There are three things you should know about this proposal: 1) Utah Democrats have been relentless in trying to help Utah to get a fourth seat. Despite what you may have heard from Republicans, Congressman Jim Matheson is a strong supporter of the bill presented to the Judiciary Committee to give Utah a fourth seat. It was information obtained by the Utah State Democratic Party in 2002 on Census Bureau statistical manipulation giving the seat to North Carolina that got Utah to the Supreme Court to challenge the outcome – not the challenge on overseas missionaries which failed to make it to the Supreme Court. Unfortunately, the Republican Attorney General lost the case.
2) The map presented by Huntsman et al is not a sincere effort. It contains a population deviation that does not meet the Constitutional test of Article I Section 2 that has been interpreted to require that only a very small amount of deviation is acceptable within a state. See Karcher v Daggett, 462 US 725 (1983) (US Supreme Court). Therefore, this map was presented for political purposes. Despite the rhetoric about being bipartisan and coming together, it is neither. The GOP appears to be trying to set up Democrats to take the blame for Utah’s failure to get a fourth seat. If the Republicans wanted it, they have the majority in Congress to pass it. It is the Congressional Republicans that have failed to provide appropriate representation in Congress to the citizens of Utah and the District of Columbia.
3) Utah Democrats have been relentless in trying to provide Utah with a fair redistricting process. Utah needs an independent commission, stricter rules, and a fair process for redistricting that is why Rep. Roz McGee sponsored HB91 in 2006, HJR14 in 2005, HJR17 in 2003, and Rep. Karen Morgan sponsored HJR03 in 2002. Pledges of fairness by Republicans are not enough. The Utah Republican Legislature’s failure to adopt a fair redistricting process is costing Utah representation in Congress.
So, Senator Valentine, let's get on the stick and get a fair redistricting process. If you do, the Utah Legislature may yet be the one branch of government that hasn't failed Utahns in their efforts for adequate representation in Congress.
Indeed, what we need is legislation to create an indpendent redistricting commission -- not another map.
. . . or perhaps we are playing into the GOP's political strategy to change the subject after yesterday's tax shift from the uber-wealthy to the middle class while short changing our children's education.
2) The map presented by Huntsman et al is not a sincere effort. It contains a population deviation that does not meet the Constitutional test of Article I Section 2 that has been interpreted to require that only a very small amount of deviation is acceptable within a state. See Karcher v Daggett, 462 US 725 (1983) (US Supreme Court). Therefore, this map was presented for political purposes. Despite the rhetoric about being bipartisan and coming together, it is neither. The GOP appears to be trying to set up Democrats to take the blame for Utah’s failure to get a fourth seat. If the Republicans wanted it, they have the majority in Congress to pass it. It is the Congressional Republicans that have failed to provide appropriate representation in Congress to the citizens of Utah and the District of Columbia.
3) Utah Democrats have been relentless in trying to provide Utah with a fair redistricting process. Utah needs an independent commission, stricter rules, and a fair process for redistricting that is why Rep. Roz McGee sponsored HB91 in 2006, HJR14 in 2005, HJR17 in 2003, and Rep. Karen Morgan sponsored HJR03 in 2002. Pledges of fairness by Republicans are not enough. The Utah Republican Legislature’s failure to adopt a fair redistricting process is costing Utah representation in Congress.
So, Senator Valentine, let's get on the stick and get a fair redistricting process. If you do, the Utah Legislature may yet be the one branch of government that hasn't failed Utahns in their efforts for adequate representation in Congress.
Indeed, what we need is legislation to create an indpendent redistricting commission -- not another map.
. . . or perhaps we are playing into the GOP's political strategy to change the subject after yesterday's tax shift from the uber-wealthy to the middle class while short changing our children's education.
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Total State Population 2233169
Ideal District Size 558292
District 1 571624
+/- ideal 13332
Deviation 2.4%
District 2 572359
+/- ideal 14067
Deviation 2.5%
District 3 534777
+/- ideal -23515
Deviation -4.2%
District 4 554409
+/- ideal -3883
Deviation -0.7%
Legally there can be no deviation without compelling state interest. Upheld standards are usually under 0.5%.
While you can get population data from the census bureau and the tiger files that allow you to play the mapping game, the fact is that without sophisticated districting software it is almost impossible to draw the maps.
Utah Democrats are also concerned about the lack of public access to redistricting information and processes. It was one of the many things that was wrong with the last redistricting process in 2001.
The public was and continues to be denied access to utilize legislative resources for putting together their own maps for consideration by the committee. Minimally, the committee could provide a roadmap for public input like that in Idaho.
For the purposes of redistricting in the State House, the committee has broken down into subcommittees that did not give notice of their meetings to the public or in some instances the Democratic members of those subcommittees.
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