Media
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Record editorial: U.S. Supreme Court ruling casts uncertainty on redistricting reform in Utah
Opinion – June 30th, 2019 The judicial branch delivered a blow to democracy Thursday as the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that federal courts have no authority to determine the constitutionality of partisan gerrymandering. It was a confounding development for people all over the country who believe elections should be fair and that, as the saying…
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Tribune Editorial: Bad Supreme Court ruling does not have to hurt Utah
By The Salt Lake Tribune Editorial Board · “He became so powerful, the only thing he was afraid of was losing his power, which eventually, of course, he did.” — Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, “Revenge of the Sith” The Supreme Court of the United States says it is helpless to defend a basic tenant of…
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In our opinion: Partisan gerrymandering is wrong, but states have the power to fix it
Deseret News editorial board The Supreme Court ruling that partisan gerrymandering is not prohibited by the Constitution should not be construed as an endorsement of the practice, which the majority opinion concedes can lead to districting practices that “seem reasonably unjust.” Permissible though it may be, the practice of gerrymandering remains destructive to the…
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Poll: Utahns overwhelmingly oppose lawmakers changing Prop. 4
Written by: Bob Bernick, Contributing Editor If the Utah Legislature, controlled by Republicans, and GOP. Gov. Gary Herbert repeal or change Prop 4 – the independent redistricting commission approved by voters in November – they will be going against, by far, what a majority of Utahns want, a new poll by UtahPolicy.com shows. It’s true…
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In our opinion: Abdicating legislative leadership creates more precarious democracy
Deseret News editorial board The Utah Legislature is preparing to possibly modify two citizen initiatives passed by voters last November. It would be a shame if lawmakers did so with the conviction they are doing the work of representing the people. Utah is built on the foundation of a republic. Its political framework requires select…
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Jay Evensen: Lawmakers should not mess with voter-approved laws
By Jay Evensen Only four months have passed since I posed the question, in this column, of whether lawmakers would have the guts to change an initiative passed by voters. That seems like such an innocent time, now. Back then, the question centered on Proposition 2, the initiative to legalize medical marijuana. I supported efforts…