ELECTIONS, POLITICS, & GOVERNMENT
Utah State Bar praises Gov. Cox for vetoing bill on who picks the state’s chief Supreme Court justice
Mar 26, 2025, 3:00 PM
The entrance to the Utah Supreme Court is pictured at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021. (Kristin Murphy/Deseret News)
(Kristin Murphy/Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — Members of the Utah State Bar say they are pleased with Utah Gov. Spencer Cox’s decision to veto SB296, which would have made it so he and state senators would choose the chief justice of the Utah Supreme Court.
Elizabeth Wright, executive director of the Utah State Bar, told KSL NewsRadio they appreciated the governor’s words about maintaining power between the three branches, as well as “The restraint he exercised in vetoing a bill that was going to give him more power. So we appreciate that and respect and value what he said.”
Under current Utah law, the sitting state Supreme Court justices select the chief justice, and that selection is a lifetime appointment. The bill would’ve made it so the governor appointed the chief justice and the Senate would have to confirm that appointment, similar to how the president appoints justices for the U.S. Supreme Court.
The bill would’ve also made it so the chief justice would have to be reappointed every four years. Wright said they felt the chief justice shouldn’t have to go through that or, potentially, “account” for the court’s decisions to the governor and lawmakers.
“The court has to be free to issue decisions without being called on the carpet or summoned in or having to have the Senate have any hand in being able to review those decisions.”
The State Bar initially opposed the legislation, but took a neutral stance on it leading up to its passage by state lawmakers during the general legislative session.
Wright said they never supported the bill; rather, they moved towards a neutral stance because members of the judiciary, including current Utah Supreme Court Chief Justice Matthew Durrant, consulted with lawmakers about several judicial-related bills, including this one.
Utah Senate President Stuart Adams and Utah House Speaker Mike Schultz released a joint statement saying they felt the veto “undermines that good-faith compromise.”
It’s unclear whether lawmakers will attempt to override the governor’s veto, but the statement from Adams and Schultz went on to say, “We will work with our chambers to determine the best path forward.”
