MyDistricting | Utah Legislative Redistricting Committee
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Committee Chairs Proposal - Congressional
Provide your comments for consideration in the 2021 Redistricting process
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District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
Population and Geography based on 2020 Census
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Gabe Sorensen
As a resident of Park City, it does pain me to see the small town cut in half. I feel even worse for Salt Lake after it has been split 4 ways and combined with the most rural areas of Utah. Obviously, Utah is a red state, but that doesn't mean that Democrats shouldn't have any representation at all.
Charlie Smith
I do not like how this map includes small towns with cities. Small town values are much different than those of people in the city.
Katie Elizabeth McConnell
This map isn't the representing everyone equally. I think it's also crazy that cities are split up between two districts, even smaller ones. This map also highly favors Republican votes over Democratic votes.
Joy Coxson
Through the blatant disregard to cities, counties, and views of the citizens within those areas, it is made clear that this is a case of gerrymandering. The fact that Salt Lake City has been split between all four districts is a clear indicator that the views of those within the city are not being recognized. With the views of those in an urban area being spread out, and being placed in districts with those in more rural areas, the voices of those urban citizens are not fully heard. Because of this, it is clearly a biased and unjust representation of the citizens of Utah. Considering the equal protection clause, found within the fourteenth amendment, it is clear that change is needed within Utah.
Ian McBride
I dislike this map, it does not do a good job making sure that everyone is equally represented. Salt Lake seems to be heavily favored against other areas, which is not fair to the rest of the state. The lines need to be changed.
Lydia West
This map allows for a poor representation for Utah voters. It highly favors the Salt Lake area. Which typically Salt Lake City residents vote much differently from the rest of UT. This needs to change.
Kara Jensen
I think that it is wrong that all of the small towns have to be with some parts of Salt Lake, I bet many people in the same district has never even heard of the small towns that they are in the same district as. It would make more sense to have the big city together and a bunch of small towns because those in Salt Lake probably have more similar opinions than a bunch of people from everywhere.
Shaade Lee
I really do not like this map! Like others have said, The idea of this districts is obviously gerrymandering. I live in the city of Mapleton and I am in a district with parts of salt lake and I think that is just terrible. They are vastly different areas and very different lifestyles and I don't think they should be in the same group at all. Mapleton area should not become any closer to the type of area that is Salt lake City.
Eliya Allphin
I am definitely disappointed by this map. I understand that it will be quite a long time before republicans aren’t the massive majority in our state, but this just seems like kicking a dead horse. There is no way democrats are going to gain a majority if this map was even a bit more reasonably drawn. A lot of Gerrymandering toward the opposite party would have to happen for them to gain the upper hand. These districts group people with vastly different wants and needs just to split up the few prevalently democratic areas. Just take a look at District 2, rural Utahns of the Southwest counties get paired with more urban Utahns of Salt Lake and neither wants that. There’s no reason to break up a bunch of counties, even cities to just make Republicans win by a landslide. This is a joke to equal representation.
Sophie Sheppe
I do not agree with this map because it is clearly gerrymandering. Salt Lake City is split up into four different districts. Since Salt Lake is the biggest city in Utah, it will have different needs than those in rural areas. Also, the map was split up with different counties in each district. Each county has a fairly similar lifestyle and so they should be kep together.
Wesley Perkins
I disagree with this district map because it divides the major population center of Salt Lake City into all of the other districts. This is unfair because it is mainly democratic and urban districts should be separate because they have different needs. These districts are clearly gerrymandering and that violates the 14th amendment and equal representation.
Emma Cusimano
I disagree with this new distritct map because it is clearly gerrymandering and this should not happen under the 14th Amendment for equal protection. The democrats' votes are clearly being taken advantage of to favor the republicans. Urban areas should not be in the same district as rural ones because they are going to have different needs by default.
Brayden David Budge
Knowing that we are normally a pro-republican state, I like how many people's eyes have been opened in realizing the overbearing power of one-party domination. The whole idea of equality in representation is not achieved in any way by this map; in fact, it does the complete opposite. You can definitely tell this map is pro-republican. I think both parties need an equal shot and there is indeed a way to achieve it.
Lotte De Jager
I think an independent committee should be creating districts to prevent gerrymandering because it is nonpartisan. I also think Salt Lake city should be represented as one and not split into 4 districts.
litzy gonzales
I dislike this map because it favors one group of the other. I feel like it should be split up more equal or at least to the point where it's not just one massive group and then a tiny bit of the other.
Chase A McClelland
I am fully against this new district map because it is a clear example of gerrymandering. This map was clearly drawn to favor the Republican party and suppress the power of Democrats, mostly evidenced by the fact that Salt lake is split up and included with extremely rural areas that have nothing in common with it. This is how politicians maintain power and take silence minority opinions.
Brian Lowe
This is an interesting way to put it, I think that no matter what happens since there is so little democrats in the state it is hard to redraw districts in favor of democrats without partisan gerrymandering. I think that either way the democrats are going to be frustrated unless they have that gerrymandered district. One thing that does bug me about these maps is that I think that we should be grouped with the people that live around us not grouped across multiple counties just to split salt lake apart.
