It is tempting to chide Gov. Gary Herbert for ducking the question of whether Utah should finally ban the cruel and discredited practice known as “conversion therapy” as practiced on teens and children.
But it is possible that our sometimes reticent chief executive has passed this buck to just the right place.
In its most recent session, the Utah Legislature seemed to be moving toward passing legislation that would ban mental health professionals licensed by the state of Utah from engaging in efforts to turn gay or bisexual youth straight. It is a practice now disowned by the profession generally, as well as being a particularly nasty violation of the if-its-not-broken-don’t-fix-it principle.