vote on the redistricting maps that have been debated in public hearings all over the state
for over 6 months.
The legislature deadlocked and the Republicans retreated to closed door meetings in
both the House and the Senate to create new maps, never seen by the public or discussed
in public hearings. The Democrats and the media were not included in the closed door
meetings which went on for almost two full days.
"The Utah Democratic Party said it filed an
open-records request with the Legislature on Wednesday seeking documents
on what it called “the closed-door, secret conversations” that led last
week to a stalemate between the House and Senate on congressional maps
and prompted a two-week recess to seek a compromise."
“Someone must smash a battering ram through the
closed doors,” said Utah Democratic Party Chairman Jim Dabakis. “The
Republican Party bosses are taking a two-by-four to the democratic
process, and they must repent.” Lee Davidson
sltrib.com
sltrib.com
"That deadlock occurred when many House members
balked at a map passed by the committee and Senate. Instead, they wanted
the map to favor the GOP more, help rural candidates more or move more
Republicans from Davis County into the district of Rep. Jim Matheson,
D-Utah, to make it tougher on him.
House Republicans then drew and debated an alternative behind closed doors that would be tougher on the six-term congressman.
The Senate not only disliked the map, it
complained the House map had never been vetted publicly and worried it
could re-create the furor that occurred earlier this year when lawmakers
quickly passed changes to open-records laws that had little chance for
public input." Lee Davidson Salt Lake Tribune
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