President J. Stuart Adams and Speaker Mike Schultz release the following statement:
“Despite a misguided court ruling and an arbitrary 30-day deadline, the Utah Legislature will defend its constitutional authority and move forward with redrawing the state’s congressional map. The court’s order unconstitutionally ties the Legislature’s hands by mandating certain redistricting criteria when the U.S. and Utah constitutions leave it to the people’s representatives in the legislature to redistrict.
“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. 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.
“When we last drew congressional boundaries, the Legislature spent nearly six months traveling the state and holding more than 20 public meetings to gather input. Now, the court has allowed only 30 days to complete the same complex process, leaving little opportunity for meaningful, statewide public involvement. Even more concerning, after hearing summary judgments in January, the judge waited months to issue a ruling—only to then impose this rushed deadline on the public and the Legislature. Such a timeline is not only unreasonable, it is fundamentally unfair to Utahns.
“While we will continue to pursue every legal option available—including requesting a stay from the Utah Supreme Court if necessary—we will attempt to redistrict under these unprecedented constraints, consistent with our oath to represent the best interests of Utah.”
Tags: Congressional Map