One of the biggest things to come out this week was the Utah Supreme Court decision that allows Better Boundaries to proceed in its case against the Utah Legislature for its issuance of gerrymandered lines before the 2020 election. It’s clear that the courts side with the people to say that we are not beholden to the special interests of legislators who seek to tie up districting in such a way that it favors their party, or their own election. Although the case has yet to have a final decision, it now has support to proceed with the validation of the Utah Supreme Court. In Utah, we have experienced a demonstration of the powers of balance between branches.
Responses from Republicans in the Utah Legislature fall flat. House Speaker Mike Schultz and Rep. Jordan Teuscher decry the Supreme Court’s decision, stating that it would be in our better interests to be served by the better judgements of elected officials, that the interests of the elected should trump the egalitarian principles our nation was founded on. Their response has been rightly criticized on social media as legally false, pretentious, and willfully ignorant.
At the same time this week, Governor Cox stated that “Disagree Better” is working at the National Governors Association. “We’ve gotten really, really good at tearing things down,” Cox told attendees gathered at The Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City. “We need more builders. And that’s exactly what we’re trying to do.” (Deseret.com) If he’s serious, one of the most significant acts that a governor can do is to support fair districts to achieve more ideal representation of voter populations.
If we are to disagree better, we need a voice. If we are to disagree better, we need to be able to elect legislators who will represent the issues and address the causes that are important to us.
I look forward to hearing from you.