SALT LAKE CITY (AP)—
A potential Democratic candidate for governor called Wednesday for the creation of an independent redistricting commission to eliminate legislative gerrymandering and improve voter turnouts that rank among the lowest in the nation. The effort by Salt Lake County Peter Corron came just one day after Republican Gov. Gary Herbert was sworn into office."Yesterday we got a new governor, but today, the people take the first step to deliver an open and ethical redistricting process to the state of Utah," Corroon said.
The initiative Corroon signed would create an 11-member commission to redraw the state's legislative districts. That job is currently the sole responsibility of the Republican-controlled Legislature, although under the initiative lawmakers would still get the final say.
About 95,000 signatures of registered voters from 26 of the state's 29 senate districts.would be needed by April to get the initiative on a ballot.
Corroon and former U.S. Rep. Jim Hansen, a Republican, were the first to sign the initiative.
They contend Utah's low voter turnout is the result, in part, of legislative districts drawn to help political parties get candidates elected. In 2008, Utah had the 49th lowest voter turnout in the country at 53.1 percent, according to the Census Bureau.
District lines are often drawn in Utah to protect Republican incumbents. In some cases, towns such as Moab have been split down Main Street.
It wasn't immediately clear if Herbert would sign the ballot petition.
"While the goals of this effort are laudable, the governor has a general concern with creating law through the initiative process, which does not allow for a full vetting process and often results in unintended consequences," Herbert spokeswoman Angie Welling wrote in an e-mail to The Associated Press.
Corroon is widely considered the Democrats best opportunity to take over the governor's office for the first time in more than two decades, although he said he still hasn't made a final decision on whether to run for the office.
"Right now I think there is a good chance that a Democrat could win," Corroon said. "Obviously it's more difficult than if I were a Republican candidate in the state of Utah, but you know, I think citizens are ready to look at something different."
Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Matheson, whose father Scott was Utah's last Democratic governor, has already said he won't run for governor in 2010, but he is keeping his options open for 2012.
Herbert's rise to office following highly popular Gov. Jon Huntsman's resignation to become ambassador to China is seen as an opportunity for challengers from both parties.
Herbert, Huntsman's lieutenant governor and a former Utah County commissioner, is relatively unknown to voters around the state. He will have only one 45-day legislative session beginning in January to develop a legislative record.
That legislative session comes as the state faces one of the worst economic downturns in its history.
FOX 13's Katy Carlyle reports.
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER! @fox13now
