The 66th Legislature Winds Down
March 3, 2025
As we wind down to the final gavel of the 66th Legislature, make no mistake — our work has just begun.
I can’t tell you how proud I am of our Legislative Action Corps whose members monitored and testified at countless committee hearings. Our social media videos were widely distributed and viewed, giving the public a look at the inner workings of the League and the positions we have studied and advocated for. And thank you for reaching out to your representatives.
While there were some glimmers of hope, it appears lawmakers are determined to pass laws where they are not needed. We likely will be fighting to preserve our popular vote-by-mail system. Lawmakers insist they are “compromising” on bills to enhance ballot integrity, while there is little evidence of any wrongdoing.
We will also continue to stand behind the voters’ right to citizen initiatives. The legislature is trying to make them almost impossible to pass by adding a 60% vote threshold. Lawmakers also intend to force citizens to note how they would fund initiatives, and then to spend $1.4 million to publicize them.
To be clear, the legislature is confusing our lawsuit over gerrymandering with other citizen initiatives. Our lawsuit, League of Women Voters of Utah v. Utah State Legislature, was a move to change the form of government. The Utah Constitution gives citizens this right, and protects the initiative from repeal. All other citizen initiatives are subject to legislative revision.
Our lawsuit is now in the hands of the District Court, which should rule soon on how we move forward.
Watch for a constitutional amendment from the legislature to take away citizen power and trust us to help you navigate the waters.
The League of Women Voters of Utah was recently honored by Utah Global Diplomacy at Diplomacy Day on the Hill. We will also be honored by the Salt Lake City Council on Tuesday, March 4 at 7 p.m. We invite members to join us for this presentation in advance of International Women’s Day, March 8.
Our national LWV has been advocating against the undemocratic actions in Washington, D.C. CEO Celina Stewart sent out a statement in response to the administration’s “Gutting of Civil Rights Offices. LWV has added a Take Action page, too. Please check it out. Leagues around the country are hosting Light for Our Democracy rallies on Tuesday, March 4 during the State of the Union address. We are asking members to contact their representatives during that time. LWV will be releasing a video from our CEO on the State of Democracy on March 5.
Stay with us in these final days of the legislature. Keep checking our Bill Tracker . And along with our ally coalitions, we are planning a rally at the Capitol on March 10.
— Katharine Biele, LWV Utah President
