Earlier this year, the American Legislative Exchange Council’s “Rich State, Poor State” report rated the Beehive state the most business-friendly for the 17th straight year.

But that ranking is now in jeopardy because the Republican legislature suddenly repealed a law they passed just 10 months ago that limited the ability of public sector unions to negotiate on behalf of all their members. It also barred public employees from being paid with tax dollars to do work for the unions, and required public sector unions disclose their spending

Furious union leaders promised to place a veto referendum on the ballot to undo the law. The head of the state’s firefighters union proclaimed the new law would make Utah “the most anti-labor state in America.”

No one knows what voters would have decided, but it’s clear Republican leaders didn’t even want them consulted. Governor Spencer Cox simply caved.

GOP legislators were worried that national unions would have poured millions into the states to defeat any legislator who had voted for reform. Only nine House Republicans and two GOP Senators voted against repealing the law. Shameful.

Hand it to the unions. Utah gave only 37% of its votes to Kamala Harris last year, but they intimidated Republicans into a humiliating about face.