SALT LAKE CITY — Across Utah, hundreds of people have submitted comments on the proposed maps in the court-ordered redistricting process.
"This map puts me, who lives in a suburban city, with folks who live in rural areas. Our interests don't align and are often times contradictory. Please do not choose this map," wrote one person.
"This map is okay and better than A-C but not as good as D. It has some confusing splits," wrote another.
"This is the most reasonable representation of all the maps. It isn't perfect but it appears to be the most sensible of all the options" wrote another.
The primary focus is on six maps created by the Utah State Legislature's Redistricting Committee — five from the Republican majority and one from the Democrats. Katharine Biele, the president of the League of Women Voters of Utah and a plaintiff in the lawsuit that sparked the redrawing of congressional maps, said her group has no position on any of them.
"Our position would be that they need to comport with Proposition 4," she told FOX 13 News on Tuesday.
The League, Mormon Women for Ethical Government and others sued the legislature alleging that it improperly overrode Prop. 4, a citizen ballot initiative that created an independent redistricting commission. The legislature then substituted its maps that the plaintiffs allege were illegal gerrymandering to favor Republicans in the congressional districts. A judge sided with the plaintiffs and threw out Utah's current congressional boundaries, ordering new ones to be drawn by a Nov. 10 deadline.
Right now, the legislature is soliciting public comment on all maps submitted by the public and the legislature. On Oct. 6, the committee will pick one and send it to a special session of the Utah legislature to be held later that day. The chosen map, approved by the legislature, then goes back to 3rd District Judge Dianna Gibson for her approval.
The maps must comply with Prop. 4, which Judge Gibson ruled is law. It's why the independent redistricting commission's maps can't be considered (they were crafted under a substitute "compromise" law that has also been struck down).
In its own analysis, the Better Utah Institute (tied to the progressive policy group Alliance for a Better Utah) ranked the maps on a scale of 0 to 100 in terms of compactness, city and county splits, and competitiveness. While the group did use partisan data for competitiveness (something the legislature's redistricting committee cannot consider), it found some surprises.
"None of them are really as competitive as I think Utahns deserve," said Taylor Knuth, the institute's executive director. "Which speaks to the ruling and where we’ve been on the topic of redistricting from the very beginning. Utahns need a voice in their maps."
Under its analysis, Option B was ranked the most competitive district. It puts a large chunk of Salt Lake County with Tooele County. But under all the proposed maps, Salt Lake County gets split into four pieces. Knuth said his group had no position on any particular map, but was presenting options for voters to see. So far, no conservative group has offered a similar analysis that FOX 13 News has found.
But if none of the maps that make it through the legislature's special session actually get past the judge? There remains another option. Biele told FOX 13 News the plaintiffs can craft their own map to submit to the judge. It would not go through the public comment process the legislature's maps have as it goes directly to the courts.
"If the legislature presents a map that is perfect, totally complies with proposition four then there’s no need for any other maps. Simple as that," Biele said. "If they don’t, we will have something in hand to give to the judge."
