Court grants permanent injunction against Constitutional Amendment A
Oct 9, 2024, 2:03 PM | Updated: 2:39 pm
This photo shows the Utah State Capitol, March 14, 2013, in Salt Lake City. (Rick Bowmer/Associated Press)
(Rick Bowmer/Associated Press)
SALT LAKE CITY — A court has granted a permanent injunction against Amendment A in the upcoming November election. While it will appear on the ballot, the results of voting are voided.
The proposed amendment, if approved by voters, would have approved the Utah Constitution to remove the requirement that income taxes be used to fund public education. State lawmakers wanted to have more latitude with the state’s budget instead of being obligated to use income taxes directly on education.
Utah’s Education Association sought the injunction, statinging any amendment has a requirement to be published in newspapers before it can be voted on. After a Utah Supreme Court ruling that voided Amendment D from the ballot on the same grounds, the 3rd Judicial Court issued the injunction Wednesday. The court found that the same circumstances and ruling voided Amendment A for the same reason.
The same amendment would have, after years of pressure, remove food sales tax in Utah. In 2023 the Utah Legislature passed HB54 on the condition voters approve the constitutional amendment allowing income tax to be used for items other than education, programs for children and people with disabilities.
The court said because of the ruling with newspapers, it didn’t need to decide other claims about the amendment.
“The Court orders that the Lieutenant Governor and the various County Clerks shall not publish or release the tabulation results of votes cast for or against Amendment A to anyone,” the ruling states.
Read the full story and more from Larry D. Curtis at KSLTV.com
