Utah GOP downs Dem redistricting proposals

Democrats tried several times on Wednesday to change how Utah redraws its political boundaries, but Republicans knocked down each attempt in party-line votes.

GOP members of the Legislature’s Redistricting Committee rejected attempts to ensure boundaries protect "communities of interest" and that new districts be politically competitive if possible. They also nixed exploring a new type of district that would elect several representatives instead of one through "proportional representation."

The votes came as the committee adopted a list of "redistricting principles" to guide its remapping. The panel ended up with a list nearly identical to one used 10 years ago — including mandates to draw traditional single-legislator districts, with 29 state Senate districts and 75 state House districts. It also will map four U.S. House districts and 15 state school board districts.

Former Utah Libertarian Party Chairman J. Robert Latham proposed perhaps the most radical change — one Democrats liked but Republicans did not.

He asked that the committee consider multi-representative districts — used in many countries and some U.S. cities — which he argued could lead to electing some Republicans in heavily Democratic Salt Lake City or some Democrats in heavily Republican Utah County.

Read more: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/51750699-90/districts-committee-democrats-republicans.html.csp

unless they get too greedy and try to run the table and knock off Matheson too. Then in a good year we might pick up a seat.