This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2006, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Today marks the beginning of the end for lighting up in private clubs and bars in Utah.

SB19, which bans smoking in all of the state's private and public drinking establishments over the next 30 months, is among nearly 300 laws passed during the 2006 legislative session that took effect at midnight.

The state, as of today, also has a hate crimes law on the books for the first time; a child-protection registry to deter adult-oriented marketers from targeting Web-messaging usernames, and cell phone and fax numbers; an abortion parental-consent law; a steeper price for divorce; and new limits on public access to lawmakers' internal messages.

The smoking-ban legislation, sponsored by Sen. Michael Waddoups, a Taylorsville Republican, sparked an extended debate about worker health versus freedom of choice. And it created splits within Democratic and Republican parties.

The new law will immediately impose a smoking ban on social, fraternal and religious organizations and on facilities rented or leased for private functions, such as weddings, and on any tavern or private club in Utah that receives a license after May 15.

Come January, the ban will extend to country clubs, lodges and private clubs where at least half the revenue comes from food sales. And all of the state's drinking establishments, private or otherwise, must be smoke-free by 2009.

Many bars and private clubs that are grandfathered in and eligible for the 30-month reprieve will hold out to the end. Others aren't waiting.

Greg Arata, the owner of Junior's Tavern in downtown Salt Lake City, says his recent location change from near the library to the central business district has given him the opportunity to make the break and go smoke-free now. He's happy with his decision.

"It just got to the point where I could really see it was bothering customers who didn't smoke," Arata said over the weekend. "When you've got four or five people smoking at the bar, you can't get away from it. I came to the conclusion that it was as much of a detraction as an attraction. In the long run, it just discourages people from coming in and staying very long.

"I know there are two sides to this," he added, noting the opposition to Waddoups' bill by the Utah Hospitality Association and other freedom-of-choice advocates. "But it can't be any good for you, and you leave smelling like a cigarette."

For Rep. David Litvack, a Salt Lake City Democrat, and other proponents of hate-crimes legislation, the passage of HB90 is still sinking in. The legislation, for the first time in Utah, asks judges to consider longer sentences for criminals whose offenses are "likely to spark fear" or "community unrest."

Litvack carried the hate-crimes bill after the death of longtime sponsor Sen. Pete Suazo. He says he has been overwhelmed by the positive response.

"It means a lot in terms of law enforcement and prosecutors having the tools they need to do their job." Litvack said. "But symbolically, it might even mean more in terms of protecting our diverse community, protecting those people who are targeted for simply being who they are. Even I probably underestimated how much this means to people in their lives and feeling like Utah is their home."

With the passage of HB417, state officials are also hailing what they call another layer of protection for Utah's children from pornographic content - beyond the 150,000 e-mail addresses that have been shielded from receiving adult-oriented solicitations since last year.

"Regardless of the means by which adult messages are sent, parents should have the ability to keep them out of their homes," Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff said in a statement. "We are committed to enforcing the law against marketers who send unwanted adult material into Utah's homes."

Other notable laws that take effect today:

* HB85, which will require a parent's consent before an underage girl can get an abortion, even in cases of incest.

* HB30, the so-called "Lost Boys" law, which was passed to allow minors - and particularly teenage boys in polygamous communities being forced out by their elders - to petition juvenile courts for a declaration of emancipation.

* HB322, which raises the cost of filing for divorce in the state to $155, up from $95 - though not as costly as the $500 sponsor West Jordan Rep. Peggy Wallace originally proposed.

* HB102, which increases the minimum sentence to 15 years for first-degree felony murder. Dubbed "Lori's Law," the bill was passed after distress over the possibility that Mark Hacking might walk free after just five years for the murder of his wife, Lori Hacking.

* SB118, which prohibits drivers younger than 17 from operating a motor vehicle between midnight and 5 a.m., and from operating a vehicle with any passenger in the vehicle who is not an immediate family member.

* SB80, which will allow the creation of public-private partnerships for the construction of toll roads.

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Tribune reporter Carey Hamilton contributed to this report.