The Salt Lake Tribune reports that the governor of Utah, Jon Huntsman Jr., has publicly stated his support for civil unions between same-sex couples. According to a spokeswoman for the Governor, Huntsman supports many goals of the Common Ground Initiative, a Utah-based gay-rights group aimed at working with the Mormon church to pass legislation for LGBT people.

The Salt Lake Tribune reports:

It’s doubtful Huntsman’s backing will lead to civil unions getting past the conservative Legislature. And it may not help the rest of this year’s gay-rights legislative push, which already has shrunk from four bills to two.

We appreciate that the governor sees these are common-sense solutions to problems that Utahns are facing,” said Will Carlson, Equality Utah’s public-policy manager. “We’ll take all the help we can get.”

Still, he acknowledged the governor’s support won’t necessarily sway any votes on Capitol Hill. “It sure didn’t help liquor laws or cigarette taxes much,” Carlson noted.

But he said the governor could make the difference on a nonlegislative piece of the Common Ground Initiative: extending state employees’ health benefits to domestic partners.

Roskelley said the governor supports the concept but insisted the change would have to be done legislatively. Carlson said the Legislature’s OK would be needed only if the policy change requires additional appropriations. But he said the cost of expanding health benefits would be “negligible.”