Victory is not won overnight. Democracy with all its promise is not maintained easily. And the recent Utah Supreme Court ruling on redistricting is a case in point: The citizens of Utah can be reassured that their voices are heard, and that their right to demand fair political districts is preserved so that voters can pick their politicians, not the other way around.
Proposition 4 — the statewide initiative passed in 2018 — was the means to that end and now the Utah Supreme Court reaffirms the citizens’ constitutional right to alter the form of our government. Its unanimous decision holds that “the people’s right to alter or reform the government through an initiative is constitutionally protected from government infringement, including legislative amendment, repeal or replacement of the initiative in a manner that impairs the reform enacted by the people.”
The lawsuit filed by the League of Women Voters of Utah and Mormon Women for Ethical Government maintains that the Legislature ignored the will of the voters and created an illegal partisan gerrymander. Utah is, of course, a very Republican state but gerrymandering happens throughout the country as parties seek to maintain their hold on power — and it’s wrong no matter which party does it.
The current division of Salt Lake County into four congressional districts not only dilutes the county’s voting power but disenfranchises its voters. Fair maps simply allow citizens whose voices have long been silenced a means to participate in their government.
As the decennial census approached in 2018, Utahns knew their political boundaries would be redrawn. Utah’s population, from migration and natural increase, had grown 18.4% by 2020. The League of Women Voters joined with allies in an effort to ensure voter district boundaries would be fairly drawn — that communities weren’t split, for instance, to protect incumbents or keep political parties in power.
To help explain redistricting, the League in 2018 sponsored a 5K called the “Gerry-meander” to show how political boundaries had been drawn in odd and purposeful ways.
Prior to Prop 4, the Utah Legislature assumed it had the power to gerrymander districts, but the constitution asserts “All political power is inherent in the people; and . . . they have the right to alter or reform their government as the public welfare may require.”
The conflict meant that a referendum seemed the only way to effect a change, and that could only be achieved through a citizen’s initiative. Existing law required 134,298 signatures be collected in 26 of the 29 state senate districts.
Volunteers with Better Boundaries walked throughout state districts to collect signatures for a citizen’s initiative calling for an independent redistricting commission, collecting more than 190,000 signatures to place the question on the ballot.
The Legislature, fearing an onslaught of laws crafted through initiative, has made the signature process increasingly difficult, even passing a recent law to allow signers to withdraw their names from petitions.
Ultimately, the initiative created an independent redistricting commission which conducted meetings around the state and presented the Legislature with dozens of congressional and state legislative maps. The Legislature instead convened its own redistricting committee, discarded the commission’s maps and repealed the intent of the initiative.
Lawmakers relegated the independent commission to a toothless advisory role, ignoring the will of the people and independent committee recommendations.
The court ruling leaves legislative leaders unhappy, and also predicting that the decision sets Utah up to become another California as wealthy, out-of-state special interests create mayhem.
As a grassroots effort, this initiative was not driven by monied interests from outside Utah. It was driven by “we the people” of Utah. This legislative course correction was driven by average Utah citizens who signed the petition and voted for redistricting. It remains a win for all Utahns.
Katharine Biele has been president of the League of Women Voters of Utah since 2022.
Katharine Biele has been president of the League of Women Voters of Utah since 2022. She has been communications director for the state league, and president of the Salt Lake League. She is a journalist by profession, working in the Far East, in Alabama and in Utah.
Catherine Weller is a redistricting liaison for the League of Women Voters of Utah.
Catherine Weller is a redistricting liaison for the League of Women Voters of Utah. She lives and co-owns and operates a small family business in Salt Lake County.
Wendy Molteni is a past development director for the League of Women Voters of Utah.
Wendy Molteni is a past development director for the League of Women Voters of Utah and serves on the Redistricting Committee. She attended all of the Legislative Redistricting Committee hearings.
Gigi Brandt is a 57-year member of the League of Women Voters of Utah.
Gigi Brandt is a 57-year member of the League of Women Voters of Utah. She has worked on redistricting issues for over 25 years.
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