Voters will decide whether to repeal controversial union law in 2026 general election
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox issued an executive order on Monday that directs the referendum aimed at overturning HB267 to be placed on the 2026 general election ballot, the latest update in months of controversy over lawmakers’ attempts to strip public unions of their ability to collectively bargain.
Cox’s order comes after an announcement from Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson’s office over the weekend confirming that a coalition of labor groups gathered enough signatures to qualify for a referendum, which is when voters choose to enact or repeal legislation during an election.
HB267 was already on hold after Henderson’s office announced in May that county clerks around the state had processed and certified enough signatures. On Saturday, Henderson signed a letter officially declaring the requirements to qualify for a referendum had been met.
One of the most controversial bills passed during the 2025 legislative session, HB267 prevents public unions from collective bargaining, the process where unions meet with employers to negotiate a contract or terms of employment. That means a teachers union would no longer be allowed to negotiate an employment contract with a school district. The same goes for firefighters, police officers, municipal workers and other public employees.
https://utahnewsdispatch.com/2025/06/23/utah-union-law-referendum-2026-general-election-gov-spencer-cox/