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House passes bill requiring clear pro-con summaries for ballot propositions
Summary
The House adopted a third substitute to House Bill 3 79 narrowing disclosure requirements to ballot propositions and bond questions and adding a pro-and-con summary on ballots; the measure passed 69-1 and will go to the Senate.
The Utah House of Representatives on March 6 adopted a third substitute to House Bill 3 79 requiring clearer, voter'facing summaries for ballot propositions and bond measures.
Representative Ryan D. Wilcox, the bill sponsor, told colleagues the substitute narrows the bill "principally to ballot propositions that we ask voters to vote on" and would place "transparency requirements and public meeting information" on materials that voters see. He said the change ensures voters can find "what the positives are" and "what the negatives are" on the ballot.
Wilcox said the substitute also creates the opportunity for a pro and a con argument to appear on the ballot, similar to procedures used for constitutional amendments. "The entire idea behind this bill is to make it very simple for the average citizen who wants to know what it is that they're voting on," he said.
The sponsor noted the League of Cities and Towns endorsed the substitute. With summation waived, the House voted 69 in favor and 1 opposed to pass the third substitute; the bill will be transmitted to the Senate for its consideration.
Supporters framed the change as a transparency measure intended to help ordinary voters understand the practical effects of tax increases or bond proposals. The House did not adopt amendments that would expand the requirement beyond ballot propositions; questions about implementation and exact wording will be resolved in subsequent legislative or administrative work.
The House action sends the narrower, third-substitute version of HB 3 79 to the Senate.
