Amendment B: What's at Stake for Utah Kids

At Voices for Utah Children, we believe Utah families should have a meaningful voice in shaping the future of our state. That is why we have serious concerns about Amendment B, which will appear on Utah ballots on November 3rd.

What Amendment B Would Change

In Utah, citizens have the right to propose new laws themselves. If enough people sign a petition, the proposal goes on the ballot so voters can decide on it directly. This is called a citizen initiative. Right now, for an initiative to pass, it would need more than half of the voters to support it.  

Amendment B would change Utah’s Constitution so that some citizen-initiated tax measures need to receive at least 60% voter approval, rather than the simple majority (more than half of voters) ordinarily required for citizen initiatives.

This higher bar would apply to initiatives that create a new tax, raise an existing tax, or keep property tax rates from dropping as much as they otherwise would (property taxes are a major source of funding for our local schools).

These are the tools that pay for the things communities count on, like schools, health care, and services for families. When Utahns see a need going unmet, a proposal that includes a way to pay for it is often the only kind that can actually solve the problem.

A "Yes" vote on Amendment B adopts the 60% requirement. A "No" vote keeps the current rule that more than half of the voters is enough. 

Why That Difference Matters

Under this proposal, a citizen initiative could win the support of 59% of Utah voters and still fail. For issues involving public revenue, a minority of just 41% could effectively override the will of the majority of Utah citizens. 

Utah does not have to speculate about what a 60% requirement could mean.

In 2018, Utah voters approved Proposition 3, the Utah Decides Healthcare Act, with approximately 53% of the vote. The citizen initiative expanded Medicaid coverage for low-income Utahns and included a sales tax increase to help pay for the expansion.

Under a 60% approval requirement like the one proposed in Amendment B, a measure receiving that same level of voter support would not meet the required threshold.

High Stakes for Utah’s Children

Building a state where every child can thrive requires sustained investments in public education, child care and early learning, children's healthcare and behavioral health, nutrition, and basic family security. 

Future citizen-led initiatives designed to address these critical needs often include a funding mechanism, such as a small tax or other revenue sources.

Under Amendment B, these essential proposals would face an unfairly heightened threshold.

Protecting the People's Voice

Utah’s Constitution explicitly gives legislative power to both the State Legislature and the people of Utah. The initiative process allows Utahns to exercise their power directly when they believe something important needs to change. 

Changing this core process deserves careful scrutiny. 

At Voices for Utah Children, we continually ask one question: Is it good for all kids?

When Utah changes the rules for how citizens enact policy, we must look beyond the next election cycle to consider what those rules mean for the next generation. Utah’s children need us to protect their opportunity to grow up healthy, educated, safe, and economically secure, and to ensure Utah families retain a meaningful voice in building that future. 

We urge Utahns to protect the people's voice by voting No on Amendment B this November.