Stephen H. Urquhart

Stephen Harold Urquhart (born June 20, 1965) is an American politician and religious leader from Utah.

In 2020 Urquhart formed The Divine Assembly, a new church dedicated to the healing and mind-expanding powers of psilocybin mushrooms. Urquhart received his Juris Doctor from Brigham Young University and his bachelor's degree in Biology from Williams College. Prior to that, he served in the Utah House of Representatives from 2001 to 2009. Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee (Chair) Public Education Appropriations Subcommittee Senate Education Committee Senate Rules Committee Senate Judiciary, Law Enforcement, and Criminal Justice Committee He resigned early in September 2016 amongst other career commitments, already having announced his retirement, and was replaced by then Representative Ipson.

Legislation

2016 sponsored bills He also was the Floor Sponsor for the following bills: H.B. 45 Stem Program Amendments H.B. 58 Hemp Extract Amendments H.B. 75 Epilepsy Training in Public Schools H.B. 156 Personalized License Plates Amendments H.B. 216 Utah Educational Savings Plan Amendments H.B. 234 Adoptive and Foster Parents Amendments H.B. 463 Personal Representative Amendments

Notable legislation

Anti-discrimination Senator Urquhart sponsored S.B. 100, Anti-discrimination Amendments during the 2014 legislative session. Although this bill was kept in the Rules Committee, it was the topic of many conversations. Currently, Utah law prohibits workplace and housing discrimination based on race, color, religion, gender, pregnancy/childbirth, age, national origin, or disability. Senator Urquarts bill would add protections for sexual orientation/gender identity.

Concurrent enrollment Senator Urquhart also drafted SB 284, which focuses on Concurrent Enrollment for High School students.

Death penalty Senator Urquhart introduced S.B. 189 Death Penalty Amendments during the 2016 Legislative Session. The bill would have eliminated the death penalty as an option in Utah. Urquhart made the argument that sentencing someone to the death penalty is an arduous process that drags the victim's family through judicial mud. He also cited different cases where the murderer was elevated to rockstar status with everyone knowing their name, but not the victim's name. This bill passed out of the Senate, but was not considered in the House and therefore did not pass.

Hate crimes Senator Urquhart introduced S.B. 107 Hate Crimes Amendments during the 2016 Legislative Session. Before it was presented on the Senate floor, the LDS Church spoke in opposition to any bills of this nature that might offset the balance of the Anti-Discrimination and Religious Liberties compromise from the prior session. This bill sought to expand protected categories for hate crimes, as well as bump up the punishment by one degree in the case that someone is found guilty of committing a hate crime. According to Urquhart, a hate crime is not simply a crime against an individual, but rather an entire community. This bill did not pass out of the Senate.

Personal life Urquhart is married to his wife Sara and has four children. After experiencing personal turmoil in the 2010s, and a suicide attempt while working as a state senator, Urquhart was inspired to travel to Amsterdam with his wife to try ayahuasca. Finding ayahuasca and "magic mushrooms" healing, Urquhart organized The Divine Assembly as a religious non–profit in Utah.