Since November 10th, the legislature has been working around the clock to respond to Judge Gibson’s quarter-to-midnight ruling. Whether you agree with the outcome of the case, and/or are a supporter of Proposition 4, I think the timeline of this case is important to highlight just how irregular, frustrating, and unfair this entire process was to Utah voters. The graphic below shows a detailed timeline of the case. In January, after hearing oral arguments, Judge Gibson shared with the parties that “time is of the essence” and that she would get a ruling out as “quickly as possible;” however, her actions speak otherwise. After eight months of silence, delays, and shifting deadlines, Judge Gibson has now overridden the Utah Constitution and the voice of Utah voters—imposing a congressional map drawn behind closed doors by interest groups. The final map was not sent to the Lt. Governor until AFTER the deadline of November 10th and the LG just received the map to implement, 11 days past the deadline. Let’s be clear: this crisis didn’t happen overnight. It was created by the judge’s own months-long delay. And after stalling the process for nearly a year, she cut the public out entirely—choosing a map crafted by private, special-interest groups, not a map drawn by the Legislature or the Independent Redistricting Commission. Nothing in the Utah Constitution, or even Prop 4, gives a judge the authority to impose maps designed by private groups. Redistricting is a constitutional responsibility of the Legislature, the body elected by and accountable to the people of Utah. When an unelected judge overrides that process, every Utahn’s voice is weakened. This is not how the government should work. Our system depends on transparency, accountability, and respect for the roles outlined in our Constitution. Judges are meant to uphold the law as written—not rewrite it to serve political ends.