"‘Not a turf war’: GOP lawmakers say they’ll appeal Utah’s new congressional map to the Supreme Court"

Salt Lake Tribune :

Responding to a stinging legal defeat in the state’s redistricting battle , Utah Republican legislators said Tuesday that they will convene a special session Dec. 9 to put a constitutional amendment on the 2026 ballot in an effort to ensure lawmakers have the ability to draw political boundaries.

Republican legislative leaders said they also plan to appeal a recent district court ruling implementing new congressional boundaries for the 2026 midterm elections.

The amendment, Sen. President J. Stuart Adams, R-Layton, said Tuesday morning, will clarify that ballot initiatives — like 2018’s Proposition 4, known as the Better Boundaries initiative — can’t override the Utah Constitution in ways that cannot be adjusted. Utahns, he said, “deserve a process that is clear,