Keeping our eye on national and local.
January 26, 2025
It has been a bit stunning to experience the simultaneous beginnings of a new U.S. administration and the 2025 Utah State Legislature. Your league, however, is up to the task.
Our LWVUS is watching the administration to carefully assess threats to democracy, election administration, voting rights, reproductive freedoms, immigration, the ERA and attacks on DEI and the LGBTQIA+ communities. We will be hearing more from them as the administration settles in. Be sure to follow the U.S. League on League in Action (https://www.lwv.org/league-action-outreachcircle) to be ready for critical advocacy alerts.
Our own Legislative Action Corps jumped in with immediate concerns for the citizen initiative process. We have testified against a bill requiring initiative sponsors to prepare fiscal impact statements. Other attacks on initiatives are coming up, including an amendment to the constitution that would require approval from a higher percentage of voters.
We are watching a number of election bills, including one that would extend the ranked choice voting pilot program. Our Natural Resources committee is monitoring water, air, and public lands bills, even after the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear Utah’s call to take over federal lands.
Cynthia Phillips, the LAC director, will be gathering observer reports for a Happenings on the Hill article. We welcome all members of the League to join us to cover the legislative session. Be sure to check out our Legislative Bill Tracker online here (https://www.lwvutah.org/2025-legislative-session) for bills of interest.
We encourage each of you as citizens to contact your representatives about issues important to you. We know they listen to their constituents more than anyone.
We are expecting consensus soon on a study of the Utah Fits All Scholarship program, as well as a national study on the federal judiciary. And finally, we are going back to court this month as we defend fair redistricting. If you remember, the Utah Supreme Court ruled in our favor and has sent us back to District Court to decide the mechanics of redistricting.
Thank you for being our eyes and ears while we defend our enduring democracy.
— Katharine Biele, LWV Utah President
