Utah Supreme Court crushes constitutional amendment deemed ‘counterfactual’ by lower court

Associated Press

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah voters will not decide this November on a proposed constitutional amendment asking voters to cede power over ballot measures to lawmakers after the Utah Supreme Court upheld a lower court decision voiding the amendment. The five-justice panel grilled attorneys for the Legislature earlier Wednesday before ultimately siding with opponents of the amendment. They argued it would have been presented to voters in a misleading manner. The amendment would have given lawmakers constitutional authority to rewrite voter-approved ballot measures or repeal them entirely. But the summary that voters would have seen only asked if the state constitution should be changed to “strengthen the initiative process” and to clarify the role of legislators.