(KCPW News) Utah Senators have changed their minds about a bill that would make it easier for police to arrest someone for graffiti, rejecting it on a vote of 11-to-17 this morning. Senate Bill 107 would have criminalized the possession of graffiti paraphernalia when it appeared someone was going to use it to vandalize property. While Republicans voiced concern that it would infringe on liberty, Democratic Senator Luz Robles argued police could be trusted to enforce it wisely.
“I think we sometimes disregard the fact that we have trained, equipped and intelligent law enforcement that is protecting our communities … I don’t see how they will misuse this piece of legislation,” Robles said.
Yesterday, the Senate had approved SB 107 before ultimately voting it down today. The legislation inspired the activist group Anonymous to hack the website of the Salt Lake City Police Department. Police initially said no personal information was compromised, but later said some sensitive information was accessed, advising users of the website to change their email passwords.
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