Diversity Training Bill Voted Down

(KCPW News) Should members of the Utah legislature be required to learn more about the changing demographics of the state and how to be more sensitive? A bill that would have required such training failed in a Senate committee Tuesday. Senate Minority Leader Ross Romero says his bill would have required new members of the legislature to go through a short class.

“One of the things that has been mentioned is use of the term ‘illegal aliens.’ Obviously, that’s a very dated term. What most people say right now is undocumented immigrants or undocumented community,” he says. “I think it’s a little more respectful. I think it’s a little more appropriate, talking about individuals as individuals and not their lifestyles.”

Romero told the committee the idea behind the bill stemmed from a 2008 incident when former Senator Chris Buttars said “this baby is black; it’s a dark ugly thing” on the Senate floor. He says the training could only benefit lawmakers as they work to create new state policy.

“There is a population growth that’s occurring in our state and we’re changing as a state,” he says. “We need to understand what that means and we need to figure out how to be as inclusive as possible so that we grow together.”

The bill failed in a 2-to-4 vote. The four Republicans who opposed the bill didn’t comment on their reasons at the hearing. Later,  Senator Daniel Thatcher told KCPW he thought the bill was a solution looking for a problem.