UT making move to follow TX in banning TSA molestation

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) - The busy travel weekend is underway and for Utahns who are flying, airport security and potential pat downs are on their minds. Now a Utah lawmaker wants to ban Transportation Security Administration pat downs.

This all stemmed from Texas and their bill banning pat downs. It passed the House in Texas, but died in the Senate after the government threatened to cancel flights in and out of Texas. Carl Wimmer posted on his Facebook page Friday that he's drafting a similar bill that'll ban TSA pat downs in Utah.

We’ve seen images of a little Utah boy getting a TSA pat down. Images like that are what got Representative Carl Wimmer thinking. He says, “I want the TSA officers to follow the same standards and protocols that law enforcement officers around the nation follow when it comes to searching somebody.”

Wimmer says there is no clear data that shows the effectiveness of pat downs when it comes to aviation safety. His bill will ban pat downs in Utah without reasonable suspicion. Wimmer says, “Does that officer have and are they able to articulate reasonable suspicion or probable cause that the citizen who is about to board that plane has committed a crime, is committing a crime, or is about to commit a crime? Barring those three things it's hands off.”

Despite Wimmer's proposal, travelers we spoke with say they're in favor of the pat downs. Brad Fitt says, “If it doesn't take all day I’m all for whatever they want to do. I’ve got nothing to hide.” Jessica Mackluf adds, “I don't think the pat downs should be removed at all. I think it's necessary, it's a necessary evil. I’m willing to go through them and I think everybody else should to be safe.”
Aaaron Pearce says, “I’dd rather them be secure in this environment especially now then not have it.”

Wimmer says his anti pat down bill will be ready for the next session starting in 2012.