(KCPW News) Cedar Hills residents who elected former State Representative Craig Frank before he discovered he lived in the wrong legislative district gathered at the capitol today, urging lawmakers to re-draw the legislative boundaries. Karen Herd said the right to vote is guaranteed by the state and U.S. constitutions.
“We’ve been given a house by the state of Utah, and we didn’t just make it our house, it was our home,” she said. “And now they’re telling us that they’re taking that away from us, and we’re going to be put in three separate districts: a separate Senate district, a separate Congressional district, and a separate legislative district.”
The group wants at least two-thirds of the Utah House and Senate to vote to change the boundaries by the end of this week. That would mean when Utah County Republican Party delegates meet later this month, they would be able to appoint Frank back to the seat, making him a State Representative once again.
Senator John Valentine is sponsoring a bill to have the boundaries re-drawn. But Senate President Michael Waddoups says it would be more appropriate for the House of Representatives to take up the issue first.
“It’s their issue,” said Waddoups. “I know Senator Valentine is concerned because it’s his Senate district, it also affects the congressional district, so it’s appropriate to come from either one, but I would like to see it come from the House.”
Frank moved out of his own legislative district in January 2009, but his name still appeared on the ballot because of an error in the Utah County clerk’s map. He said after resigning last week that if lawmakers don’t re-draw the boundaries, he expects some residents will sue the state.
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