NextFin news, Salt Lake County, Utah — On Friday, September 19, 2025, Judge Dianna M. Gibson of the Third Judicial District Court issued a ruling granting summary judgment to plaintiffs in a landmark case challenging the Utah Legislature’s repeal of a voter-approved redistricting reform initiative.
The case arose from the Legislature’s 2020 enactment of Senate Bill 200 (S.B. 200), which repealed Proposition 4, a 2018 citizen initiative known as the Utah Independent Redistricting Commission and Standards Act. Proposition 4 had established mandatory redistricting standards and procedures designed to prohibit partisan gerrymandering and create an independent commission to recommend redistricting plans.
Judge Gibson found that the Legislature’s repeal of Proposition 4 and replacement with S.B. 200 unconstitutionally impaired the people’s fundamental right under Article I, Section 2 of the Utah Constitution to alter or reform their government through the initiative process. The court ruled that Proposition 4 was a valid exercise of the people’s legislative power and that redistricting is a legislative function shared coequally by the Legislature and the people.
The court held that S.B. 200 removed the core reforms of Proposition 4, including mandatory redistricting standards, the prohibition on partisan gerrymandering, binding procedures on the Legislature, and an enforcement mechanism allowing citizens to challenge redistricting plans. S.B. 200 instead gave the Legislature discretion to ignore redistricting standards and eliminated the requirement to consider or vote on commission-recommended maps.
Judge Gibson concluded that the repeal and replacement were not narrowly tailored to advance a compelling government interest, rejecting the Legislature’s arguments that the changes were necessary to ensure constitutionality, timely enactment of maps, representation of all Utahns, or fiscal health. The court found these justifications speculative and insufficient.
As a remedy, the court declared S.B. 200 void ab initio, reinstating Proposition 4 as the controlling law on redistricting in Utah. The court enjoined the use of the current congressional map enacted under S.B. 200, House Bill 2004 (H.B. 2004), in future elections, finding it was enacted under an unconstitutional framework.
The Legislature was ordered to enact a new congressional redistricting map in compliance with Proposition 4’s mandatory standards by September 24, 2025. The court retained jurisdiction to oversee the process and scheduled a timeline for submission of proposed maps, public comment, and an evidentiary hearing in early October 2025.
The ruling emphasized that the people of Utah hold the sovereign power to reform their government and that the Legislature, as the people’s agent, cannot override or nullify that power. The court cited foundational principles from the Utah Constitution and U.S. Supreme Court precedent affirming that state legislatures must abide by state constitutional constraints and that the people’s initiative power is coequal with the Legislature’s lawmaking authority.
This decision marks a significant affirmation of direct democracy rights in Utah and a rebuke of legislative efforts to dilute voter-approved redistricting reforms. It sets a precedent for enforcing anti-gerrymandering measures and ensuring transparent, accountable redistricting processes.
Judge Gibson’s full 76-page opinion details extensive legal analysis of constitutional provisions, legislative history, and prior case law, concluding that the Legislature’s actions violated the Utah Constitution and must be remedied by reinstating Proposition 4 and enjoining the current congressional map.
The case was brought by the League of Women Voters of Utah and other plaintiffs seeking to protect the integrity of the redistricting process and uphold the will of Utah voters. The defendants included the Utah State Legislature and legislative leaders.
The court’s order requires the Legislature to submit a compliant remedial map by September 24, 2025, with opportunities for public and plaintiff submissions and objections, followed by a court hearing to finalize the map in time for the 2026 election cycle.
This ruling follows the Utah Supreme Court’s 2024 decision in League of Women Voters of Utah v. Utah State Legislature, which established the strict scrutiny standard applied by the district court in evaluating the impairment of the people’s right to reform government.
The legislative defendants have opposed the ruling and argued for deference to legislative discretion, but the court found their arguments insufficient to justify overriding the constitutional rights of Utah voters.
The decision underscores the constitutional principle that the people’s legislative power cannot be nullified by subsequent legislative acts that repeal voter-approved laws without narrowly tailored justification.
As of September 19, 2025, the ruling is in effect, and the Legislature must comply with the court’s directives to ensure redistricting in Utah adheres to the standards and procedures enacted by the people through Proposition 4.
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