At-large congressional seat back on the table for Utah

WASHINGTON — Utah's new seat in Congress might not belong to a specific district on a map approved by the Legislature last year but instead be an at-large seat that would cover the whole state until the next Census — if Congress approves a pending bill.

The office of Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C., confirmed Thursday that the at-large option for Utah's new seat would most likely be back in the bill when two House committees take it up next week.

An at-large seat for Utah was in a version of the bill approved last year by the House Government Reform Committee, but when it got to the House Judiciary Committee, then-Chairman James Sensenbrenner, R-Wisc., wanted a four-district map for the state before he would allow it to move through the House.

The state approved such a map, but Congress adjourned before it took up the bill.

When the new session of Congress started in January, Norton introduced a bill that contained the four-district option. Norton's communications director, Doxie McCoy, said Thursday that discussions on the bill over the past few months have brought the at-large option back to the table.

The change can either be made by introducing a new bill or amending it during meetings next week.

Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. at first preferred the at-large seat and said so during testimony on the issue before Congress last year. But now that there is an approved map, Huntsman spokesman Mike Mower said the governor would prefer to use the map as approved by the Legislature.

"But if (the at-large) measure helps us in achieving this goals, he encourages its passage," Mower said. "It is important that Utah receives the fourth seat that it deserves."

Utah missed a fourth seat after the 2000 Census but is likely to get one after the 2010 count. The bill just speeds up the time line as part of a bipartisan compromise to avoid either the Democrats or Republicans gaining an advantage.

Utah's seat would likely go to a Republican while the District's seat would likely go to a Democrat.

Utah's House delegation is still studying the bill. Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, said there are a lot of unanswered questions on how it would affect the state.

Bishop sad it bothers him that the state would have to run a whole new election — which would cost money — and he did not like maps being drawn to protect incumbents.

He also is not sure if the state gets an extra Electoral College vote due to the additional member, which right now is looking as the biggest benefit should the bill pass.