Tax reform referendum will make November ballot, signature gatherers say

Kent Jorgenson, right, collects packets of signatures for the Utah tax reform referendum from Kimberly Bekmezian outside of the Salt Lake County Government Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News

Announcement follows 5 p.m. deadline for submitting voter signatures

SALT LAKE CITY — The organizer of the referendum to repeal the recently passed state tax reform legislation said Tuesday more than enough voter signatures have been turned in by the 5 p.m. deadline to qualify for the November ballot.

“This is a win for all Utahns,” said Fred Cox, a former Republican state lawmaker. “I want you to know the people have finally been heard.”

Surrounded by backers of the referendum, Cox said 152,000 signatures have been turned in to county clerks around the state.

Opponents of the tax reform package that reduces income taxes while raising sales tax on food, gas and some services that was passed last month in a special session of the Utah Legislature need nearly 116,000 voter signatures divided proportionately among at least 15 of Utah’s 29 counties.

Earlier at the Salt Lake County Government Center, Claudine Peterson, of West Valley City, tried to stay warm as she stood outside for several hours to collect referendum petition packets from other volunteers, and then cart the documents into the county clerk’s office for verification.

Peterson, a recent retiree, said she “lost count” of how many voter signatures she collected, estimating she’d already turned in as many as 30 petition packets, each with room for 49 voters to sign.

“The main reason I did it is because it’s not whether you’re for or against this particular bill, it’s because I would like to see it get on the ballot” so voters can decide whether to retain or repeal the tax reform package, Peterson said. “I think that’s very important.”

David Hollins, the husband of Rep. Sandra Hollins, D-Salt Lake City, brought four petition packets to the clerk’s office himself that he was able to get filled with signatures at a Martin Luther King Jr. event at East High School on Monday’s holiday.

Kristin Murphy, Deseret News

Jacquelyn Orton drops off packets of signatures for the Utah tax reform referendum outside of the Salt Lake County Government Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020.

“This should have never gotten through the Utah State Legislature. It should have been a big ‘no’ on it because this is going to hurt,” Hollins said, adding that the tax breaks for low- and moderate-income Utahns in the tax reform package wouldn’t be needed if taxes weren’t going up.

The legislation, opposed by Democrats in the Legislature and enough Republicans that it fell short of the two-thirds majorities needed in the House and Senate to prevent a referendum, raises state sales taxes on food from the current 1.75% to the full 4.85% state rate, and adds sales taxes to wholesale gas prices as well as some services.

Deborah Acocks, of Riverton, was among the volunteers who pulled up outside the government offices midday to drop off two referendum petition packets. She said she’d gathered about a dozen signatures — “not enough” — on her packet, and her friend’s packet had seven, but they still wanted to make sure those names were counted.

“It’s our right to stand up for what we believe,” Acocks said, describing what supporters say will be an overall tax cut of $160 million for Utahns as “taking from one thing and giving to another instead of coming up with a better solution.”

Cox was confident all of the petition packets circulated around the state would add up to the number needed.

“Hitting 116,000, I don’t think, is going to be the issue,” Cox said. But he also said that number needs to be exceeded, to account for signatures that can’t be verified by county clerks or otherwise end up being disqualified. The law also allows referendum signers to seek removal of their names.

He said he anticipates meeting the signature threshold in as many as 20 counties. The effort got a big boost when Harmons and Associated Foods announced their support and allowed signatures to be gathered in their stores around the state.

Cox said anyone looking to sign the referendum should do so quickly Tuesday, since all signatures have to be submitted by 5 p.m.

“The earlier the better,” he said. “Some people think, ‘If I’m in line by 5 p.m., we’re good.’ Well, the clerk needs to have it by then.”

By shortly before 10 a.m. Tuesday, the state Election Office reported 48,295 signatures had been verified statewide. Cox said there are many more referendum petition packets yet to be turned in, and urged signature gatherers to make sure they meet the deadline.

“These are people that have a voice. They have signed. We needed to have those submitted,” he said.

If the referendum does qualify for the ballot, the tax reform law will be put on hold until voters have the opportunity to decide its fate. The tax reform law was passed in December, after a monthslong effort to find a fix to lagging growth in sales tax revenues that fund much of the state budget.

Kristin Murphy, Deseret News

Judy Weeks-Rohner, a Utah tax reform referendum co-sponsor, looks over packets of signatures for the referendum at the Salt Lake County Clerk’s Office in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020.

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