SALT LAKE CITY — Hundreds rallied on Utah's Capitol Hill, urging voters to reject a proposed constitutional amendment on citizen ballot initiatives.
A coalition of groups came together on Monday to launch a formal campaign opposing the amendment, which the Utah State Legislature voted last week in a special session to put before voters. The amendment — which FOX 13 News confirmed will appear as Amendment D on the ballot — has not yet received formal language. But it has fired up groups on the left and right.
"As you can see? Folks are quite activated," said Katie Wright, the executive director of Better Boundaries, which is among those leading the "vote no" campaign.
Amendment D would undo a Utah Supreme Court ruling that found the legislature overstepped its power when it overrode a citizen ballot initiative on independent redistricting. Republican legislative leaders have warned that without the amendment, Utah would face a flood of citizen ballot initiatives and their hands would be tied to fix problems with any that do pass.
But speakers and rally attendees that FOX 13 News spoke with on Monday feel it's the legislature that's out of order.
"This is clearly a power grab by the state legislature and they’re not going to stand for their rights being taken away," said Melarie Wheat with Mormon Women for Ethical Government, one of the plaintiffs in the original case the Utah Supreme Court ruled on.
About 350 people attended the lunchtime demonstration, according to a count by the Utah Highway Patrol (which provides security and facilitates protests on Capitol Hill).
"I find it amazing we have a whole stack of legislators that stuffed the Supreme Court with their own people and yet don’t like a decision they make," said Pete Orum, who declared his opposition to the amendment.
Clair Barrus said he would not vote for Amendment D.
"This is taking power away from the people and that’s just not the way we ought to do it," he said.
Claudia Wright said she disagreed with the legislature calling itself into a special session to put the amendment on the ballot.
"Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians, whoever you are, a lot of people feel the same way about this," she said. "They should have listened to the people and to have to the audacity and come out and say we’re having an emergency session? This was not an emergency. This was a power grab outright."
The issue could unite groups on the right and left against the legislature. Ron Mortensen, who has worked on initiatives and referendums in the past, told FOX 13 News he has seen some conservative groups gearing up to oppose the amendment.
"There’s a large group of conservatives out there right now, if you watch Facebook and other things, they’re not happy with this. They’re opposed to it. I think it’s going to be conservatives, liberals and others," he said, adding that he has not yet taken a position on the amendment.
Groups lining up for Amendment D include the Utah Republican Party, the Utah Eagle Forum and the Sutherland Institute.
"Utah has benefited from the right balance between the initiative process and the legislative process for over a century. The recent Utah Supreme Court decision incentivizes outside interests to meddle in Utah’s affairs through the initiative process. Unless we act immediately, our state risks following the disastrous path of states like California," Scott Anderson, the former Zions Bank CEO who is among those organizing a campaign in support of the amendment, told FOX 13 News in a statement.
The Salt Lake Chamber, the state's largest business group, said it supports putting the issue before voters. Utah Tech Leads, a political action committee made up of Silicon Slopes companies, said it opposes the amendment.
Better Boundaries was signing up people to campaign against the proposed amendment. People were handing out yard signs that say "Vote No."
"I think the people will vote no to protect their rights," Better Boundaries' Katie Wright told FOX 13 News. "People don’t take it lightly to amend the constitution, and I think they’ll vote with seriousness, and thoughtfulness and no."
