After veto, Cox is one step closer to being able to appoint chief justice [View all]
After an initial veto of a bill that would have allowed Gov. Spencer Cox to appoint the chief justice of the Utah Supreme Court, the Legislature voted to approve a compromise during a special session Monday.
If Cox signs the bill, the governor will have the power to appoint the chief justice, but this time, instead of going through the selection process every four years, the role will be subject to a single, eight-year term.
The Senate voted 22-7 to pass the bill, with all Democrats and Sen. Daniel Thatcher of the Utah Forward Party voting against. The House also approved it with a 58-15 margin with all Democrats and Kearns Republican Rep. Anthony Loubet voting nay. The proposal now heads to Cox’s desk for his signature.
“The governor has agreed to a compromise, which extends by four years the term that the chief justice can serve,” House Majority Leader Rep. Casey Snider, R-Paradise, said on the House floor.
https://utahnewsdispatch.com/2025/10/06/bill-governor-to-appoint-utah-supreme-court-chief-justice/
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