Constitutional Amendment A — Proposal to Amend Utah Constitution - Publication Amendments
Utah publishes no "a YES vote means" statements; yes_means/no_means null. Impartial analysis in explanatory_statement.
rebuttal_pro = "Rebuttal to Argument in Favor" (opponents); rebuttal_con = "Rebuttal to Argument Against" (proponents).
VIP: "Because Amendment A was adopted unanimously by the Legislature, no argument against Amendment A was submitted." (same for rebuttal to argument in favor).
Shall the Utah Constitution be amended to change how proposed constitutional amendments are published, requiring publication for 60 days immediately before the general election in a manner established by state law instead of in newspapers? If voters approve Constitutional Amendment A, state statute would change to require the Lieutenant Governor to publish the full text of all proposed constitutional amendments and other ballot questions from the Legislature, on the Utah Public Notice Website and on the Lieutenant Governor’s website for 60 days immediately before the general election.
Not published by the state
Not published by the state
Current Provisions of the Utah Constitution Under the Utah Constitution, the Legislature may propose a constitutional amendment with a two-thirds vote in each house. The proposed amendment is then submitted to voters at a general election for approval or rejection. Before the election, the Constitution requires the Legislature to publish the proposed amendment in a newspaper in each county for two months. Effect of Constitutional Amendment A Constitutional Amendment A would require publication of a proposed constitutional amendment for 60 calendar days immediately before the general election in a manner set by state law rather than requiring publication in newspapers for two months immediately before the general election. Constitutional Amendment A would not change how constitutional amendments are proposed or approved by voters. Implementing Legislation If voters approve Constitutional Amendment A, H.B. 481, Ballot Proposition Requirements, enacted during the 2025 General Session, will take effect. H.B. 481 requires the Lieutenant Governor to publish the full text of all proposed constitutional amendments and other ballot questions from the Legislature, on the Utah Public Notice Website and on the Lieutenant Governor’s website for 60 calendar days immediately before the general election.
If approved, Constitutional Amendment A, together with H.B. 481, could reduce state costs by up to $1.4 million every two years, based on recent estimates. The savings from changing the publication requirement for proposed constitutional amendments from newspapers to publicly operated websites would vary depending on the length of each proposed constitutional amendment and newspaper publication rates.
The Utah Constitution currently requires public notices about constitutional amendments and statewide initiatives to be published in print newspapers in all 29 counties. While that made sense when newspapers were the primary source of information, most Utahns now rely on digital sources, mobile devices, and online platforms to stay informed. Amendment A updates Utah’s public notice requirements to reflect how people access information today while preserving transparency and public awareness. Utah taxpayers currently spend approximately $800,000 to publish these notices in newspapers statewide. Despite that expense, print notices are increasingly unlikely to reach the broad audience they once did. Amendment A allows Utah to use modern publication methods that can better connect voters with important election information while reducing unnecessary costs. What Amendment A Does: Modernizes Utah’s public notices to utilize the most up-to-date and effective communication methods. Maintains the Constitution’s 60-day public notice period before general elections. Improves accessibility for voters throughout Utah. Allows publication methods to adapt as technology evolves. Saves taxpayers approximately $800,000 in publication costs. Keeps voters informed while maintaining transparency. Public notice is only effective if people can easily find and review it. Amendment A ensures information about proposed constitutional amendments remains widely available while allowing state law to use communication methods that reflect how Utahns receive information today. Amendment A does not eliminate public notice. It updates how public notice is delivered. By modernizing an outdated constitutional requirement, Utah can maintain transparency, improve accessibility and save taxpayer dollars. A FOR vote on Amendment A supports a public notice process designed for today’s Utah voters while preserving the Constitution’s requirement that voters receive notice before a general election. Join us in voting FOR Amendment A.
Rep. Anthony Loubet Sen. Daniel McCay
Not published by the state
Both columns use the same layout. Text is quoted from the official state guide. Views expressed belong to the argument authors.