Utah lawmakers, Better Boundaries explain how they’ve compromised on the anti-gerrymandering law
February 28, 2020
By: Bethany RodgersPublished February 27th, 2020 Updated:February 28th, 2020 Utah’s independent redistricting commission will have to adopt their own anti-gerrymandering standards before drawing maps for congressional, legislative and other voting districts under a compromise unveiled Thursday. Better Boundaries, a group fighting to preserve Proposition 4, and state lawmakers announced the deal during an amicable news…
Overwhelming number of Utahns want lawmakers to leave Prop. 4 alone
August 28, 2019
26 August 2019 More than sixty percent of Utah voters want Prop 4 to be implemented exactly as it was written and passed in the 2018 General Election, according to a recent poll published by Utah Policy Daily and conducted by Y2 Analytics. The poll “finds that 63 percent of Utah voters don’t want Herbert…
Record editorial: U.S. Supreme Court ruling casts uncertainty on redistricting reform in Utah
August 14, 2019
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…
Tribune Editorial: Bad Supreme Court ruling does not have to hurt Utah
July 31, 2019
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…
In our opinion: Partisan gerrymandering is wrong, but states have the power to fix it
July 24, 2019
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…
Poll: Utahns overwhelmingly oppose lawmakers changing Prop. 4
February 12, 2019
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…
In our opinion: Abdicating legislative leadership creates more precarious democracy
January 28, 2019
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…
Jay Evensen: Lawmakers should not mess with voter-approved laws
January 25, 2019
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…
STATEMENT FROM YES ON 4 / BETTER BOUNDARIES CAMPAIGN CO-CHAIRMEN JEFF WRIGHT (R) and RALPH BECKER (D)
November 20, 2018
STATEMENT FROM YES ON 4 / BETTER BOUNDARIES CAMPAIGN CO-CHAIRMEN JEFF WRIGHT (R) and RALPH BECKER (D) “This is an exciting day for Utah. After the final canvass, we’re confident Proposition 4 will have gained a majority of votes in a statewide election and the voice of the people will once again be heard in…