Utah's governor signed a bill into law Tuesday that makes the state the latest to prohibit diversity training, hiring and inclusion programs at universities and in state government. The measure signed by Spencer Cox, a Republican who previously said he supported the idea, had cleared the state House and Senate by wide, party-line majorities. Headed into the final year of his first term, Cox has shifted to the right on “diversity, equity and inclusion.” After vetoing a ban on transgender students playing in girls sports in 2022, Cox signed a...

Utah's governor signed a bill into law Tuesday that makes the state the latest to prohibit diversity training, hiring and inclusion programs at universities and in state government. The measure signed by Spencer Cox, a Republican who previously said he supported the idea, had cleared the state House and Senate by wide, party-line majorities. Headed into the final year of his first term, Cox has shifted to the right on “diversity, equity and inclusion.” After vetoing a ban on transgender students playing in girls sports in 2022, Cox signed a...

Utah's governor signed a bill into law Tuesday that makes the state the latest to prohibit diversity training, hiring and inclusion programs at universities and in state government. The measure signed by Spencer Cox, a Republican who previously said he supported the idea, had cleared the state House and Senate by wide, party-line majorities. Headed into the final year of his first term, Cox has shifted to the right on “diversity, equity and inclusion.” After vetoing a ban on transgender students playing in girls sports in 2022, Cox signed a...

Utah's governor signed a bill into law Tuesday that makes the state the latest to prohibit diversity training, hiring and inclusion programs at universities and in state government. The measure signed by Spencer Cox, a Republican who previously said he supported the idea, had cleared the state House and Senate by wide, party-line majorities. Headed into the final year of his first term, Cox has shifted to the right on “diversity, equity and inclusion.” After vetoing a ban on transgender students playing in girls sports in 2022, Cox signed a...

Utah’s governor signed a bill into law Tuesday that makes the state the latest to prohibit diversity training, hiring and inclusion programs at universities and in state government. The measure signed by Spencer Cox, a Republican who previously said he supported the idea, had cleared the state House and Senate by wide, party-line majorities. Headed into the final year of his first term, Cox has shifted to the right on “diversity, equity and inclusion.” After vetoing a ban on transgender students playing in girls sports in 2022, Cox signed a...

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Gov. Spencer Cox signed a pair of this legislative session's most controversial bills Tuesday night. The move effectively ends diversity, equity and inclusion programs in state agencies and public universities and colleges, and bans transgender people from accessing restrooms that don't match their gender at birth except in certain circumstances. "We want public facilities that are safe and accommodating for everyone and this bill increases privacy protections for all," Cox said in a statement, explaining his reason for signing HB257.

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Gov. Spencer Cox signed two controversial bills into law Tuesday, one concerning transgender bathroom access and another that will rework diversity, equity and inclusive programs in state institutions. Cox, a Republican, signed H.B. 257 and H.B. 261 into law after lawmakers in the Republican-controlled Legislature gave their final approval on both bills last week. H.B. 257 requires transgender people to use a public bathroom or changing room that coincides with their sex designated at birth, unless they’ve undergone surgery or changed their birth certificate.

Gov. Spencer Cox signed off on Utah’s anti-DEI bill Tuesday setting in motion a far-reaching rollback of diversity efforts across all of public education and government in the state. Utah is now the latest in a string of red states to pass similar measures into law. And while his approval of HB261 was largely anticipated — the Republican governor has been vocal on the issue in the past few months — it does mark a shift further to the right for Cox. He started his term in office in January...