With the deadline to file for reelection a little over a month away, two of Utah’s Republican members of Congress are asking a federal court to block the use of new U.S. House districts that could significantly boost Democrats’ chances of winning a Salt Lake City area seat in November.
A lawsuit filed late Monday by U.S. Reps. Celeste Maloy and Burgess Owens and nearly a dozen local officials contends a state judge violated the U.S. Constitution last year when she rejected congressional districts drawn by the Republican-led state Legislature and instead imposed an alternative map submitted by groups suing the Legislature.
The U.S. Constitution and Utah Constitution both give redistricting powers to the state Legislature, the lawsuit asserts, and “courts have no authority to draw a congressional map.” The lawsuit contends Utah’s districts should revert to those last approved by the Legislature in 2021, unless lawmakers come up with new ones.
Utah is one of several states still locked in legal battles over House voting districts ahead of the midterm elections this fall.
Celeste Maloy and these other Republicans have to cheat to win instead of convincing voters and winning on the merits, character, and issues. She won’t have a seat unless its gerrymandered. The real issue is that Prop 4, which passed by statewide election to bring about the end of this gerrymandering, is by the Voice of the People which she and the Rs do not respect. This is a power grab and it’s simply evil. Having the people choose their own Reps on a fair playing field simply gives power back to We the People. They love to make a strawman argument and attack it relentlessly because talking about the real issue reveals their villainy.
You know, it’s just too darn close to the election to be changing maps. I guess they’ll just have to take a loss on this one, unless they want to expose themselves for lying about the reason other states couldn’t change their maps in the year of an election.
Very interesting. I reseached this for over half an hour.
Utah legislation has that right, not a judge. (U.S. Cons 1.4)
Should a Federal Court be handling it rather than, say, Supreme Court of Utah? Nowhere in section 4 is that mentioned. Actually
The Supreme Court of Utah did rule that the legislature illegally disregarded a Referendum. Right to referendum is guaranteed by the Utah Constitution since 1900.
The funniest detail fs that the referendum only required the Utah legislature to vote on the map proposed by the independent commission. These grabby boomers could have just voted no, but instead they had a tantrum and are trying to repeal the very right to have a referendum.
A useful summary: https://www.abc4.com/news/politics/inside-utah-politics/proposition-4-map-c-special-sessions-redistricting-timeline/
TLDR its already been decided by Supreme Court of Utah and the `Republicans´ are trying to cheat
Holy cow, what a bunch of clowns.
Is Utah just Texas without the booze? (And maybe not quite as many guns?)
It’s got the same amount of guns, and surprisingly more religion. The Mormon church runs the state government.
