SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah State Legislature has passed a bill adding two more justices to the Utah Supreme Court and more judges down the line.
Senate Bill 134 made it through the entire legislature with a 57-18 vote on Friday in the Utah House of Representatives. In that vote, several Republicans joined Democrats in opposing it.
House Majority Leader Casey Snider, R-Paradise, argued that the bill was responding to demands by the judicial branch of government. In his State of the Judiciary address, Utah Supreme Court Chief Justice Matthew Durrant took no position on adding more justices to the state's top court but urged them to add more lower court judges where it is needed.
But critics of the bill have accused the Utah State Legislature of attempting to put its thumb on the Court after a series of rulings judges have made on redistricting, abortion and environmental litigation that Republican legislative leaders haven't agreed with.
The bill does add more judges to the Utah Court of Appeals and in some of the district courts that have seen population growth. The bill now heads to Governor Spencer Cox's desk for his signature or veto. He has expressed support for adding more justices to the Court.
