SALT LAKE CITY -- Another blow was struck against polygamous groups in Utah Wednesday, as the House of Representatives approved a bill establishing penalties against those who solemnize and approve plural marriages.
Senate Bill 49 by Sen. Ron Allen, a Stansbury Park Democrat, makes it a misdemeanor for someone to seal illegal marriages between consenting adults and a third-class felony for marriages involving a minor.
The bill also makes it a third-degree felony for a parent to knowingly allow a minor to enter an unlawful marriage.
The bill also applies to same-sex marriages, but few if any lawmakers saw that as an issue.
Rep. Jackie Biskupski, D- Salt Lake City, the only openly gay legislator on Capitol Hill, said Wednesday she supported the bill because it's widely understood in the gay community that same-sex unions are informal and unofficial in the eyes of the state.
"I don't see how it's going to impact same-sex unions," Biskupski said, adding that some civil rights groups still oppose the legislation.
Polygamists and religious freedom advocates had opposed SB 149, but dropped their objections when Allen deleted language that might have barred polygamists from teaching their children about the practice.
The bill now moves to Gov. Mike Leavitt for his signature of approval.