SALT LAKE CITY — As expected, Republican leaders are not going down without a fight, announcing that they will appeal the state's new congressional map to the Utah Supreme Court.
Appearing at the Utah State Capitol on Monday, Senate President J. Stuart Adams and House Speaker Mike Schultz laid out their plan to halt the implementation of the map, which includes calling a special session of the legislature next month.
During the special session on Dec. 9, the Republican majority will introduce a constitutional amendment regarding the ability of initiatives to override the state's Constitution.
The new map, which creates a district favorable to the Democratic Party, was approved earlier this month by Third District Court Judge Dianna Gibson. Her ruling came after a lawsuit was filed, accusing the legislature of overriding voters who passed Proposition 4, which created an independent redistricting commission.
Judge selects Utah congressional map, creates district that could lean Democrat:
“Our duty as elected representatives of Utah is to ensure the long-term strength and stability of our state constitutional institutions," Adams and Schultz said in a statement. "The courts have created confusion and uncertainty in a process that should be predictable and constitutional, and we are taking immediate steps to fix it."
In the statement, state GOP leaders confirmed that they would appeal Gibson's ruling to the Utah Supreme Court.
Immediately following the plan shared by Utah Republican leaders, Utah Senate and House Democrats condemned the call for a special session.
"We want to be clear, this is the Majority Caucuses’ call for session, and we continue to believe that Judge Gibson’s ruling should be respected," the party said in a statement of its own. "The Legislature’s map failed to comply with Proposition 4, and the court selected the map that did meet the law’s requirements.
"It is fiscally irresponsible to use tax payer dollars to fight this legal battle, which undermines the will of Utah voters. Utahns deserve to know their voices matter and their representatives do not choose their voters.”
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