4th Seat Advances in D.C.

None by KCPW

(KCPW News) Last fall, Utah officials bent over backwards to agree on a map for a possible fourth congressional seat, and then Congress dropped the ball. This week the U.S. House finally passed the bill, but it creates an "at-large" seat for Utah, rather than creating a new district. 3rd District Congressman Chris Cannon says it should be up to the Utah Legislature to decide how it adds the fourth seat:

"Under the bill tha tcame out of the House, maps are irrelevant," says Cannon. "But I suspect what will come out of the Senate is a bill that will allow the state to do an at-large race or redistrict and have an election under the terms the state might choose."

Cannon and Representative Jim Matheson both voted for the bill, which gives a seat to Utah as counterpoint to a seat for the Democratic-leaning District of Columbia. President Bush has vowed to veto the measure because he believes the U.S. Constitution guarantees congressional seats to states, but not districts. Cannon thinks it should be up to the U.S. House of Representatives to determine if D.C. gets a seat.

"The House of Representatives constitutionally, is clearly unclear," says Cannon. "Therefore the Senate should defer to us in the House, and the federal courts should defer to us, and I think they will."

The measure is expected to face stiff opposition in the Senate. Regardless of the outcome, Utah is set to get a fourth seat in 2010 when new Census Bureau estimates will reflect the state's growth.

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