Utah lawmakers will no longer pursue a constitutional amendment designed to change the power of ballot initiatives, following a series of judicial setbacks that previously invalidated legislative attempts to alter the state's initiative process. The decision marks a pause in a long-running conflict between the Utah Legislature and advocates regarding the fundamental rights of voters to reform their government.
Previous Judicial Voiding of Amendments
The abandonment of the amendment follows a significant legal defeat in September 2024. According to records from Mormon Women for Ethical Government, the Utah Supreme Court ruled unanimously that a proposed constitutional amendment by the Legislature was void. The court found that the ballot language describing the amendment to voters was both inaccurate and misleading.
Furthermore, the high court determined that the Legislature had failed to meet its constitutional obligations by not publishing the proposed text as required by the Utah Constitution. This ruling effectively blocked the legislature's immediate path to changing the rules governing how citizens can use the initiative process to enact laws.
The Repeal of Proposition 4
The tension surrounding legislative power and voter rights is deeply rooted in the history of Proposition 4. In 2018, a majority of Utah voters approved Proposition 4, a citizen-led initiative intended to prohibit partisan gerrymandering within the state. However, the Utah Legislature later moved to undermine this voter-approved measure.
In 2020, the Legislature passed Senate Bill 200, which repealed the original provisions of Proposition 4 and replaced them with what advocates described as a significantly watered-down version of the voters' intent. This legislative action led to the creation of a Legislative Redistricting Committee that was not required to follow neutral redistricting criteria, according to Mormon Women for Ethical Government.
Impact on Salt Lake County
The consequences of the 2020 legislative changes became evident during the 2021 redistricting cycle. In a special session held in November 2021, the Legislature passed a new map that was criticized for its lack of public input. This specific map split Salt Lake County across all four congressional districts and was widely regarded by critics as one of the most gerrymandered maps in the United States.
This period of redistricting sparked years of litigation. In July 2024, the Utah Supreme Court issued a unanimous ruling stating that the right of Utahns to alter or reform their government via citizen ballot initiatives is a fundamental right. This decision sent the case back to the District Court specifically to evaluate whether the repeal of Proposition 4 violated this constitutional standard.
Ongoing Redistricting Litigation
The legal battles continued through 2025 and into 2026, with various court rulings impacting the state's electoral boundaries. In August 2025, a District Court ruling declared that the Legislature's repeal of Proposition 4 was unconstitutional and ordered the reinstatement of the initiative. The court also found the 2021 gerrymandered map to be invalid, providing the Legislature an opportunity to pass a legal alternative.
However, by November 2025, the District Court ruled that a new version of the map, referred to as Map C, failed to comply with the requirements of Proposition 4. Because Utah was required to have a valid map in place for the upcoming election, the court ordered the use of 'Map 1,' a map proposed by the plaintiffs, to ensure the legality of the electoral process.
Restructuring the State Court System
The legislative response to these court decisions included structural changes to the state's judiciary. In March 2026, the Utah Legislature passed House Bills 392 and 366, which restructured the state court system. These bills created a new three-judge District Court panel for specific cases and established a contingent 'constitutional court.'
The Legislature attempted to use this new process by requesting that the ongoing redistricting case be transferred to the newly created panel. This move was met with legal challenges from Mormon Women for Ethical Government and other plaintiffs, who petitioned the Utah Supreme Court to pause the transfer and review whether the new law was constitutional.
Status of Future Appeals
Despite these legislative maneuvers, recent developments suggest a lack of momentum for the amendment process. In April 2026, the Lieutenant Governor officially declared that a ballot initiative intended to repeal Proposition 4 was insufficient in signatures, meaning it would not qualify for the 2026 ballot.
As of February 2026, the Utah Supreme Court had dismissed the Legislature's appeal of the November 2025 decision because the case was not yet complete in the District Court and the Legislature had missed mandatory statutory deadlines. While the Legislature retains an opportunity for a full appeal at a later date, the current focus has shifted away from the constitutional amendment to change ballot initiative power.
