Amendment B fight attracts big money ahead of Election Day

SALT LAKE CITY — The fight over a proposed constitutional amendment in Utah is attracting a lot of money as Election Day gets closer.

Millions of dollars have been spent on Amendment B, which would require citizen-led initiatives that raise taxes to pass with at least 60% support.

Supporters say Amendment B is critical to keeping taxes low, while opponents argue it's a power grab by the Legislature. Utahns Protecting Our Constitution has spent more than $3 million fighting the amendment, but a lot of that money has come from out-of-state donors.

"People nationwide are watching because it's startling to see a legislature seek to strip constitutional rights from its citizens – but this campaign is entirely driven by Utah families and taxpayers," said Scott Cuthbertson, the group's spokesperson. "When the ballots are counted, Utahns are the only voices that decide."

Supporters of Amendment B haven't raised nearly as much money. A recent poll from Noble Predictive Insights found 56% of likely Utah voters oppose the measure, while 34% support it. Another 10% of those polled said they aren't sure.

Rusty Cannon, vice chair of Taxpayer Shield PAC, said the proposed amendment is critical to keeping taxes low by making it harder for special interests to raise taxes through initiatives.

"If $3 million is air-dropped into Utah to oppose this, that should tell you obviously what they want," Cannon said. "They want to be able to raise your taxes easily in the future, and we think you should push back and vote yes on the amendment."

The exact text of Amendment B asks voters: "Shall the Utah Constitution be amended to require that citizen-proposed laws that increase taxes compared to existing law be approved by at least 60% of voters, instead of a simple majority?"

"We thought this is a fair level at 60%, if it's good policy," said Cannon. "There are plenty of policies that pass with over a 60% threshold."

But Cuthbertson says if the Legislature needs only a simple majority to pass laws, the public should, too.

"If you want to have your government be more accountable, not less accountable, then vote no on B," he said.

In the end, Utah voters will have the final say on Amendment B. Election Day is on Tuesday.