On March 30, Governor Gary Herbert signed a bill into law that protects the First Amendment right of Utah citizens to associate freely with the people and groups of their choosing, making this the fourth state to enact critical citizen privacy legislation after Arizona, Mississippi and West Virginia.

Earlier this month, Governor Jim Justice signed the Protect Our Right to Unite Act, making West Virginia the third state to sign critical citizen privacy legislation into law. The legislation received wide bipartisan support that included groups such as the West Virginia chapters of the American Civil Liberties Union and Americans for Prosperity.

There is broad public support for individual privacy protections. That is why on Thursday, March 28, 2019, Governor Phil Bryant signed a bill into law to ensure that the privacy of Mississippians is protected when exercising their free speech rights by supporting non-profit causes and charities.

Following is an excerpt from an opinion editorial piece by Sean Parnell of the Philanthropy Roundtable that appeared recently in the Detroit News.