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Letter: From wine to abortion, Utah Legislature passes laws that embarrass the state

The Utah State Capitol is shown during the final day of the Utah Legislature Friday, March 3, 2023, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

Once again the Utah Legislature has shot itself in the foot, passing laws that embarrass the state through legislating morality, in the name of protecting our children.

You cannot be a member of a wine club, as a responsible adult, because it is illegal to ship quality wines to residents of the state.

Now websites must verify your age by having users submit a photograph of “themselves” or a picture of “their” driver license, allowing them access to their personal information. As a result, one website has gone dark. How many will follow suit, based on the reasoning, Utah laws are not social media friendly.

I was a paramedic for twenty years and have been a nurse for twenty eight. The rationalization that abortion clinics must shut down because they are not equipped to handle an emergency, and must send the patient to a hospital, is lame. Every midwife and clinic in the state would have to quit their practice because they all transport critical patients to a higher level of care if the case exceeds their capabilities. Even free-standing emergency departments transport critical patients to hospitals.

Children are not stupid. As soon as you tell them they cannot have access to something, they will take up the challenge and find a way around the roadblock. It’s past time for our Legislature to expend funds to purchase glass navels, allowing them to see more relevant issues to address and leave morality to the individual and their higher moral compass.

L. Gene Miner, RN, West Jordan

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