SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — Rep. Trevor Lee is officially sponsoring a bill to change Harvey Milk Blvd. in Salt Lake City to Charlie Kirk Blvd. The bill does not have a Senate sponsor yet, and it has not been assigned to a committee.
This comes four months after Lee first tweeted that he would petition for this change, following the assassination of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University.
The move was met with a mix of support and backlash, including a petition led by Equality Utah that said the “undersigned businesses and residences affirm our support for the continued existence of Harvey Milk Boulevard in Salt Lake City.”
MORE | Proposes Changing Harvey Milk Boulevard to Charlie Kirk Boulevard
According to Salt Lake City Councilwoman Eva Lopez Chavez, the petition gained more than 3,000 signatures and was submitted to the state legislature on Monday.
She argues that street dedications are typically handled at the city level.
“Prior to this bill filing, it’s been very clear that municipal governments are the closest branch of government to the people,” said Lopez Chavez. “This is an interesting step that the state has taken interest in.”
Lee represents Utah’s 16th District in Davis County. Harvey Milk Blvd. is in Salt Lake City.
“This process begs the question about the state’s interest in Salt Lake City and the overreaching powers that they choose to express over and over,” said Lopez Chavez. “Every year, it’s continually eroding municipal powers.”
Salt Lake has several streets dedicated to various historical figures and activists, including Rosa Parks Blvd. and Cesar Chavez Blvd.
“I think very clearly if the Representative had an interest in dedicating a street, he could reach out to his local government, his mayor, his city council members and have a street dedicated within his community,” said Lopez Chavez. “Now I think it’s very clear that’s not his interest, because if it was, he would have done that.”
2News spoke with Rep. Lee on Monday about why he’s choosing to sponsor a bill that would impact a street and a community not within his district.
“It represents everyone. I have friends and family who work and live in Salt Lake, so it represents the entire state. Just like all of my bills affect the entire state of Utah,” said Lee. “This is the thing: as a state representative, if Salt Lake is doing something that is out of line or something that is wrong, then a bill that we have at the state can correct that. And I believe naming the street after a pedophile is a bad thing.”
Lee is referring to disputed claims that Harvey Milk, an LGBTQ activist and one of the first openly gay elected officials in the U.S., who was assassinated in 1978, was a pedophile — an allegation for which there is no evidence.
It has been widely reported that Milk had a relationship with a 16-year-old when he was 33 years old. At the time, in the 1970s, the age of consent in New York City was 14. Milk was never convicted of any sexual misconduct.
This relationship has been a flashpoint in debates around Milk’s legacy.
Business owners in the 9th and 9th district argue that the dedication of 900 South in Milk’s name represents a spirit of inclusivity, community and identity for the LGBTQ community and beyond.
“Harvey Milk, he not only stood up for his own community but many, many communities of all people,” said Madison Nilson, the owner of Salt Lake Pottery Studio and Art Café, both located on Harvey Milk Blvd.
“That’s what Salt Lake is. We are all people. We are not just one,” added Nilson. “It’s important that our street name here identifies all of us.”
Lee’s bill comes after the GOP announced its priorities for the upcoming 2026 legislative session, which include lowering the cost of living, supporting strong families, limited government, improving infrastructure, accountability and transparency, public safety, education, and water.
When asked how HB196 aligns with these priorities, Lee said, “It’s perfect. In the state of Utah, we are a very family-oriented state. We like to make sure you’re preserving our culture, our heritage, and our conservative values.”
Both Nilson and Lopez Chavez argue that the bill distracts from other, more pressing issues.
“We are focusing on a freaking street sign name change when literally down this street there are homeless people that are freezing,” said Nilson. “Enough is enough. Go focus on bigger issues, because this is not an issue that needs to be solved.”
“This is not a priority that I see aligns with the state legislature,” said Lopez Chavez. “I just think this is another bill that doesn’t need more energy and doesn’t need to be assigned a committee.”
Nilson also argues that changing the name of 900 South could have a negative impact on the businesses in the area.
“We fought 10 years ago for this name, and this is why businesses are here. They want to be at 900 South because of these core values,” said Nilson. “This is what I stand for, and our whole community knows it.”
The 2026 legislative session begins on Jan. 20. Lee said he is confident HB196 will make its way to the House floor.
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