Making Sense of Prop 4

It is easy—very easy—to get lost in trying to understand Prop 4. Voters approved Utah's Prop 4 by a very narrow margin in 2018, with 512,218 (50.34%) voting for the proposition, and 505,274 (49.66%) voting against it.

A razor‑thin margin, but Prop 4 won just the same.

Two federal elections have since taken place under the Legislature’s 2021 map. Both failed to use the map recommended by the Prop 4 Independent Redistricting Commission. You can't say they were illegal elections, because it is more layered than that, but you can say the map used was later found unconstitutional. The Constitution does give the Legislature the right to draw the maps, but it doesn't give it the right to gerrymander—to draw lines to accommodate one party over the other. It gives the courts the right to step in and require equity of judgment.

And that's what Judge Diane Gibson did in October 2025 when she stepped in and ruled in favor of the map drawn by the Better Boundaries commission. Now, those opposed to Prop 4 are marching door‑to‑door to get a measure on the ballot ending Prop 4.


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Be Reasonable, Be Reasonable

Book banning, you know—

banning books from schools.

It sure has them riled up

as they come up with these new rules.

Utah has banned a number,

banned them from school libraries.

Oh, most anyone else can read them—

all the Tom, Dick, and Harrys.

But children?

Put a lock on them.

They can't just read anything

that will lead them into sin.

And so in Utah,

they start taking books right off the shelf—

banning books, banning books

from every child small as an elf.

Great authors,

names like Kurt Vonnegut—

writers you don't think of

when you think of smut.

And sometimes just a line or two

is all it takes

for the book to be swept away

by the purist's rakes.

No, it's not good enough

for the optics of what you're doing.

More damage is being done,

and you've just got people suing.

Back up and be more practical.

Battle true pornography.

You've got to be reasonable

if you want people to agree.

 

Homeless People Sometimes Beg, and That Means...

There is a movement in Utah that would centralize homeless services. And the location they prefer? Out near the airport. The proposal might work or it might not work but I do see one large red flag: Sometimes, homeless people beg. If you place them out near the airport...

Trump's Gifts

Vehicle emissions will no longer be regulated. That means more gas-powered cars, fewer electric cars, and more tailpipe emissions — pollution.

The Wasatch Front, already faced with days of inversion, will only have more.

The cloud of pollution that many witness when they are high enough to see it hang over the valley will only increase.

This is because President Trump repealed the EPA’s “endangerment finding” — rules that restrict CO₂ emissions.

Unless Utah marches against federal standards instead of aligning with them, enforcement of air quality rules might falter.

As of this week, Utah has received only one-third of its normal February snowpack. Unfortunately, this climate impact could increase. Ski cities such as Park City could be financially strained. Warmer winters mean shorter seasons, and that means fewer tourists — and among the tourists who do come to enjoy Utah skiing, less satisfaction.

There will be more emergency room visits for asthma, heart disease, and heat stroke. There are already times when hospital resources are strained. It could get worse.

Premiums for homes, fire risks, and flood zones might increase.

Utility bills could rise as people use air conditioning more because of hotter weather.

To sum it up: Trump’s decision on the environment strips Utahns of the protections they need. It means more pollution, hotter summers, less snow, higher costs, and greater health risks.

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