Utah lawmaker proposes allowing Legislature to call ‘special retention elections’ for ‘unfit’ judges

By: Katie McKellar

Outlets: Utah News Dispatch

Published: January 22, 2026

Words: 1,703

Last Updated: 3 weeks, 4 days ago

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Amid ongoing tensions between the Utah Legislature and the state’s judiciary, a lawmaker wants to ask voters to give the Legislature the power to call a “special retention election” if legislators decide that a judge is “unfit or incompetent.”

Rep. Walt Brooks, R-St. George, is sponsoring HJR13. If the Legislature passes that resolution for the 2026 November ballot and a majority of voters approve it, the Utah Constitution would be changed to grant …

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