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Utah Senate advances bill shifting chief justice selection to governor after heated debate
Summary
The Senate passed first substitute Senate Bill 109 on a 15‑13 vote to replace internal selection of the Utah Supreme Court chief justice with gubernatorial appointment to a six‑year term; supporters called it a needed check, opponents said it threatens judicial independence.
The Utah Senate advanced first substitute Senate Bill 109 after an extended floor debate that split the chamber 15‑13, with one senator absent. The measure would change the process for selecting the chief justice of the Utah Supreme Court from an election by the justices to appointment by the governor for a six‑year term timed to begin opposite the governor’s term.
Sponsor Senator Scott Jenkins argued the current internal election process “poisons the well” among justices and creates longstanding animosity, saying the substitute lengthens the chief justice’s term to six years and staggers it to reduce turnover tied to gubernatorial cycles. “Allowing the governor to select the chief justice, I believe, is…
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