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Utahns Protecting Our Constitution, a group opposing Amendment B, says the proposed 60% passage threshold could have stopped the 2018 Medicaid expansion and medical-marijuana initiatives. Their vote shares were below 60%: 53.3% and 52.7%, respectively. But both measures passed under the rules in force in 2018; saying they would have failed is a conditional, retrospective argument, not what happened.
What Amendment B would change
Amendment B is a proposed change to the Utah Constitution scheduled for the November 3, 2026 ballot. Under the proposal as described in current coverage, a citizen initiative would need at least 60% voter support if it imposes a new tax, expands or increases an existing tax, or makes a specified property-tax-rate change: lowering the rate by less than it otherwise would under current law. The proposal does not set a 60% requirement for every initiative or ballot question. Utah News Dispatch, September 28, 2026
How the 2018 initiatives compare with 60%
| 2018 initiative | Reported vote share | Result under 2018 rules | Comparison with proposed threshold |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Medicaid expansion | 53.3%, as reported by Utah News Dispatch and The Salt Lake Tribune in 2026 | Passed | Below 60% |
| Medical marijuana | 52.7%, as reported by Utah News Dispatch and The Salt Lake Tribune in 2026 | Passed | Below 60% |
| Better Boundaries independent redistricting commission | 50.3%, as reported by Utah News Dispatch and The Salt Lake Tribune in 2026 | Passed | Below 60% |
The vote shares are reported in The Salt Lake Tribune and Utah News Dispatch; the official record is the Utah Lieutenant Governor’s Office 2018 General Election Statewide Canvass. The arithmetic shows that each share was below 60%. It does not, by itself, establish that Amendment B would cover any of those measures. The opposition campaign says the Medicaid and medical-marijuana initiatives created tax revenue streams and argues that they would not have passed if the proposed rule had applied. Whether the threshold would apply depends on the proposal’s tax provisions and how a future measure fits them.
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Supporters: a broader consensus for tax changes
Amendment B sponsor Sen. Lincoln Fillmore and Utah Taxpayers Association president Billy Hesterman describe the higher bar as a way to require broader agreement before an initiative raises taxes. In the September 28, 2026 reporting, Fillmore framed the choice as whether a simple majority should be able to raise taxes or whether that kind of decision should require broader consensus. Fillmore and Rep. Jason Kyle said in a prepared statement that the amendment would leave the decision with voters while requiring broader agreement before a statewide initiative could raise taxes on Utah families. The Salt Lake Tribune, September 28, 2026
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Opponents: higher barriers to the initiative process
Elizabeth Rasmussen of Better Boundaries and the opposition group Utahns Protecting Our Constitution argue that a higher threshold would make citizen initiatives harder to pass and weaken a tool for checking government. Rasmussen also questioned how broadly the tax language might be applied; that is her concern, not an established account of how officials would interpret future initiatives. The group announced TV advertising, mail, canvassing, and digital outreach against the amendment. Utah News Dispatch, September 28, 2026
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the reported poll says—and does not say
Utah News Dispatch reported a Noble Predictive Insights survey of 602 registered Utah voters conducted September 8–12, 2026. It found 50% supported Amendment B, 21% opposed it, and 23% were unsure; the stated margin of error was ±3.99 percentage points. These are figures as reported by Utah News Dispatch, not independently verified here against the pollster’s original release. This dated poll is a snapshot, not an election result or a prediction of how voters will decide on November 3. Utah News Dispatch, September 28, 2026
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