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Confused by the Prison Process May 2, 2015, 9:37 amIf you are confused right now, don't worry, you aren't the only one. The politics surrounding the prison move are nothing, if not murky. Basically, according to Utah law, any referendum must be done "within five calendar days after the end of the legislative session at which the law passed." Utah Code, 20A-7-302 (1). Based on the state's calendar, that would be March 17th, however, Governor Herbert didn't sign HB 454 into law until March 25th and wasn't finished signing and vetoing until April 1, 2015. Therefore it would be unreasonable to ask citizens to try to make a referendum for laws that have yet to be signed into law. Fred C. Cox, who supports the KIID movement and is unhappy with HB 454, helped them by filing the writ with the Supreme Court. The lieutenant governor's office responded Monday, April 13 to Rep. Cox's petition stating that he can't file on behalf of the KIID group, although Utah law only states that to file one must be a taxpayer. It was also stated that they did not qualify for a writ because the referendum petition was never turned in, which is technically true, although they tried to submit it four times and were turned away due to the five day deadline mentioned above. The Supreme Court is still reviewing the facts and will decide shortly whether or not to take the case. While this is a blow to the KIID movement they plan to persist in their efforts. Founder Stephanie Gricius says, "The majority of Utahns do not want the prison to move, but the legislature has ignored us at every turn and is still pushing forward. This is our way of attempting to stop the inevitable train wreck." The community news source for Eagle Mountain Utah, Saratoga Springs Utah, Lehi Utah, American Fork Utah, Highland Utah, Alpine Utah, and The Cedar Valley, including Cedar Fort Utah and Fairfield Utah. Copyright 2024 The Crossroads Journal LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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