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WASHINGTON - Utah's congressmen have yet to sign on to a bill that would grant the state a fourth U.S. House seat, but they say they are still pushing for its passage.
None of Utah's three members of the House is a co-sponsor of the legislation that is primarily aimed at giving the District of Columbia its first congressional seat. To balance the likely Democratic seat for the district, the bill grants a seat to the state next in line to get another representative: in this case, Republican-dominated Utah.
The bill was introduced earlier this month, but Utah's two Republican House members say it's not the same legislation they co-sponsored last year. That legislation failed to get a vote.
Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah, is negotiating with bill sponsors over a provision that would bar the state from redrawing congressional districts until 2012. Some Democrats in Congress fear the GOP-led Utah Legislature would attempt to gerrymander the state's only Democratic congressman, Jim Matheson, out of office.
State lawmakers already met in a special session last year to finalize a four-seat map.
Cannon says the redistricting moratorium is "a slam down on our Legislature." He said state lawmakers wouldn't want to redraw the map, but Congress shouldn't be telling them they can't.
Likewise, Republican Rep. Rob Bishop prefers the previous legislation over the new version.
"Utah seemed to be pushed more and more in a corner," said Bishop's staff chief, Scott Parker. "It's just changed so much from the first iteration."
Matheson, who was forced into a majority Republican district after the last redistricting, is not a co-sponsor either. But he favors the redistricting moratorium.
"For people in Utah to say once we get it we want to redraw the boundaries again, that's a little bit disingenuous," Matheson said. "I think that's got to be part of the bill."
Ilir Zherka, executive director of the voting rights advocacy group DC Vote, says he has chatted with Utah's members.
"Ultimately, they are interested in working on this bill," Zherka says.
Meanwhile, District of Columbia Mayor Adrian Fenty announced the city would have a major march in April to draw attention to the city's lack of congressional representation.
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* Tribune reporter ROBERT GEHRKE contributed to this
report.