l Freedom to "be safe from gun violence." He wants the state to ban guns from schools and churches, allow cities to enact their own gun-control measures and stiffen the penalty for minors who illegally possess firearms.

l Freedom for gays and unmarried heterosexual couples to adopt children in state foster care or their partner's children. That's now forbidden by state law.

l Freedom "for working people to make a decent living." That refers to Anderson's desire for city contractors to provide "living wages" - almost double the federal $5.15 an hour wage - to their employees. The state forbids cities from requiring such wages.

l Freedom for adults to get an alcoholic drink without "unfriendly obstacles." Anderson calls state liquor laws "utterly bizarre" and "peculiar." Among other changes, he would get rid of private-club memberships, the rule stopping hard-alcohol pours at 12 a.m. on Saturdays and the prohibition against happy hours. "That generates this perception [among visitors] of Utah as being a closed, repressive, dull place."

l Freedom to teach more than abstinence in public schools. He wants teachers to be able to discuss "family planning" and ways to prevent sexually transmitted diseases. "It's no-sex sex education. Any just-say-no program is not going to be effective with a lot of students."

l Freedom to breathe clean air and live healthy lives. The mayor, a former smoker, wants to ban smoking in bars, clubs and public festivals such as the Salt Lake City Jazz Festival and Utah Arts Festival. This is also aimed at state transportation policies that he says worsen the air by promoting new highways, like the proposed Legacy Highway through south Davis County, ahead of mass transit.

Call him Mr. Freedom. Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson is asking Utah to loosen up.

In a news conference set for today, he plans to present a list of "freedoms" people should expect - from being free from inhaling cigarette smoke in clubs and at public festivals, to allowing public schoolteachers to talk about condoms.

The message might anger Utah lawmakers - and perhaps City Council members - whose laws or policies are the target of Anderson's frustration. They also are the people he needs to help him implement the changes.

And, no, Anderson says, his campaign is not due to his recent vacation in Las Vegas, where anything goes.

"There has been such an abuse of power by government officials in terms of trying to unreasonably control people and the choices they make," the mayor said Wednesday. It's a call "to let this community open up, to be more welcoming, to not try to force everybody to live the same kinds of lives."

Hundreds of state lawmakers are in the city for the annual National Conference of State Legislatures. Anderson said he isn't trying to embarrass Utah lawmakers in front of their guests. He has talked about many of these ideas before, but piecemeal-like.

He wants people to see the "larger theme of how these public policies over time have . . . unreasonably restricted personal choices."

City Councilman Eric Jergensen said "mercy" when he heard of Anderson's plan. He said the mayor has the right to speak out on any issue he wants, but suggested Anderson focus on issues he views as more important to the running of the city, such as budgets, streets, downtown redevelopment.

"Some of the things he brings up may be right. I don't think this is the way to do it, if he's going on the attack. I'm assuming he's going on the attack."

Anderson said residents voted for him because they see him as "an agent for change. I'm somebody who recognizes there are a lot of different people with a lot of different legitimate desires in life, and they should be respected."

hmay@sltrib.com