SB134 (Appellate Court Amendments)

This bill would increase the number of justices on the Utah Supreme Court from five to seven and the number of judges on the Court of Appeals from seven to nine. While a seemingly neutral change, the context and timing of it raises concerns that the catalyst for changing the make up of the Court is political, instead of purely administrative, given the Court's recent rulings against the Legislature in hot-topic cases regarding redistricting and gerrymandering, abortion, and public unions.