The public comment period for the proposed new district maps for Utah is open! In 2018, Proposition 4 was voted into law by the citizens of Utah via a ballot initiative driven by Better Boundaries. The legislature has yet to comply with the law, and in 2020 attempted to introduce replacement legislation SB 200 with their own language.
MWEG (Mormon Women for Ethical Governance) and LWV (League of Women Voters) sued the legislature for this in 2022, and in late August 2025, the courts decided in favor of the plaintiffs that the legislature was not complying with Utah’s Constitution regarding the right of the people of Utah to make legislation. This is a big victory for all Utahns!
On September 22nd and 24th, the legislature held public hearings and presented five committee options for the new maps (A-E) and one minority caucus option (Escamilla/Owens). Public comment runs until Oct. 5, with a special session on Oct. 6 to select a map for the court to review. On September 22nd, the legislature also introduced another bill attempting to narrow the definition and evaluation of fair maps: Senator Brammer’s bill “Redistricting Standards (2025 First Special Session)” 0023.hv.5 DRAFT.
Here are some calls to action regarding this issue:
First, comment on the proposed maps (which you can find online). Keep it nonpartisan and anchored to Prop 4’s criteria: minimize city/county splits, keep districts compact and contiguous, preserve communities of interest, respect natural boundaries, and draw districts a candidate can realistically travel. For those of us in southern Utah, stapling large pieces of Salt Lake to rural districts reliably shifts campaign attention north.
If we want rural voices heard, keep southern Utah intact and avoid tying it to the Wasatch Front. Having a perfect comment is not important, just participating is; that lets our legislature know we’re paying attention and care about getting fair representation. Better Boundaries has some guidelines online regarding how to evaluate maps. Keep your comments non-partisan, or they will be rejected as per the criteria of Proposition 4.
Second, tell your elected leaders to reject any attempt to narrow the criteria of Prop 4 to a single formula. Brammer’s bill would lock Utah to one partisan-bias test which risks entrenching past partisan biases. Prop 4 says to use the “best available methods,” plural, because tools improve and blind spots get discovered over time. In Grand County, you should contact Sen. David P. Hinkins (SD-26), Rep. Logan J. Monson (HD-69), and Governor Spencer J. Cox.
Remind them that the prior attempt of SB 200 to water down the citizens voice on Prop 4 has been struck down by the courts, and that this one may be as well. Sen. Brammer argues that this is to ease the burden of evaluating the maps when they change (rather than bringing in a judge), but that is very infrequent (normally every 10 years), and it’s reasonable to bring a judge in every time to ensure that Utah’s Constitution is complied with. Utah’s constitution protects the people’s voice, and our laws and maps should reflect that.
Finally, if this is interesting to you, consider joining Mormon Women for Ethical Governance or the League of Women Voters, as they both have been working tirelessly to ensure that Utahns have fair representation. Feel free to contact me with any questions or comments.
Everett Hildebrandt
Moab
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