While the Republican-dominated Utah Legislature fiercely defends its constitutional right and expertise in the once-a-decade task of redrawing voter districts, former U.S. Congressman Jim Hansen begs to differ.
"I don't know anybody who screws up more when it comes to reapportionment," said Hansen, a former state House Speaker and Utah's longest-serving U.S. House member when he stepped down following the last redistricting.
He applauded the initiative effort that Fair Boundaries Coalition recently launched to put the formation of an independent redistricting commission on the Utah ballot in 2010.
"When the petitions come out, I'll be the first to sign," said the former 11-term congressman from Farmington.
The bounds set in 2001 were especially horrible, Hansen added.
"They were trying to get [Democratic Congressman] Jim Matheson," Hansen said. "That's the voters' job, not the place of the Legislature."
When Hansen retired from Congress that year, the 1st District boundaries had been redrawn to sweep in half of the Democratic stronghold of Salt Lake City. Still, Republican Rob Bishop handily won the seat and Matheson managed, though barely, to retain his seat despite a radical redrawing of his 2nd District boundaries.
While Hansen complimented state lawmakers as "one of the best groups of men and women around," he questioned their ability to reshape districts without partisan or personal bias.
"They feel the Constitution gives them that [redistricting] right, and it does," Hansen said. "But they're not that objective about it and don't do a good job."
Current House Speaker David Clark, R-Santa Clara, disagrees. In a recent Tribune commentary, Clark opined that his colleagues are the best-equipped to handle the task.
"Collectively, the Legislature has a tremendous knowledge of the geography and demographics of the state and the people they represent," Clark said. "How could a commission ever hope to duplicate this knowledge?"
Clark also argued that the public has ample opportunity for input during the current process, and that sufficient checks are in place to prevent flagrant abuse.
Fair Boundaries, a volunteer group, filed its petition for an independent redistricting commission with the Lieutenant Governor on May 6. Following a 28-day review period -- if the document passes muster -- sponsors can begin collecting the required 95,000 voter signatures and holding a series of seven statewide public hearings.
From the date filed, the group has one year to accomplish those tasks and submit signatures to the appropriate county clerks for validation.
More information can be found online at www.fairboundaries.org.
After every 10-year Census, Utah's Legislature redraws boundaries for House, Senate, congressional and state school board races.
Fair Boundaries, a group of grass-roots volunteers, hopes to put that map-drawing in the hands of an independent 11-member commission. State lawmakers would still retain the final say.
