As the Utah state legislature geared up to vote on a ban on critical race theory in schools, it faced protests from Democratic House members and senators. Ultimately, despite protests, both chambers passed the resolution Wednesday to ban critical race theory.

Leading up to the vote, Sen. Kathleen Riebe (D-08) made an amendment to the Senate resolution to include a ban of QAnon conspiracies in schools. In the resolution, she called the group “a discredited, far-right conspiracy theory” that contributed “to the failed insurrection at the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021.” So, she wrote in an attempt to ban it alongside critical race theory. However, in the end, she didn’t sponsor her own amendment, making it look like a rhetorical statement rather than a serious attempt.

Then, Rep. Jennifer Dailey-Provost (D-24) made a similar amendment in the House resolution. But she took it a step further, attempting to also ban “the big lie” that “the 2020 presidential election was illegitimate due to baseless claims of voter fraud.” In her attempt she proposed to ban all discussion of the instances of voter fraud from public schools’ curriculum.

In a comment to SaraACarter.com, Dailey-Provost explained that, like Riebe, it wasn’t meant to be taken seriously. “I definitely wanted to make a point about how strongly I felt about the inappropriate nature in which [the resolution banning critical race theory was] created and put forward, as well as to make a point,” she said.

But she knew that her amendment was a moot point. “The amendment never would have stood a chance in the House if it had been moved and voted upon,” she said.

“In the end I did not have to decide whether to propose my amendment because my colleagues and I all left the House floor at the beginning of the discussion to protest the content and process that was at hand,” Dailey-Provost said. The walkout was captured on tape.

So, without any Democrats in the room, the resolution passed. The resolution also passed in the senate, with only six votes against.

There has been no evidence of critical race theory or QAnon conspiracies being taught in Utah schools. Instead, Senate President Stuart Adams told local reporters that they are listening to their constituents. “It’s really important to my constituents that everyone be treated equally, that no one because of the color of their skin be treated differently,” Adams said.

You can follow Jenny Goldsberry on Twitter @jennyjournalism