Utah voters delivered a decisive rebuke to a measure that would have raised the approval bar for tax‑related initiatives, while endorsing a modest update to amendment publishing rules.
Key points
- Utah voters rejected Amendment B by a wide margin, keeping the 50% threshold for tax‑related ballot initiatives.
- The opposition campaign against Amendment B was heavily financed by The Fairness Project, outspending supporters by more than tenfold.
- Amendment A, which updates how amendment texts are published, passed with modest support and faces no major opposition.
- Only two Utah initiatives have ever achieved a 60% vote share, highlighting the rarity of such a supermajority requirement.
Unofficial results posted shortly after polls closed on Nov. 3 showed Amendment B trailing 71% to 29%, while Amendment A led 53% to 47%, according to the Salt Lake Tribune (www.sltrib.com). The stark contrast marked a clear victory for the measure that would simplify how constitutional amendments are published.
Amendment B, sponsored by Sen. Lincoln Fillmore (R‑South Jordan), sought to require a 60% supermajority for any ballot initiative that raises taxes. Proponents argued it would shield Utah families from out‑of‑state groups pushing tax hikes, whereas opponents, including the group Utahns Protecting Our Constitution, warned it would cripple grassroots initiatives that have been part of the state constitution since 1900.
Amendment B: A 60% Threshold for Tax Initiatives
The campaign against Amendment B was fueled largely by a $1.7 million outlay from The Fairness Project, a Washington, D.C.–based nonprofit that has historically funded pro‑worker and ballot‑access causes. By contrast, supporters of the amendment raised roughly $120,000, with Americans for Prosperity contributing about $100,000 and the Taxpayer Shield PAC (linked to the Utah Taxpayers Association) adding $20,000. Both The Fairness Project and Americans for Prosperity operate as “dark‑money” groups that are not required to disclose donors.
Amendment A faced little organized opposition. It would amend the constitution to let the legislature publish the text of proposed amendments on state websites or through other means it deems appropriate, replacing the long‑standing requirement that the text appear in newspapers. The change follows a 2024 Utah Supreme Court decision that invalidated two amendments for failing to meet the newspaper‑publication rule.
Amendment A: Modernizing Publication Requirements
Since the initiative power was added to Utah’s constitution in 1900, voters have approved seven ballot measures, including Medicaid expansion, a ban on partisan gerrymandering, and medical‑marijuana legalization in 2018. Only two past initiatives have ever cleared a 60% threshold, underscoring how rare such a supermajority requirement would be. Had Amendment B passed, the Medicaid expansion and medical‑marijuana measures—both of which barely exceeded 50%—would have needed the higher bar.
The defeat of Amendment B keeps the existing 50% approval rule for tax‑raising initiatives intact, preserving the ability of future grassroots campaigns to succeed without a supermajority. Meanwhile, the passage of Amendment A modernizes the publication process, potentially reducing legal challenges over newspaper compliance.
Reader questions
What would Amendment B have changed?
It would have required a 60% supermajority for any citizen‑initiated measure that raises taxes, raising the approval bar from the current simple majority.
Who funded the campaign against Amendment B?
The Fairness Project contributed about $1.7 million, while supporters of the amendment raised roughly $120,000 from groups such as Americans for Prosperity and the Taxpayer Shield PAC.
What does Amendment A do?
Amendment A allows the Utah legislature to publish the full text of proposed constitutional amendments on state websites or by other methods it chooses, replacing the mandatory newspaper publication requirement.
Source: sltrib.com