A bill that would have allowed pregnant women to drive in the HOV lane, further codifying in Utah law personhood status for unborn fetuses, failed in a Senate committee meeting Monday.
An effort to let pregnant women drive in the HOV lane — and counting a fetus as a person — ultimately failed over concerns that the bill would result in a loss of federal funding for Utah’s transportation agency.
The freshman Republican lawmaker told the committee that the bill is “both life-affirming and pro-woman,” noting that if agoes into effect, there will be an increase in the number of pregnant women in the state. Gricius also argued that it would reduce emissions and congestion on freeways, because it would allow more people to drive in underutilized carpool lanes.Both Democrats on the committee voted against the bill. The lone Republican to join them, Sen. Don Ipson, R-St. George, said he opposed it because he was worried that it might take federal funding from the Utah Department of Transportation.
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