4th-seat vote may come soon

WASHINGTON — Utah's fourth congressional seat may be considered during the upcoming lame-duck session of Congress, advocates for voting rights in the District of Columbia said Thursday.

A pending bill in Congress grants voting rights in the House for the District of Columbia, which would likely go to a Democrat, and creates a fourth House seat for Utah, which would likely go to a Republican. Utah would most likely get a new seat after the 2010 Census, so the bill's author seized the opportunity to try to get it a little earlier as a compromise to balance out the political parties.

At a press conference Wednesday, a reporter asked President George Bush about the bill and he said "it's the first I've heard of it," but that he would "take a look at it."

Kevin Kiger, communications director for DC Vote, a voting rights advocacy group, said the president said later that he wants a longer lame duck session, where this bill could come up.

Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. said earlier this week that he would call a special legislative session to approve a four-district map for the state.

The new seat was initially going to be an at-large seat, but Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wisc., wanted the state to sign off on a map delineating district boundaries before he would allow the bill to move forward.

Kiger said he is optimistic the bill would get through both the House and the Senate, even in the short time remaining. Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, said earlier this week he does not think it will go through this year.