Utah voters to weigh 60% threshold for some citizen initiatives
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A Republican-backed constitutional amendment on the November ballot could make it harder to pass citizen-led ballot initiatives that raise taxes.
Why it matters: Critics say Amendment B would dilute Utahns' voting power.
How it works: Under Constitutional Amendment B, ballot initiatives that raise taxes would need 60% voter approval, up from the simple majority required now.
State of play: The proposal is backed by the Utah Taxpayers Association and Taxpayer Shield PAC, which argue that tax increases should require broader support than a simple majority.
- "If you want to raise your neighbors' taxes, you should have broad support from your neighbors," Sen. Lincoln Fillmore (R-South Jordan) and Rep. Jason Kyle (R-Huntsville), who are behind the resolution placing the issue on the ballot, said in a statement.
Catch up quick: If the amendment had existed in 2018, it would have blocked two high-profile citizen initiatives expanding Medicaid and legalizing medical marijuana. Each passed by a slim majority.
The big picture: The constitutional amendment comes as several state legislatures across the U.S. attempt to raise barriers for citizen-led ballot initiatives, a process voting rights advocates say serves as an important check on government, according to the Campaign Legal Center.
The other side: Utahns Protecting Our Constitution, a political issues committee, launched an opposition campaign last month, calling the proposed amendment "unnecessary."
- Elizabeth Rasmussen, who is leading the committee, tells Axios that Utahns have had the right to pass ballot initiatives that raise taxes by a simple majority for more than 125 years.
- "Allowing 40% of the population to block some of these policies just doesn't seem right," she says.
What they're saying: "The Legislature has a long history of trying to make ballot initiatives harder to accomplish in Utah," Rasmussen says.
Flashback: Republicans in 2024 approved a constitutional amendment that would have allowed state lawmakers to alter or repeal citizen initiatives.
- While the question appeared on the ballot, a judge voided it after ruling the ballot language contained "glaring" omissions.
What we're watching: Republicans' push for the amendment comes at a time when cost of living and housing affordability issues are major concerns for Utah voters.
- Nearly half of Utah registered voters (46%) surveyed said the economy and cost of living was the most important issue ahead of the November election, while 16% cited housing affordability, according to a Noble Predictive Insights poll conducted last month.
What's next: Mail ballots for the Nov. 3 election will start going out Oct. 13.