CASE SUMMARY
On March 16, 2022, a coalition of non-profit organizations and Utah voters filed a lawsuit against the Utah State Legislature, the Utah Legislative Redistricting Committee, the state's Lieutenant Governor, and various state legislators challenging the state's enacted congressional redistricting plan as an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander. Plaintiffs allege the plan was designed to disproportionately favor Republicans and disfavor Democrats in violation of the Utah Constitution's Free Elections Clause (art. I, Section 17), Equal Protection rights (art. I, Sections 2 and 24), Free Speech and Association rights (art. I, Sections 1 and 15), and voting rights protections (art. IV, Section 2). Additionally, plaintiffs assert that the state legislature violated the Utah Constitution's citizen lawmaking authority under article I, Section 2 and article VI, Section 1 by repealing the redistricting reforms enacted via ballot initiative "Proposition 4," which included the transfer of redistricting authority to an independent commission and mandatory anti-gerrymandering redistricting standards. They are seeking a judicial declaration that the enacted plan is unconstitutional and the legislature's repeal of Proposition 4 exceeded their constitutional authority, an injunction barring the defendants from using the plan in the 2024 primary and general elections and barring the enforcement of the act which repealed Proposition 4, and a court order establishing a deadline for the state to enact a constitutional plan or for the court to impose one in the event the state fails to do so in a timely manner.
CASE LIBRARY
Utah District Court, Salt Lake County - No. 220901712
- Complaint - 3/16/22
- Defendants' Joint Motion to Stay and Memorandum in Support - 7/21/22
- Ruling and Order Denying Defendants' Joint Motion to Stay - 8/22/22
- Summary Ruling Denying in Part and Granting in Part Defendants' Motion to Dismiss - 10/24/22
Supreme Court of the State of Utah - No. 20220991-SC
- Petition for Permission to Appeal an Interlocutory Order - 11/14/22
- Brief of Petitioners - 3/31/23
- Opening Brief of LWV of Utah - 3/31/23
- Notice of Oral Argument - 4/6/23
- Brief of Amicus Curiae The Honest Elections Project in Support of Reversal - 4/7/23
- Amicus Curiae Brief of Ballot Initiative Strategy Center in Support of Appellees and Cross-Appellants (Plaintiffs) - 4/7/23
- Brief of Amicus Curiae Representatives [...] in Support of Reversal - 4/7/23
- Response Brief of League of Women Voters of Utah [...] - 5/12/23
- Addenda to Response Brief of League of Women Voters of Utah [...] Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 - 5/12/23
- Amicus Curiae Brief of Professor Bertrall Ross in Support of Plaintiffs-Respondents [...] - 5/19/23
- Amicus Brief of Political Science Professors Supporting Appellees and Cross-Appellants and Affirmance - 5/19/23
- Brief of Professor Charles Fried as Amicus Curiae in Support of Reversal of the District Court Decision - 5/19/23
- Brief of Amicus Curiae Common Cause in Support of Reversal - 5/19/23
- Brief of Bipartisan Former Governors [...] Supporting Plaintiffs-Respondents - 5/19/23
- Brief of Rural Utah Project [...] in Support of Appellees/Cross-Appellants - 5/19/23
- Brief of Amici Curiae ACLU and ACLU of Utah in Support of Respondents - 5/19/23
- Amicus Curiae Brief of the Brennan Center [...] in Support of Respondents and Affirmance - 5/19/23
- Brief of Respondents Utah State Legislature - 5/19/23
- Order - 5/25/23
- Reply Brief of League of Women Voters of Utah [...] - 6/16/23
- Reply Brief of Petitioners - 6/16/23
- Supplemental Briefing Order - 7/13/23
- Notice of Supplemental Authority - 7/14/23
- Notice of Supplemental Authority - 12/4/23