2026 is going to be another politically charged election year, the foundation of which is being laid now. Amendment D was made void by the Utah Supreme Court yesterday, but expectations are that we’ll see it resurface in 2026. Another impactful decision made this week is for a district court hearing date of April 2026 to decide the suit on Utah’s abortion ban. This means that the injunction that allows abortion up to 18 weeks will remain in place through April 2026 when the case is heard. The other big issue that will carry over to the next election is the August decision by the Utah Supreme Court to allow a lower district court to rule on Redistricting, which is expected to pass.

Here’s What to Expect

Supermajority leadership is probably freaking out right now. You can expect four things to come from them in the next two years:

1. Amendment D is not going away. At the soonest opportunity, it will come back as a ballot initiative in 2026 if the current leaders can make it happen. Republican leadership wants to change the Utah constitution to limit the will of the people, and effectively neuter Citizen Initiatives by allowing the legislature to override successful ballot measures.
2. As a result of recent court decisions, the legislature will also look at ways it can reduce or limit judicial authority. They aren’t happy that their over-reach was checked. Their contempt is obvious in recent letters that unfairly admonish the courts, who reminded the legislature that they are accountable for government over-reach.
3. The 2025 general session is expected to be filled with bills that introduce additional bans on abortion. These bills will attempt to affect the injunction in some way
4. Once the redistricting suit is settled (expect that the lower courts will judge in favor of redistricting, and that will be appealed to the Utah Supreme Court), the legislature will do everything in its capacity to delay the redistricting process. A new independent redistricting commission will have to be set up and funded. New maps will be proposed, and the supermajority will drag its feet to make sure that the redistricting doesn’t happen before the 2026 election cycle. It’s very likely that we’ll have to submit another lawsuit against the Utah legislature to implement the court decision in time for new boundaries to be published for 2026 elections.

The supermajority in our Utah legislature believes that it isn’t beholden to anyone, and they have plans to keep scrapping with everyone, picking fights with the Feds, picking fights with Utah courts, and picking fights with Utah voters. Their goal is autocratic power for their vindictive, thin-skinned, power-hungry coalition of legislators. But we can stop them.

Vote Them Out

We are at the end of the 2024 election cycle, but the most important act you can do as a citizen is still pending – to vote up and down the ballot. Be informed, know the candidates, and vote for all of the races on your ballot, and be willing to vote out the bad actors who are actively working against the interests of We, the People.

• Teuscher is a protege of the legislative supermajority, and needs to be voted out. He is a primary sponsor of copy/paste legislation that works against the freedoms of Utah voters, and he was the floor sponsor of the bill for Amendment D that would have stripped our voter rights. We need to unseat people like him and fill those seats with candidates who will defend our rights and keep us free of the kind of government interference that we are seeing from them.
• Talk to your neighbors about important votes that will appear on the ballot, and make sure they know what’s at stake in this election. If you need talking points, you can refer to https://green4utah.vote/decision-time/
• If you have time, volunteer with a campaign at https://mobilize.us/utahdemocrats, or contact Utah State Democrats or Salt Lake County Democrats to find ways that you can help.

Stay Engaged

We are winning battles, but the fight isn’t over.

• Support groups like Alliance for a Better Utah, Better Boundaries, ACLU Utah, League of Women Voters in Utah, Utah Education Association, and Planned Parenthood of Utah for the fights that they are bringing to the courts on our behalf.
• Get involved – to be a Democrat in Utah means that you have to be active, and you have to make your voice heard. We need individuals who are dedicated, who can engage the party, become delegates, train to become candidates, and are committed to running in future elections. This has to start NOW to be qualified and ready.
• Engage with active bills – you can follow legislation at https://le.utah.gov/bills/bills_By_Session.jsp. Learn who your legislators are, how to engage them, and how to testify when bills are being debated on the floor.

None of this is easy, but it matters greatly to be involved and to be part of positive change. If we don’t fight to defend our rights, and if we don’t actively engage, then we give ground.

I started this article with a video of one of my favorite bands Sirsy playing “Revolution”.
Make it take an army to back you down / ‘Cause life’s marching on it’s not waiting ‘round/ So get up, get off it, and break some ground / Make your own revolution

Don’t lose the focus. When we fight, we win.

Let me say it again. When we fight. we win.

Now let’s go fight.