“For me, it’s a perception issue,” Sen. Stuart Adams, R-Layton, said in earlier debate, adding that it diminishes the value of marriage.
However, the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Todd Weiler, R-Woods Cross, said he’s seen no evidence that the waiting period changes many, if any, minds about seeking a divorce.
“This is an arbitrary time that is supposed to allow couples to reconcile, but if you look at the data, there’s no evidence — absolutely zero evidence — that the states with waiting periods have a lower rate of divorce than the states with no waiting periods.”
The bill would also ban courts from acting on motions in divorce cases (except for temporary restraining orders) until splitting spouses complete required divorce-orientation classes.