Go slow on fourth Utah seat

What's the hurry?

Supporters of a bill that would grant Utah a fourth congressional seat while providing, for the first time, one representative for the District of Columbia, say they want to get a vote before the lame-duck Congress adjourns for good next month.

Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. may decide soon to convene a special session of the Legislature in order to draw a political map that includes four Utah districts. Presumably, such a map would have to include one district that is likely to vote Democrat, thus saving Rep. Jim Matheson's job and preserving the delicate balance needed for the bill to pass.

It is true that Utah deserves a fourth seat. Some of its districts are among the most populous of any in the nation, and the state fell only a few hundred people short of qualifying for a fourth seat in the 2000 Census. And yes, strong arguments have been made in favor of granting the District of Columbia representation. The folks who live there are being taxed without representation, which is ironic for the seat of the world's most important democracy.

But none of these arguments justifies the rush.

For one thing, granting the District of Columbia a representative ought to require a constitutional amendment. Such a thing was needed in order to grant the district three electoral votes in presidential elections. It ought to be needed here. The Constitution is clear that House members are to be chosen "by the people of the several states." The District of Columbia is not a state.

For another, Utah gains little by hurrying to get this done now. The bill would increase the number of representatives by two, thus diluting, ever so slightly, the value of an additional Utah seat. In a little more than three short years, the 2010 Census will be conducted, and Utah is bound to gain at least a fourth seat without passing a bill or making a compromise.

And finally, a special legislative session now would only perpetuate the wrong way to draw districts. Utah needs to establish an independent commission to do that job every 10 years, making it as fair and non-political as possible. Several other states already have done this.

Doing things quickly never is as good as doing them right. In this case, Utah would get very little for all its rushing around to satisfy someone's political compromise.