Prop 2 has passed legalizing use of medical marijuana as of Dec. 1st 2018 in Utah and the LDS Church seems to think that it holds the power to cause Legislation changes on the bill. Regardless of any special hearings the Church puts before Utah law makers, we voted, we won and the law needs to continue uninhibited. Sign the petition to CLARIFY THE LAW to lawmakers and the LDS Church that they do not hold any power over our votes! Seperation of Church and State exists for a reason! Separation is a two lane road, the State has no right to interfere with organized religion, nor does(or should) Organized religion have a place interfering with State matters. Let’s remind our State Legislation of what we want! NO CHANGING PROP 2! The people have spoken, have our elected officials forgotten who they are in service for? Let them know that Changing Prop 2 after we voted on it and passed it is unacceptable to you as well as the LDS Church inexplicably getting involved in politics and challenging our votes to alter Prop 2! 

State Senate                                                  350 North State, Suite 320

PO Box 145115

Salt Lake City, Utah 84114

Telephone: (801) 538-1035

House of Representatives                             350 North State, Suite 350

PO Box 145030

Salt Lake City, Utah 84114

Telephone: (801) 538-1029

•The separation of church and state is a philosophic and jurisprudential concept for defining political distance in the relationship between religious organizations and the nation state. Meaning that there must be distance between how the state and a church function, and one should not be ruled by the other. Allowing an Organized religion, especially one which operates without being taxed, therefor not contributing to support our government financially is a violation of basic human rights as well as our constitutional rights. 

In a society, the degree of political separation between the church and the civil state is determined by the legal structures and prevalent legal views that define the proper relationship between organized religion and the state. The arm's length principle proposes a relationship wherein the two political entities interact as organizations independent of the authority of the other, this should be the standard when considering the LDS Church and our political system, they are separate organizations and need to act accordingly. Our government needs to operate as a separate entity and can not, should not and definetly will not be allowed to be swayed, influenced or controlled by organized religion. 

•The LDS Church has too much influence in the state of Utah, even without becoming involved in its politics, and it is an obvious necessity for Separation of Church and State in regards to any organized religion with tax exempt status, to not be allowed to (now or in the future) publicly announce any political dislike and/or favoritism, or lobby in any political way. No Organized Religion with Tax Exempt Status, especially not one with a majority influence such as the LDS Church in the state of Utah should have legal rights to interfere with our political system or votes! In fact, it is illegal. The leadership of the LDS church issued a statement prior to voting on Nov. 6th feigning a weak and nonspecific “support” for those suffering to have access to the care they need but then asked their members to vote “no” on Prop 2. This act violates every members and every voters right to choose freely without any inappropriate influencing. The LDS church requires its members to do as they ask, regardless of personal belief in order to stay in good standing and hold a temple recommend or any office of service within the church. Therefore asking members to “vote no” violates constitutional rights, not to mention some of the key principles the LDS church themselves teach their members. Members and voters should never be put into a position where they feel pressured to appease their religion to stay in good standing and doing what they feel is right. A severe request leaving many to torment over how they should proceed with their vote.

The State of Utah has a responsibility to its citizens and keeping the Church at arms length politically is one of those responsibilities. As an addition to how the LDS Church should be restricted, which is the responsibility of the State to ensure would be refraining entirely from making statements that identifies favoritism for one or more candidates for a given public office or statements expressing approval or disapproval for one or more candidates’ positions and/or actions. 

Neither should the LDS Church or any Religion be allowed to make reference to voting a certain way or have Church leaders publicly speak out for or against candidates, positions, propositions or any political actions that concern the public, regardless of whether or not they appear to be making a personal statement or not. Personal statements from church leaders (official of personal) always have the name of their organization attached to the individual and the statement in the media additionally influencing hundreds of thousands of voters using their religion to stain the political system. The LDS Church is a religion and a business which holds no power over the public or their votes, nor do they hold any political power over the government.

 It’s gone on far to long in Utah for the religious influence to be prominent in our political system and for the LDS Church to be comfortable and safe in its power over our political system and public. Regardless of whether or not a member of the LDS Church hold the same views as their religious organization, the LDS Church DOES NOT have any rights over their members personal ideals let alone their votes, additionally it is a gross misuse of power to wield their influence over non-members. To forcibly take control of the political system, government and public to enforce their own agendas, regardless of the people’s voice is a great and evil injustice that our elected officials have ignored and allowed for far too long. The LDS Church has selfishly lobbied against gay marriage in the past, standing against the right that two people have to love each other, a God given right and now they are lobbying against the God given right to free agency and choice. Medical Cannabis is a choice to be made between an INDIVIDUAL OF THE PUBLIC and their personal phycisian, the only two people qualified to make the choice of whether or not Medical cannabis is needed or wanted is the individual  and their phycisian of choice. The health or medical needs of an individual should not and can not be determined by the State of Utah or the LDS Church.

  The fight starts now to stop the LDS Church from doing what they’re not even legally allowed to do and to stop Legislation making changes to Prop 2, any changes that might tempt our lawmakers were not voted for by the people and should therefore not be made. 

•The Politicians who aim to change Prop 2 need to be reminded and understand that when we vote we are telling them, our elected officials what we need and want. We voted not only for Prop 2 but also for those Politicians aiming to change it. The Utah House of Representatives, Gov. Herbert and the State Senate are in the service of the people who elected them to office, the people who voted on and passed Prop 2. Doing anything that would compromise the results of the vote is a dangerous misuse of office and power, power which is given temporarily by the public.  Medical cannabis shouldn’t be criminalized and those who qualify shouldn’t be afraid of losing their jobs or worrying about having access to medication. There shouldn’t be any fear that the bill will be changed or compromised in any way, especially not if it leaves Utah citizens vulnerablef. Prop 2 passed because we believed in it as written and presented, we voted for Prop 2 with the expectation that it would stay the same and with the hope that our elected officials were finally hearing us, actually listening to our cries for relief and our desperate pleas for our government to actually serve us as is expected.

Prop 2 shouldn’t be compromised in any way that will go against everything we voted for. Our politicians are supposed to serve us, listen to us and do what’s best for us based on our votes. They are supposed to have our interests at heart and in hand, not a religious organization that does not live each of the lives of the affected public during their daily struggles.

The fight isn’t over, sadly it should never have been a fight but now more than ever we need our voices heard for more than just this issue. All future propositions that serve the public are at stake of being smothered again and again if we don’t take a stand now. If you can agree with every word and emotion in this petition, please sign it and share it and the fight for our rights will continue.