A second group launched a referendum Tuesday hoping to give voters a chance to repeal controversial Utah tax reform legislation that passed in a special session last week — saying the first group that filed separately is doomed to fail because it refuses to use paid signature gatherers.
The new group is called The People’s Right (TPR) and is led by Steve Maxfield — a former independent candidate for lieutenant governor. His group also sued unsuccessfully when the Legislature repealed and replaced a voter-passed initiative legalizing medical marijuana.
“It’s unfortunate that it has come to this, but the only way for citizens to participate [in referendums] … is to beg special interests for the estimated $5 million required to gather the signatures successfully in the time, manner and in the number provided by statute,” Maxfield said at a Capitol news conference.