Utah Court Limits Legislative Redistricting Amendments

The Utah Supreme Court has ruled that the state Legislature's amendments to voter-approved initiatives, specifically concerning redistricting, are constitutionally limited. This decision arises from a lawsuit filed by the League of Women Voters, Mormon Women for Ethical Government, and other plaintiffs, challenging the Legislature's 2020 repeal of Proposition 4, which had established an independent redistricting commission to prevent partisan gerrymandering. The court unanimously held that government-reform initiatives are protected from unfettered legislative amendment, repeal, or replacement. The ruling does not immediately impact the current congressional boundaries but allows the challenge to the Legislature's redistricting actions to proceed in a lower court. The outcome could potentially invalidate the gerrymandered maps and require new boundaries to be drawn. Justice Paige Petersen emphasized that citizens' rights to reform their government must be safeguarded from legislative overreach.