Utah Governor Seeks $50K to Fight Porn

Utah Governor Seeks $50K to Fight Porn

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Gov. Gary Herbert has asked the state Legislature to allocate $50,000 in taxpayer funds to the Utah Coalition Against Pornography.

The nonprofit holds conferences in the state and receives most of its funding from conservative foundations and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Two events are planned for 2017 — one in Salt Lake City and the other in St. George, Utah.  

It’s not the first time Utah legislators have funded anti-porn efforts. In 2001, the state funded an Obscenity and Pornography Complaints Ombudsman for two years.

Herbert included the $50,000 request in his 103-page, $16 billion budget proposal, submitted to legislators last week.

The Utah Coalition Against Pornography is a private nonprofit organization led by one of Herbert’s close advisers, Pamela Atkinson.

“I am already on record that pornography is a public health issue,” Herbert told The Salt Lake Tribune. “This effort is an effective way to empower parents with practical methods to protect their families from the dangers of pornography.”

Herbert green-lighted two pieces of legislation aimed at porn this year. One measure declared it a “public health hazard,” another strengthened punishments and oversight for possession of child porn. 

Online porn usage is unusually high in the otherwise deeply conservative and deeply religious Utah. A Harvard Business School study six years ago found the state of Utah had the highest rate of subscriptions to pornographic websites per 1,000 people of any state in the U.S. 

The state’s leading pollster earlier this year said that about three in four Utahans agree porn is a public health crisis.

Related:  

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Strike 3 Holdings Sues Meta for Pirating Vixen Media Group Content to Train AI

Vixen Media Group owner Strike 3 Holdings filed suit in federal court this week, accusing Facebook parent company Meta of copyright infringement and alleging that Meta has extensively pirated VMG content to train its artificial intelligence models.

Pineapple Support, Streamate to Host 'Navigating Grief and Loss' Support Group

Pineapple Support and Streamate are hosting a free online support group to help performers cope with grief and loss.

Friday is Final AV Compliance Deadline in UK

Friday, July 25 marks U.K. media regulator Ofcom’s deadline for user-to-user services such as tube, cam and fan sites to implement its requisite “highly effective age assurance” measures for preventing minors from viewing adult content.

AEBN Publishes Popular Searches for May, June

AEBN has released the top search terms for the months of May and June from its straight and gay theaters in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Two Texas Bills Restricting Sex Toy Sales Fail to Pass

Two bills aimed at restricting sales of sex toys have failed to pass the Texas state legislature during its 2025 session.

NYC Adult Stores Petition for Rehearing in Zoning Law Case

A group of adult businesses on Tuesday petitioned the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit to rehear a case involving a zoning law that could severely limit adult stores’ operations in New York City.

Ofcom Releases Transparency Reporting Guidelines

Ofcom, the U.K. media regulator, has made public its official guidance detailing how online service providers — including adult sites — will be required to publish annual transparency reports on their efforts to protect children from online harms.

New AV Rules Take Effect for Ireland-Based Sites

Ireland’s Online Safety Code came into force Monday, including a provision requiring adult sites headquartered in Ireland to implement age assurance measures beyond self-declaration.

XBIZ Amsterdam Calls on New Startups for 'Spotlight' Program

XBIZ is pleased to announce that its new “Startup Spotlight” programming will make its European premiere at XBIZ Amsterdam 2025, set to take place Sept. 2-5 at the Jakarta Hotel Amsterdam.

Texas Resumes AV Lawsuit Against Aylo Following SCOTUS Decision

A district court judge in Texas has unfrozen the state’s $1.6 million lawsuit against Aylo for allegedly failing to comply with age verification requirements, Bloomberg Law is reporting.

Show More