Gov. Herbert to sign resolution calling porn a 'health hazard'

Utah Gov. Gary R. Herbert is planning to sign two pieces of legislation on Tuesday that aim to combat what's called "a sexually toxic environment" caused by porn. One is a resolution and one is a bill:

-- S.C.R. 9 Concurrent Resolution on the Public Health Crisis.

This resolution declares that pornography is "a public health hazard leading to a broad spectrum of individual and public health impacts and societal harms."


The resolution claims Utah would be the first state in the nation to make such a declaration.

It cites what is says are numerous detrimental effects of porn, including the treatment of "women as objects and commodities for the viewer's use."

It also says pornography "equates violence toward women and children with sex and pain with pleasure, which increases the demand for sex trafficking, prostitution, child sexual abuse images, and child pornography." The resolution has no punishing powers; it doesn't specifically ban pornography in the state.

Jon Cox, spokesman for the Republican governor, said the point of the resolution is to raise awareness and education. "We want Utah youths to understand the addictive habits" of porn that are "harmful to our society."The bill is more specific, and has enforcement muscle.

It requires that computer technicians who find child pornography during their work should report it to law enforcement officials. The bill further stipulates that "the willful failure to report the child pornography" would be a class B misdemeanor.

H.B. 155 also specifies that Internet service providers are not liable if the provider "reports child pornography in compliance with specified federal law."

Herbert is expected to sign the bills at the Utah State Capitol at 10 a.m. Tuesday.

The Utah Coalition Against Pornography hailed the move on its Facebook page Monday. It encourages people to head to the Capitol and "celebrate and recognize this historic moment!"