better utah | Alliance for a Better Utah

How Legislators Voted on Amendment D

Elizabeth Hutchings October 2, 2024

Back in August, lawmakers misused emergency powers to call a “special session” in the August Interim Session. This resulted in lawmakers proposing a constitutional amendment to overturn the recent Supreme Court decision by adding language that gives not only the state Legislature, but also local legislative bodies, the unrestricted right to amend or repeal initiatives approved by voters: Constitutional

What is Utah’s Amendment D & Why is it Important?

Chase Thomas September 16, 2024

UPDATE (9/26/24): On Wednesday, September 25, the Utah Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision upholding the lower court’s ruling that Amendment D is void. The justices of the Supreme Court held that the language of Amendment D did not accurately describe the proposed constitutional amendment when the ballot summary was written by the Speaker Mike

“Vote Them Out” – Alliance for a Better Utah Celebrates the Ruling on Amendment D Lawsuit

Elizabeth Hutchings September 12, 2024

Salt Lake City, UT – Third District Court Judge Dianna Gibson ruled in favor of plaintiffs this morning, after hearing arguments in an expedited hearing yesterday afternoon. The ruling means that Amendment D may still appear on the ballot with the current language, but if it does, the votes will not be counted. Jeff Merchant,

Alliance For Better Utah Calls for Accountability From Legislators Over Amendment D

Elizabeth Hutchings September 10, 2024

Salt Lake City, UT – Alliance for a Better Utah, the SLC-based political accountability group, issued the following statement in support of the lawsuit to remove Amendment D from the Utah ballot this November. Jeff Merchant, Executive Director for Alliance for a Better Utah, issued the following statement: “We have seen an unprecedented level of

Press Release: Better Utah Celebrates Supreme Court Abortion Case Decision

Better Utah August 1, 2024

Salt Lake City, UT – The Utah Supreme Court today held that a lawsuit brought by Planned Parenthood Association of Utah (PPAU) against Utah’s abortion trigger law can move forward with an injunction in place. The limited decision in Planned Parenthood Association of Utah v. State of Utah et al. means that Utahns can continue

g3f182b1a03704a331bb889ed141d4782503fc66d899fccac3e0fa59a6894ed3d5bd3a7133fabcd3b6af8409ac65ee0ac_1280-83526.jpg

Public Olympic funding should be transparent for Utahns

Chase Thomas June 13, 2024

Most people understand the notion that nothing is truly free. The free meals and other perks in that fancy office at work could be translated into larger paychecks. The store promotion is almost certainly being covered by higher prices because businesses have to make a profit. So why then do we so often fall for

Lawmakers must do more to prevent gun violence

Paul Florence August 22, 2023

Firearms are the leading cause of death among children and teens in Utah. This disturbing fact underscores the need for more effective gun control laws in our state. However, due to a twisted interpretation of the Second Amendment, our state lawmakers refuse to act on gun violence prevention. Instead of continuing to move in the

Combating activist burnout

Hannah Koford Adams August 24, 2022

There’s a lot going on right now. Every day there seems to be another January 6th hearing to watch or protest to attend. Between the overturn of Roe and escalating concern about climate change, this is a summer like no other. As an organization, we’re aware of how easy it is to become overwhelmed. We

Skipping debates is bad for democracy

Hannah Koford Adams July 1, 2022

Have you heard? Skipping debates is the new summer trend. Jeff Gray, a candidate for Utah County Attorney General, said that he would not participate in a debate organized by the ACLU because the organization is ‘too liberal.’ In early June, Mike Lee’s two strongest opponents stood on a debate stage without the incumbent standing

Wrapping Up the 2022 Legislative Session: Good Government

Chase Thomas April 27, 2022

This is Part IV of a four-part series looking at the good, the bad, and the ugly of the 2022 General Session of the Utah State Legislature. This is by no means a comprehensive guide to the session, but rather a quick glance at the highlights (and lowlights) of what happened this year on Capitol

Tag: better utah