SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Gov. Spencer Cox has called the Utah Legislature into a special session to address redistricting and election-related issues, and repeal Utah’s collective bargaining ban after it qualified for a vote on the 2026 ballot.

The call was anticipated, but beyond election deadlines, the agenda items signal that lawmakers will address the appellate process when they gather on Tuesday, Dec. 9, at 6 p.m. The GOP-controlled legislature is currently anticipating embarking on an appeals process after a Third District judge struck down a redistricted map drawn by lawmakers and put in place one crafted by an expert for anti-gerrymandering groups.

Lawmakers will address “amendments to court rules related to appeals by government officers or governmental entities and appeals of election, voting, and redistricting cases; and clarify that the Utah Supreme Court has exclusive and original appellate jurisdiction over election, voting, and redistricting cases, to address the appeals process for a post-judgment motion on attorney fees in such cases, and address statutory inconsistencies,” according to the Governor’s call.

As reported exclusively by ABC4, lawmakers will push back filing deadlines and consider a joint resolution about the “constitutional authority” of the courts. Utah’s GOP leaders have been highly critical of Judge Dianna Gibson since the ruling in late August, some even suggesting impeachment.

Repeal of HB267 after successful signature gathering

The repeal of the anti-collective bargaining ban, known by its bill name H.B. 267, comes after months of speculation that a repeal was in the works after public labor unions gathered more than enough signatures at lightning speed for a referendum to put the question to voters in 2026.

The coalition labor groups, called Protect Utah Workers, supported the repeal in a statement after the call was made public.

“The expected repeal belongs to the Utahns who stood up and signed the referendum,” the coalition said. “More than 320,000 people who signed the petition sent a clear message that public workers deserve a voice on the job. The coalition thanks legislative leadership for respecting the will of the people. This anticipated repeal preserves the rights of firefighters, police, nurses, public educators, transportation workers, airport staff, and all other critical public workers who improve the lives of Utahns every day,” said a spokesperson for the group.

Here is the complete list of agenda items for Tuesday’s special session:

1. to modify election provisions relating to qualifying for placement on a primary election ballot, including changing the declaration of candidacy filing period for congressional office;
2. to consider a joint resolution of the House of Representatives and the Senate regarding constitutional authority, including in redistricting, and the redistricting process;
3. to consider amendments to court rules related to appeals by government officers or governmental entities and appeals of election, voting, and redistricting cases;
4. to clarify that the Utah Supreme Court has exclusive and original appellate jurisdiction over election, voting, and redistricting cases, to address the appeals process for a post- judgment motion on attorney fees in such cases, and to address statutory inconsistencies regarding the appellate jurisdiction of the Utah Supreme Court and Utah Court of Appeals; and
5. to repeal H.B. 267, Public Sector Labor Union Amendments, enacted in the 2025
   General Session.

Oklahoma City has dominated the NBA. They hope to continue to do so on Sunday against the Utah Jazz, the second time the Thunder have played in Salt Lake City this season. In the first meeting, OKC overcame a red-hot shooting night to eventually blow out the Jazz after Utah put themselves in a great position following the opening frame.

In that game, the Thunder were short handed, much like they will be in this contest. So far this season, Oklahoma City has missed multiple games from All-NBA swingman Jalen Williams, Rising Star big man Chet Holmgren, Sharpshooter Isaiah Joe, Top Bench Bucket Getter Aaron Wiggins, Defensive-Aces Alex Caruso and Lu Dort, veteran Kenrich Williams and starting big man Isaiah Hartenstein.

For this Sunday affair, the Oklahoma City Thunder will see their superstar, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, miss his first game of the season with elbow bursitis. Joining him in street clothes will be Joe, Caruso, Dort and Hartenstein.

This will make Mark Daigneault’s job a bit trickier but the OKC Thunder are still favored to win this road contest. Here is what to watch for tonight.

What to Watch For

Oklahoma City is having to navigate its first game of the season without superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. To take an automatic 30 points out of the lineup will be hard to replace; he has been the lone constant in this season for the short-handed Bricktown Ballers. This will take Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren stepping up in a big way in the scoring department to replace that production.

The big question remains the Thunder’s depth, Oklahoma City will have to shuffle their rotation and likely include lineups without any of Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams or Holmgren on the court. How will OKC handle that outcome on the offensive end?

This game will likely come down to who performs the best shooting from distance, the great equalizer in basketball and if either team is red-hot it can help mask deficiencies for both clubs.

Game Information

• Date: Dec. 07
• Matchup: OKC Thunder (22-1) vs. Utah Jazz (8-14)
• Time: 07:00 PM CT
• Location: Delta Center –– Salt Lake City, UT
• TV: Fanduel Sports OK
• Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM)

The Oklahoma City Thunder are hoping to cap off a 3-0 week with a win tonight over the Utah Jazz. The Thunder then get to enjoy two more days off before opening up the knockout round of the NBA Cup tournament on Dec. 10 against the Phoenix Suns. That game holds the right for the winner to advance to Vegas and continue their pursuit of the cup championship and cash prize at the end. Oklahoma City sits 22-1, two games shy of the Warriors’ 24-1 start way back in 2015-16.

Stay tuned to Thunder on SI for complete coverage of this Oklahoma City Thunder season as the Bricktown Ballers continue to make history this season.