the bathrooms and locker rooms they identify with in government-owned facilities.
The Republican governor’s signature came Tuesday, the day the bill, HB257 , landed on his desk. That evening, he issued a statement consisting of a single sentence to explain his vote.
“We want public facilities that are safe and accommodating for everyone and this bill increases privacy protections for all,” Cox said.
The bill becomes law immediately, but certain provisions for enforcement don’t take effect until May 1.
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Up until he signed HB257 , Cox was mum on whether he’d sign or veto the bill, or let it become law without his signature. He signed it well before his deadline to decide, which would have been 9 days from Wednesday