I have seen several stories in the news recently regarding the changing of the name of 900 South, Harvey Milk Blvd., in Salt Lake City. None of the stories has mentioned how the legislation would allow this. HB196 would create a process that would allow the Legislature to make a special designation of any Class C road in the state, allowing the Legislature to then change the name or designation of the road and prevent the municipality from making a different or additional designation. The sponsor obviously thought that Salt Lake City, since it is opposed to this change, would designate the street Harvey Milk Blvd, along with the Charlie Kirk Blvd designation.
This legislation is clearly divisive. It is designed to allow the Legislature to force a change that a municipality disagrees with. Shouldn’t state legislators seek to bring communities together? Wouldn’t it be better to work with the city to designate another street that does not already have a name? Better yet, seek to name a street in Orem where the tragic Charlie Kirk shooting occurred.
Thomas Ball
Bountiful