Mormons take lead on ‘social’ bills

CHEYENNE — Mormons comprise more than 10 percent of the membership of the Wyoming Legislature, yet Mormon lawmakers are not known for voting as a bloc or working together to promote legislation.

That may be changing.

Mormons are taking a higher profile this session in promoting bills linked to controversial social issues including assisted suicide, gay marriage and abortion.

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are the primary sponsors of bills dealing with all three topics, and a cadre of about eight LDS lawmakers have teamed up as the original co-sponsors of six related bills.

Members of that group say their collective support of the bills is more coincidence than strategy, and they insist that no Mormon caucus exists in the Legislature.

But watchdog and social-issue advocacy groups say it could be a troubling sign if LDS legislators are working to inject their religious beliefs into the lawmaking process.

“It raises some serious questions about how we want to make our laws in this state,” said Dan Neal, executive director of the Laramie-based Equality State Policy Center, a policy watchdog group. “Churches that believe one way or another shouldn’t be forcing things in their direction.”

See Mormons take lead on ‘social’ bills
.Casper Star-Tribune Online – Casper,WY,USA