Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
- Utah leaders begin redistricting after a court ruling calling for new congressional district maps.
- Sept. 24 is the first of many deadlines for the new maps, which could be in place by Nov. 1.
- The court's decision has generated mixed reactions this week.
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah's top two legislative leaders say they're still not thrilled with a 3rd District Court judge's ruling on Monday calling on the state to redraw its congressional boundaries, but they plan to try to meet the court's deadline.
That is unless a higher court weighs in first.
In a statement on Thursday, Senate President Stuart Adams and House Speaker Mike Schultz said the state is pursuing "every legal option available," including a potential stay from the Utah Supreme Court while it attempts to meet the deadline.
The lawmakers called Judge Dianna Gibson's ruling "misguided" and a 30-day timeline to draw the districting maps "arbitrary," but they plan to "defend (the Legislature's) constitutional authority and move forward with redrawing the state's congressional map."
"We can and will continue to pursue the same goal we have had from the outset — for each member of Congress to represent both urban and rural voices," Adams' and Schultz's statement read in part. "This model provides a true statewide perspective, ensuring that all Utahns — whether they live in rural towns, suburban neighborhoods or our capital city — have four strong voices in Washington, D.C."
Gibson handed down a 76-page ruling late Monday, determining that Proposition 4 — a measure Utah voters approved in 2018 that sought to combat gerrymandering — is the law of the land in Utah, not a 2021 law that altered it. Her decision sided with groups like the League of Women Voters of Utah and Mormon Women for Ethical Government, who had argued that changing the initiative violated the rights of Utah voters.
The Utah Supreme Court ruled last year that Utah lawmakers overstepped authority when they changed the voter initiative that had established an independent redistricting commission.
In a statement Thursday, Elizabeth Rasmussen, executive director of Better Boundaries, the group that created Proposition 4, said the organization is "encouraged" that the Legislature will move forward with new maps. The group hopes that the new maps will better reflect the standards outlined in the proposition.
"Utahns voted for independent redistricting in 2018, and the court has now confirmed that decision must be respected," she said, in part. "Proposition 4 set fair standards voters expect: follow the law, create compact and contiguous districts, respect neighborhoods and communities and use natural boundaries like mountains and roads. Above all, it prohibited politicians from drawing maps to protect themselves or their party."
It wasn't immediately clear when the Utah Legislature plans to vote on the measure, but a handful of legislative committee meetings are already planned throughout September, bringing lawmakers back to the Utah Capitol.
The state has until Sept. 24 to "design and enact" a map that complies with redistricting standards established under Proposition 4, according to the ruling. Plaintiffs and third parties have until the end of Oct. 3 to file objections with new maps, and an evidentiary hearing will be held between Oct. 9 and Oct. 14. The new maps are to be in place by Nov. 1, for the 2026 midterm elections.
But the 30-day window leaves "little opportunity for meaningful, statewide public involvement," Adams and Schultz asserted. They believe the timeline is "unreasonable" and "fundamentally unfair" when compared to the nearly two dozen public meetings held within a close to six-month window before the last maps were approved shortly after the 2020 census.
"We will attempt to redistrict under these unprecedented constraints, consistent with our oath to represent the best interests of Utah," they said.
Reaction to the court ruling has been mixed since it was delivered.
Adams and Schultz said they were "disappointed" by the ruling not long after it was ordered, but they would review it and map out the state's next steps. Others argued that the judiciary overstepped the Legislature's responsibilities with the ruling. Thursday's update also comes a day after President Donald Trump weighed in, calling Gibson's ruling "unconstitutional."
"This incredible State sent four great Republicans to Congress, and we want to keep it that way," the president wrote on Truth Social. "The Utah GOP has to STAY UNITED, and make sure their four terrific Republican Congressmen stay right where they are!"
Plaintiffs in the case and state Democrats applauded the ruling, saying it creates a more level playing field in the House of Representatives. Sen. Nate Blouin, D-Salt Lake City, called it a "great day" for Utah.
"We are thrilled that the court has reaffirmed what we have known all along: that the people have co-equal lawmaking authority with the Legislature, that the Legislature violated the Utah Constitution when they overturned Proposition 4 and that Utahns deserve fair, independent maps they voted for almost seven years ago," Rasmussen added after the ruling was delivered.
