this is to be voted on today at 2:00 session today. I called the legistor and they recommend sending an email while in session. The chair person is Curtis Oda. coda@le.utah.gov.

Sandstorm added an admendment into it that requires the internet providers to block axcess to gambling sites determined by the attorney general at the exspense of the internet provider. So it got tabled till the next session to determine the cost to implement the bill. So looks like Utah is going to start internet censorship.

Voted on and passed 9-0. This statement also added:
(3) An Internet service provider as defined in Section 13-40-102 who is operating within the state shall apply available technology to intercept, block, or otherwise prevent the transmission, relay, or receipt of gambling information or activity that allows or facilitates gambling within this state.
Also added that the governer to opt-out if federal legislation passes.
So much for Utah to ever come to the 21st century.

It seems like we are going back to 19th century...
So whats gonna happen now? When this get to be enforced? This year, next year, right now?

Although this excerpt taken from an LA Times article by Mike Carter was written in 1993, things don't seem to have changed much, except now there's Mitt:

"SALT LAKE CITY — In this most idiosyncratic of states, where nearly three-fourths of the residents are Mormon and church members predominate at every level of public life, it is almost impossible to separate the religion from the merely religious. Virtually any issue the church deems a moral one is effectively decided at that point...Nobody accuses Utah of being a full-fledged theocracy, a government ruled by a god...But if Utah is not the theocracy envisioned by pioneer leader Brigham Young and other early Mormons, neither has its government shed a perception that has endured since statehood--that the state's true seat of power is the Church Administration Building at the bottom of Capitol Hill."

The rest of the article at http://articles.latimes.com/1993-03-...church-support

Are you sure the bill passed? News earlier today was that the bill was tabled for futher review, but my intel may be old. Please let me know if you have other info.

Thanks.

It passed out of committee.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/7...-gambling.html

The bill is HB108 and can be tracked here:
http://le.utah.gov/~2012/htmdoc/hbillhtm/hb0108.htm

The effective date for the bill (if passed) is July 1, 2012.

Sandstorm is speaking at the CPAC meeting at 3:30 on Saturday. The PPA reps need to visit him there.

Had to unfollow the real one from twitter cause he just constantly brags about this bull**** and it angers me

I recall a top Mormon trying to make a $10,000 bet on national TV not too long ago...

$10k is life changing money!

Thank god for that. That was the crazy part. They were going to act like China a stark blacking web sites based on content. It was pretty broadly worded to include site that discussed how to play online. Not a good look.

Any updates on how the vote went? I tried checking the le.utah.gov site but can't find anything regarding the vote on H.B. 108.

I got this email from PPA today:

I am happy to report that due to the overwhelming outreach by Utah poker players in opposition to Representatives Sandstrom’s Internet censorship bill, HB 108, he has agreed listen to our concerns and postpone today’s vote.

While this is great news, we are not out of the woods yet. While Representative Sandstrom has agreed to hold off on his legislation for now, there is still more than a month left to go in Utah’s legislative session. We must continue to be vigilant and educate our lawmakers about the issues important to us.

I will keep you updated with any new developments on HB 108 or similar legislation. Thank you again for your ongoing efforts to protect this great game.

Proud to play,

Donna Lawton
UT State Director