To ensure statehood, Utah had to ban the practice of polygamy. But the laws against plural marriage are rarely enforced here, and a bill passed by lawmakers yesterday takes the extraordinary step of decriminalizing polygamy.
Proponents of the bill say it will relieve the stigma experienced by those in plural marriage, while those opposed say it doesn’t do enough to protect victims abused in polygamous relationships. Friday, we’re asking what passing the bill mean for Utah, for members of the LDS church and for members of the fundamentalist Mormon sects who still practice polygamy.
GUESTS:
- Lee Hale, host of the podcast Preach, and religion reporter for KUER
- Melissa Ellis, vice president of Sound Choices Coalition, former member of the Mormon fundamentalist group the Davis County Cooperative Society
- Lindsay Hansen Park, executive director for the Sunstone Education Foundation, host of the podcast The Year of Polygamy
