Thousands of Utahns have joined millions of Americans in demonstrations demanding that democracy and the rule of law be restored as the governing principles of our country. This is as it should be. But if this movement is to truly succeed, Americans must focus their energy on specific changes that can be enacted and implemented. We must push for reforms that dismantle oligarchy and return governing authority to the people.
In Utah, that means restoring the people’s power to legislate through ballot initiatives — a right guaranteed in our state constitution. This right is under threat. The Legislature continues to pass statutes making it increasingly difficult, even impossible, for citizens to bring legislation to the ballot. When measures do pass, the legislature often reverses or ignores them. The 2018 Better Boundaries initiative is a stark example — passed by voters, then disregarded by lawmakers.
This pattern of legislative overreach is unfolding again. The Utah Cares Political Issue Committee spent years carefully crafting fiscally sound, sustainable reform for Utah’s health care system. Health care costs are skyrocketing — doubling every decade — and are among Utahns’ top concerns. Utah Cares responded with a comprehensive proposal: the Utah Cares Act. Polling shows Utahns are ready for significant reform, and economic studies project long-term savings. You can read more about these studies at www.utahcares.vote.
On April 9, 2025, Utah Cares filed an application with the lieutenant governor’s office to place the Utah Cares Act on the 2026 ballot. As is standard, the application was referred to the Office of the Legislative Fiscal Analyst (OLFA). On May 9, OLFA issued a terse fiscal impact statement, warning the Act “could” result in an $8 billion annual shortfall — a figure that contradicts all independent research commissioned by Utah Cares.
On May 13, the lieutenant governor’s office stated that the Utah Cares application was under active review despite the adverse fiscal impact statement and requested that the sponsors be patient. On May 29, the date of expiration for an appeal of the adverse fiscal impact statement, the lieutenant governor’s office stated that the fiscal impact statement required rejection of the application.
The OLFA analysis was released without transparency. Utah Cares followed proper channels to request the data behind this estimate and was denied. Instead of evaluating the $16 billion in projected annual savings, OLFA assumed no change in spending and projected a massive deficit. Their statement ignores the strong fiscal case for the Utah Cares proposal and misleads both voters and policymakers.
To challenge OLFA’s flawed analysis, Utah Cares would need to meet a “clear and convincing” legal standard in court — a bar far higher than most civil cases. The process is stacked against citizen initiatives.
Utah’s ballot initiative laws have been so undermined that the people no longer effectively hold their constitutional power to legislate. OLFA and the lieutenant governor’s office operate opaquely, and their treatment of the Utah Cares application feels like a foregone rejection, not an honest review.
Utahns who have been marching to restore democracy can take meaningful action by supporting Utah Cares in its fight to get on the ballot. Every citizen who cares about government accountability and health care reform can make a difference by contacting the Utah lieutenant governor’s office. Demand that she reverse her rejection of the Utah Cares Act and allow the people to move forward with collecting signatures.
This is a defining moment. Democracy isn’t only defended in the streets — it’s protected through persistence, transparency and action. Help us restore the power of the people in Utah.