Gov. Cox defends Utah Senate president
During a tense exchange with reporters, Cox said there is no need for an investigation into Adams' behavior because he and Senate Majority Leader Kirk Cullimore, R-Draper, have openly stated the extent of their involvement in the law's passage.
'There's nothing to investigate,' Cox said. 'The facts of this are very, very clear.'
What is the new law?
The provision, which passed in 2024 as part of SB213, allows 18-year-old high school students to be charged as 17-year-olds if they engage in noncoercive sexual activity with teenagers who are 13.
In a stated effort to keep the process fair, Adams did not tell legislators, except for Cullimore — the bill's primary sponsor — that his granddaughter was currently the defendant in a Davis County criminal case falling into that category.
Cullimore has said that after Adams told him about his granddaughter's situation in 2023 he contacted her defense attorney, Cara Tangaro, to identify statutory changes to prevent high school students from being charged with child rape when no force was involved.
The change was discussed in committee hearings and floor debates before passing as part of the 49-page criminal justice omnibus bill.
The law did not apply retroactively to Adams' granddaughter, but it was referenced at her sentencing. Court observers disagree on the extent to which the law may have shaped the eventual plea bargain that let the granddaughter avoid a prison sentence and sex offender designation.
'I don't think there are any facts in dispute,' Cox said. 'He talked to the Senate majority leader. The Senate majority leader took that information and he proposed a piece of legislation.'
Calls for Adam to resign
State Sen. Nate Blouin, D-Salt Lake City, Utah Democratic Party Chair Brian King, and activist groups across the political spectrum have called on Adams to resign, alleging that he abused his power.
But Cox said these criticisms are unfounded. This is the process taken by many pieces of legislation, the governor said, and by not disclosing his personal situation, including to Cox, Adams allowed lawmakers to focus on the policy's merits.
'Every single legislator has experiences in their life where they see something that they feel may be unjust, and that influences the way they bring legislation to the table,' Cox said.
Cox pushed back against some legislators who have said the provision was snuck into the bill late in the process. It was part of the initial draft and was debated by stakeholders, Cox said, adding that those who say they didn't know about the provision are 'lying to you, or they're a terrible legislator.'
Review will happen
Cox repeatedly said he was 'grateful' that Adams had not told him 'this was impacting someone in his family' because it may have changed how he 'reacted to the bill.' But Cox said he and others now have a chance to revisit the legislation if needed.
On Friday, Utah House Speaker Mike Schultz announced the creation of a working group of policy experts to 'review' SB213 and analyze state laws related to unlawful sexual activity among high school students.
In an interview with Deseret News and KSL.com last week, Adams said he had no participation in the drafting of the provision, or its placement in SB213, and said the way the bill became law 'was done ethically and morally perfect.'
Cox said on Thursday that Adams made the right call by staying out of the legislative process as much as he could as it related to the provision — even if it was initiated by his concerns tied to a family connection.
'I think it was appropriate for the top person in the Senate not to weigh in on this bill, which is exactly what happened,' Cox told reporters. 'He did not weigh in on this bill — I can only imagine what you would have written if he had.'
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