From Deseret News archives:

D.C. marchers demand seat in House

Utahns in Capitol hesitant despite Utah's part in bill

Published: Tuesday, April 17, 2007 12:43 a.m. MDT
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Norton said she also does not listen to any talks about a White House veto because she doubted that Bush would be the "big, bad wolf" and deny Utah and the District a vote if the bill passed the House and Senate.

At Monday's rally and march, Norton and District of Columbia Mayor Adrian Fenty, along with hundreds of supporters, made their views clear that the bill should be passed as soon as possible.

But there were no signs or banners calling for Utah's additional voting rights and no one from the Utah delegation spoke at the event.

"Where are they?" Art Favel of Maryland asked as he marched down the street on the cold, windy afternoon, holding a banner saying the people from Maryland support District residents having a vote.

Fellow banner holder John Leohard, also of Maryland, said he hadn't heard anyone complain about Utah getting an additional vote.

Marcus Skelton, chairman of the D.C. Young Republicans, said the people understand there are trade-offs that need to be made to get the District a vote.

"It doesn't matter how we get it done, just get it done," he said.

Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, is a co-sponsor of the bill, but Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, still did not know how he was going to vote as the members debated it in the House last month.

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"Utah doesn't need D.C., D.C. needs Utah," Bishop said. He said Utah will get its additional seat in 2010 anyway, so as the new decade gets closer, the incentive to push this bill through diminishes.

"Utah's been pushed around," Bishop said. The bill "is forcing us to do a lot of things."

z Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah, voted in favor of the bill in two committees but also tried to offer amendments that would have allowed the state to choose whether to have an at-large member or move to the map that the Utah Legislature approved last year.


E-mail: suzanne@desnews.com

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