Earlier this year, Utah enacted HB 267, a law that prohibited bargaining for public sector employees. This includes teachers, police officers and firefighters. This bill was signed in February 2025 by Gov. Spencer Cox.
The law is to take effect on July 1, 2025, and will restrict paid leave for public employees as well as mandate financial disclosures from unions.
However, a coalition named Protect Utah Workers — which is comprised of over 15 labor unions — initiated a referendum in hopes of overturning the bill. The goal of this referendum is to get the bill on the 2026 ballot so Utah residents can decide whether to keep or overturn the law.
After weeks of signature gathering, the coalition exceeded the 141,000 signatures needed to include the referendum on the 2026 ballot. The coalition submitted over 320,000 signatures which were gathered over a 30-day time period, making it one of the most significant referendum efforts in Utah history.
“The support’s been overwhelming,” shared Mike Evans, president of the Utah School Employees Association. “There’s a lot of people from all different walks of life who are kind of coming together for this, protecting the workers and letting us have a voice.”
The next step is for the lieutenant governor’s office to verify the signatures by June 21, and if the required number of ballots is confirmed, the referendum will be on the 2026 ballot. This will allow Utah residents to decide whether to repeal the bill or not. While this campaign has strong momentum, it still faces legal and political challenges.
Author: Lexie Nelson
Photographer: Anna Mower
Editor: Anna Mower
news@suunews.net
