“When the system is 'unwell,' you don't hide the diagnosis — you treat the root cause. Utah needs leaders who believe in accountability, not leaders who rig the rules to avoid it.”
— Nicole Melling
In a healthy democracy, no single branch of government should have unchecked power. But in recent sessions, the Utah Legislature has pushed bills that would weaken the independence of our courts and reduce transparency in government operations.
The Facts
SB 296
Would have allowed the Governor to appoint the Chief Justice, threatening judicial independence. Governor Cox vetoed the original bill in March 2025.
Source: KUERBipartisan opposition
13 Republican House members voted NO on SB 296 (Auxier, Ballard, Barlow, Cutler, Defay, Dunnigan, Hall, Koford, Loubet, Miller, Peterson, Roberts, Ward) and 6 Republican senators voted against it. The Utah State Bar publicly opposed the measure.
Source: Utah News DispatchJudicial independence at stake
Legal experts warned that political appointment of the Chief Justice could undermine the impartiality of the courts
Source: Utah State Bar