From Deseret News archives:
Lawmakers eye '07 vote
They're planning ahead for 4th U.S. House seat
"It would be a clean slate," said Sen. Curt Bramble, R-Provo, the co-chairman of a special legislative redistricting committee. "We'd have to elect four new congressional representatives."
Just how that election would be structured, though, remains to be seen. Bramble, the incoming Senate majority leader, said lawmakers would likely wait until the 2007 Legislature meets in January to figure out the special election process.
But Sen. Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan, said he wanted to see candidates go through the regular nominating process at political party conventions. Committee members were told, however, that Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. could speed up that process.
The governor's office is already looking at exactly what would need to be done should Congress pass pending legislation, which would also give heavily Democratic Washington, D.C., a voting seat in the U.S. House for the first time.
"We really haven't had the opportunity to deal with the mechanics of the election," said Lisa Roskelley, a spokeswoman for the governor. "We don't have an exact proposal to put out there at this point."
Of course, there's no guarantee that Utah will get a fourth seat before the next census in 2010. Even as the redistricting committee began sorting through proposed maps, some members questioned whether their efforts would amount to anything.
"It may be an exercise in futility," Bramble acknowledged to the committee. While the chances of action being taken are "'all over the map," he said, Utah lawmakers must move forward.
"It's incumbent on the state to pursue this and define a four-district plan, and let Washington do what they're going to do," Bramble said, adding it was accurate to assume that the Democrat-controlled Congress that takes over from the GOP in January won't take action.
Comments
- Eminent domain in Nets arena case 9:41 a.m.
- St. Louis boxer: sport saved my life 9:31 a.m.
- A 'twittologue' with Chaffetz 9:23 a.m.
- Rebound slower than first thought 9:22 a.m.
- 'Boomerang kids' moving back in 9:18 a.m.
- H1N1 vaccines pulled in Canada 9:06 a.m.
- Stocks retreat on reports 8:58 a.m.
- TCU's success exceeds expectations 8:54 a.m.
- Obama welcomes Indian PM Singh 8:31 a.m.
- KSL: Prostitution in Utah County 8:31 a.m.
- Protests against Phoenix LDS temple
- BYU's Lamb, Jorgensen reprimanded
- Bronco, Kyle rubber match
- Inmate dead following prison fight
- Fans greet returning Real Salt Lake
- Real Champions
- Utah, BYU are top choices for bowls
- Time for big matchups in WAC, MWC
- Plenty on line for rivalry game
- Woman killed in fall identified
- Glenn Beck to enter politics?
216 - RSL wins MLS Cup on penalty kicks
198 - Palin plans tour stop in Utah
178 - Protests against Phoenix LDS temple
138 - Bronco, Kyle rubber match
136 - Palin's book shows she's unqualified
133 - BYU records with win
132 - Officer cleared in Cardall Taser case
103 - BYU cuts Women's Research Inst.
103 - Hall, Johnson matchup key
101
Associated Press Personal Finance Writer Candice Choi offers gift-giving...
spoken like a true P-Ute
She did say it last night. I imagine she said many times before that. The...
If Emery gets healthy, watch out. They have the guard line and the inside...
and make the illegals - legal right? what a scam...we support all these...
See you at the capitol at 3.
'Mormon missionaries, would that be a hate crime against Mormon missionaries,...
I am glad that there is a special unit that is cracking down on child...
Everybody knows Palin quit because she was bored with having to work for...
It is all fake. Fake data, fake conclusions, fake fears and threats. But...
Oh and thanks to BYU for losing to Utah those years, you were so helpful. TCU...



You can be the first to comment on this story.