Utah Redistricting Commission (2010)
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A Utah Redistricting Commission Initiative may appear on the November 2010 ballot in Utah as an initiated state statute. The ballot initiative was filed on May 6, 2009. The objective of the redistricting initiative is to establish a commission to set the state's 75 state legislative district boundaries, rather than continue with the current method whereby state legislators re-draw district boundaries after each decennial federal census.[1]
Ballot measure details
The following is the submitted ballot measure text:[2]
This bill enacts provisions in the Election Code to establish an independent redistricting commission.
This bill:
- provides an intent statement;
- provides definitions;
- requires that redistricting occur only every ten years after the decennial census or in association with a change in the number of congressional, legislative, or state school board seats for a reason other than the decimal census;
- provides the standards for election districts;
- establishes and independent redistricting commission that is composed of Utah citizens;
- establishes the membership requirements and procedures for the commission;
- provides for the replacement and compensation of members;
- requires the commission to prepare a redistricting plan for presentation at public hearings and to the legislature;
- provides a uniform scoring matrix for the commission's creation and consideration when preparing a redistricting plan;
- requires the commission's final plan to be based on the scoring matrix;
- permits alternative plans submitted by citizens and commission members to be considered and scored by the commission;
- requires the commission to hold public hearings on the plan approved by the commission;
- provides the technical staff for the commission be provided by the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel and permits the commission to hire its own legal counsel for legal assistance;
- requires the commission to request a supermajority vote that the plan be submitted to the legislature for the legislature's approval or rejection at a Special Session;
- requires the legislature to prepare a redistricting plan pursuant to the scoring matrix, in compliance with mandatory anti-gerrymandering standards, and subject to the Open and Public Meetings Act, Title 52, Chapter 4, if the commission's plan is rejected; and provides a severability clause.
Fiscal impact
According to the Governor's Office of Planning and Budget the fiscal impact of the proposed Utah Redistricting Commission is $1,036,000 in total fiscal expenses from the general fund. Additionally, $36,000 for the production and dissemination of voter information related to the staffing of the proposed commission.[3]
Support
The redistricting initiative is sponsored by a group called the Fair Boundaries Coalition. Its official sponsors are Mark Sage, Tania Knauer, Catherine Millicent Shaw Lewis, Mary Jo Bishop and Cynthia J. Bias-Thompson.[1] Most of the leading sponsors of the initiative are Democrats.[4]
Potential opposition
House Speaker David Clark has indicated he will be active in dialogue on the issue. He chairs a 50-state redistricting committee for the National Conference of State Legislatures and generally prefers to have the Utah State Legislature continue to draw the state's legislative boundaries, as it currently does.[4]
Path to the ballot
The proposed measure was filed on May 6, 2009, after which the Utah Lieutenant Governor had 28 days to review the document. A series of seven hearings in various locations throughout the state were held from July 1st through July 9th.[5]
Petition signatures
In order to qualify the measure for the ballot, supporters must collect a minimum of 94,552 signatures by April 15, 2010.[6]
See also
Articles
External links
Additional reading
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Utah Elections,"Utah Redistricting Standards Commission - List of sponsors," retrieved November 17, 2009
- ↑ Utah Elections,"Utah Redistricting Standards Commission - text," retrieved November 18, 2009
- ↑ Utah Office of Planning and Budget,"Fiscal Impact of Utah Redistricting Standards Commission," June 18, 2009
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Salt Lake Tribune, "Democrats abound in redistricting effort", April 11, 2009
- ↑ Utah Elections,"Utah Redistricting Standards Commission - Public Hearings," retrieved November 17, 2009
- ↑ Salt Lake Tribune, "Group files redistricting initiative", May 6, 2009
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