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Utah Lawmaker Wants To Revive Ban On Living With Multiple Spiritual Wives

In the wake of a court decision that de-criminalized polygamy in Utah, a state lawmaker wants to revive the ban on living with multiple so-called spiritual wives.

The proposal unveiled Wednesday by Republican Rep. Mike Noel of Kanab would make it a felony to live with more than one purported spouse.

That would revise a key portion of the law struck down by a judge in 2013 after a polygamous family from the TV show "Sister Wives" sued.

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State attorneys say the proposal would narrow the definition of the crime and could end the lawsuit now before a federal appeals court if it passes.

The lawyer for the "Sister Wives" family, though, says any law that bans consenting adults from living with multiple wives would likely violate their freedom of religion.