What just happened with "Amendment D"?
We've got you covered
It’s time we confront an uncomfortable truth: Utah’s Republican supermajority isn’t just an embarrassment—it’s an exercise in bad governance. It’s like the GOP is playing a perverse game of chicken with the voters, all while voters just want a normal government.
Look at their recent “greatest hits”: a school voucher program that sucks the money out of public education (almost as much as they suck in real life), a brutal six-week abortion ban that nobody asked for, and their gutting of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives—barely three years after signing the Utah Compact on Racial Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. Yes, you read that right.
Now let’s talk about the recent debacle, Amendment D. This was passed by the Republican legislature after a last-minute special session. No Democrat voted for it. Not a single one. It was a thinly veiled attempt to strip citizens of their right to fight back through ballot initiatives. The Utah Supreme Court took one look and rightfully swatted it down. The ruling was a win for democracy, not just the Democrats.
Utah’s Republican legislators are like that bad roommate who ignores everyone, messes up the place, and never cleans up their mess. Take Candice Pierucci and Kirk Cullimore’s school voucher bill. Poll after poll shows Utahns don’t want taxpayer dollars funneled into private schools. What do Republicans do? Pass it anyway, seemingly out of spite.
Same goes for the six-week abortion ban—another wildly unpopular law from a party that doesn’t care what the majority thinks. Oh, and let’s not forget their obsession with policing bathrooms and banning diversity initiatives. It’s like the GOP found a manual on “How to Make Utah Worse” and is working through it step by step.
The problem is that this unchecked GOP machine keeps passing laws that nobody but the far-right wants, all because they’ve rigged the game. They’ve gerrymandered their districts so perfectly that they never have to worry about losing their seats.
This brings us back to why local elections matter more than you might think. State legislative races are where the action happens. Republicans have used every trick in the book to secure a stranglehold on power. But thanks to our courts—shoutout to the Utah Supreme Court—Amendment D has been buried, and their dreams of gerrymandering the entire state into submission are looking bleak. Redistricting is now on the horizon, and Republicans won’t be able to redraw the maps in their favor like they’re used to.
Let’s be real, the Republican supermajority has overstayed its welcome. They’ve turned a laboratory of democracy to a laboratory of horror, testing out extreme bills that don’t represent the people and doing whatever their buddy ALEC tells them to. But the tide is turning. The state is growing, becoming more diverse, and people are fed up. They want leaders who listen to them, not just the same group of GOP insiders passing laws that make Utah a national punchline.
The recent ruling on Amendment D was a much-needed slap in the face to the GOP’s overreach. It was a reminder that the judiciary is still here, acting as a safeguard against authoritarian tendencies. But we shouldn’t have to rely on the courts to fix everything. We need lawmakers who understand checks and balances, who can rein in their own party when it gets out of control.
Utah is changing—growing, diversifying, and getting more politically engaged. The days of the Republican supermajority are numbered. The more competitive our elections become, the more real accountability we’ll see. It’s not just about electing more Democrats—it’s about restoring some balance and sanity to our state government. Without it, we’ll continue to be stuck in this nightmare of unpopular, extreme legislation driven by the fringes of the GOP.
This is where you come in. Local elections are where the magic happens. If we want to stop this endless cycle of terrible policy-making, we need to show up at the ballot box. Elevate PAC has already given $25,000 to support strong state legislative candidates in top targeted races. We need more candidates who will listen to the people, not just the party insiders, and we need your help to make that happen.
It’s time to put an end to this Republican supermajority’s reign of bad decisions. Let’s elect lawmakers who actually care about what Utahns want, not just what they can get away with.
Also, donate to some super cool candidates: https://app.oath.vote/set?p=utah
Elevate PAC is working to eliminate single-party control at all levels of our state’s government by elevating inspirational leaders, activating the new Utah majority, and centering our shared values and common purpose.
Our blueprint is to recruit and train candidates, invest early, support strategically, and build relationships.
Paid for by Elevate PAC
I’ve already turned my pocket s inside out for candidates that we know can win if they run good campaigns. You are right about everything that you said. Who are you and why are you working on Utah politics from San Francisco?