The Utah Supreme Court has ruled that the state Legislature overstepped its authority when it changed a ballot initiative that set up an independent redistricting commission and instead drew up its own political maps, which plaintiffs argued went against the voters’ will.
Five Utah Supreme Court justices ruled unanimously on July 11 that the contested map that was approved by the state’s GOP-led Legislature stripped power from the commission, which was tasked to ensure that congressional boundaries were drawn in a way that didn’t favor any particular political party.
The justices wrote in their opinion that the Utah Constitution grants citizens the power to reshape their government through processes like ballot initiatives that the Legislature cannot block….