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Utah House debates overhaul of citizen initiative rules amid constitutional concerns
Summary
Lawmakers debated First Substitute Senate Bill 28, which would change signature and hearing requirements for citizen initiatives; supporters said it clarifies the law after a court decision, while opponents said it risks putting the process 'out of reach' for ordinary citizens.
A representative who introduced First Substitute Senate Bill 28 summarized an overhaul of Utah’s initiative process, saying the measure was drafted after recent court decisions and would change where and how initiative signatures are gathered and vetted. The bill would move signature thresholds to be counted by state senate districts and tie petition thresholds to a percentage of votes cast in the last general election; it also adds application procedures, financial reporting, and misconduct penalties, and allows paid petition circulators.
Supporters said the bill attempts to make the statutory initiative process constitutional after parts of the prior statute were invalidated by the Utah Supreme Court. The sponsor said the changes are intended to give…
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