-Caveat Lector- <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/"> </A> -Cui Bono?- UTAH LAW WILL CREATE FIRST `PORNOGRAPHY CZAR' IN NATION By MICHAEL JANOFSKY c.2000 N.Y. Times News Service SALT LAKE CITY - Taking aim at the easy accessibility of sexually explicit material in Utah, Gov. Michael O. Leavitt plans to sign into law Friday a measure that will give Utah the nation's first pornography czar. Leavitt conceded that the new obscenity and pornography complaints ombudsman, a deputy state attorney general, would have no power over the biggest sources of sexual content - the Internet and cable television. But in a state where the Mormon Church and its socially conservative views influence almost all aspects of life, Leavitt said the law would "codify our highest moral aspirations" by adding state powers to community efforts in fighting what some residents regard as offensive. Passage of the bill in February was nearly unanimous in both Republican-led chambers of the legislature, and it came just two days after publication of a book by Gordon B. Hinckley, president and prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, that urges followers to lead a more moral life and denounced what Hinckley perceived as a surge in pornography. "If a state legislature is looking for a way to improve the world, this is not an illogical way to strike a blow," said Leavitt, a Republican, in an interview. "Time will tell if it's a good use of state money. But to me, there is no harm in trying." The sponsor of the legislation, state Rep. Evan L. Olsen, a Republican, said he did not believe pornography was a greater problem in Utah than elsewhere. This assessment is shared by officials in the Utah attorney general's office and supported by Justice Department statistics that showed that rates of all crimes had fallen steadily across the country in recent years, including in Utah's largest cities. Wayne Giampietro, a past president and now general counsel to the First Amendment Lawyers Association, a national organization, said proliferation of sexually explicit material on the Internet had stimulated new interest in regulatory actions around the country, like more restrictive zoning laws for businesses that offer pornographic products. "But I haven't seen any uptick in criminal prosecutions," Giampietro said. Nonetheless, Olsen's measure creates a position in the attorney general's office that state officials routinely call the "pornography czar." The responsibilities will include advising municipal governments about obscenity law, helping tailor ordinances to suit local tastes as the U.S. Supreme Court has allowed, arbitrating problems when possible and prosecuting violations when necessary. Other states prosecute the same crimes, but not necessarily by one person. The legislature has set aside $75,000 to cover salary and expenses in the first year, which begins in January, and will allow the budget to double the year after. Yet with no legal authority to take on cable television and the Internet, the law is largely symbolic, said some legal experts in Utah, including Carol Gnade, director of the Utah chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. They also contend that it wastes taxpayer money in that there is no demonstrable need for the job. But Olsen insisted that many Utah communities wrestle with how to apply local obscenity laws and often need advice on how to prosecute violators. He also said he had been convinced by events in recent years reflecting public discomfort with sexual material and activities in Utah that the recent legislative session was "the right time and the right place to get something done." <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance�not soap-boxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'�with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds�is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