Michaela Moore
I don't agree with the fact that my town of Spanish Fork may become like unto the revolting city of Salt Lake City. Every day Salt Lake is getting closer and closer to becoming like a city in California. I'd much rather let everything in Salt Lake stay in Salt Lake, and let my own town and nearby towns stay as they are. Spanish Fork is already too big, and shouldn't be made bigger faster. Due to this district realignment my district is now combined with areas of Salt Lake City and I know for a fact that I'm not a city person and don't want to be a city person. Being involved with the Salt Lake community may force my town to become more like a city which would do more harm than good.
Easton Brotherson
These districts are put in place to drown out the Democratic votes within our population. The urban city of Salt Lake should not be in the same district as the rural farm towns of Utah. The reason the map is set this way is to cancel out the democratic votes and keep the state republican.
STELLA DUSTMAN
This method of separation ensures that the republican party maintains power and dilutes majority democratic votes to have less weight. It is crucial that all votes are accounted in a manner of consideration by our government. Elected officials must respect voters and demonstrate accountability.
James K Hopkins
It seems that this map was created to just take away the power for the minority group in Utah. It is no surprise that Republicans make up the majority in Utah, but there is no reason to make the minority group (democrats) have even less power in the state. Also, the map doesnt make sense in general as it is pairing more urban centers of Utah with very rural areas who do not have the same needs is pointless. Overall, the map just seems unfair an not representative of the people in Utah.
Alyssa Butler
It doesn't make sense to split up Salt Lake and put them in groups with tons of rural cities and towns. Surely two people in SLC living a block apart have more in common with each other than someone practically in Idaho?
Ian Schoenwald
Gerrymandering Jeremy Ranch from all other parts of park city is pointless. It is separating us and forcing us to vote for people we are not connected to.
Keira Henricksen
I have absolutely no clue how this map affects anything, but I dislike it because it separates us. Again, no clue what it means but strongly dislike. Also because 1:10 of the people on here dislike it so due to social pressure I am assuming it's a bad thing
Chloe Evans
I don't like this map and think it is very unfair. The people who are voicing their opinion and voting based on their opinion are getting invalidated. It's not fair that these people are given the chance to voice their belief and opinion and then it's not even shown like it doesn't matter. One side shouldn't be favored over the other, it should be equal.
christopher hurst
I dislike this map because it seems to be unfair. I think the way that the map is drawn up it seems to support one side and not the other. Obviously there is always going to be a majority opinion. However, we should give the minority a chance to voice their opinion. They should create a more fair map that gives the minority opinion a better platform to voice their ideas and beliefs.
Ashley Green
I don’t affiliate myself with being on either party. I do believe that if the people vote for something to be put into place it should be. Dissolving a group of people that have the ‘unpopular’ views is not what America stands for.
Owen Taylor
I’m not a politically motivated person, but this is definitely gerrymandering. People voted a specific way, and it seems as though those votes were disregarded. I think that the biggest problem is the misrepresentation that this will bring and the obvious issues that people have with this mapping.
Torin Airmet
This is clearly and blatantly gerrymandering. I do not have the same needs as rural Utahns. It's ridiculous to think that someone could represent me and Richmond better than they could represent me and the people that I have grown up around literally my entire life. My grandpa who lives in the same city as me is in a different district, but these people I have very little in common with are supposed to be my peers. It's ridiculous and it just leaves both rural and urban Utahns feeling unrepresented and unheard.
Corey Sherod
This bs must stop! Political corruption! Lines should be fixed permanently.
Julia Sherman
This gerrymandering is unacceptable. This map does not reflect any adoption of the independent commission maps created through the 2018 proposition for independent redistricting that was passed with the vote of over 500,000 Utahns. It's wrong for a 3 mile stretch down 3900 S to put neighbors in 4 separate districts. This is voter suppression and it is completely inappropriate at any time, but especially in 2021.
Kali Klingler
I wouldn't say that I am for one way or the other, but I believe that this map is marginally better than the last. It splits the Salt Lake County voters (who are mostly Democratic) into the other three districts so the Democrats would have a better fighting chance against the people they are in the districts with. But, as we should all know by now, the region of partisan does not necessarily mean that all of the people in that district are just made up of that specific partisan. The Gerrymandering would not affect the voting as much as people would think, and it is solely based on who people are voting for. Someone in a predominately Republican district could vote for a Democratic representative and vice versa. The state of Utah is also made up of approximately 14% declared Democrat, 50% declared Republican, and 29% declared unaffiliated based on the numbers of active voters in Utah, meaning that the citizens would most likely vote for a Republican representative no matter how you Gerrymander the state of Utah.
Luke R Isom
Why doesn't the legislature want people to have a say in who represents them? Why they are ignoring the commission they set up? We demand the right to fair representation.
Luke R Isom
Why doesn't the legislature want people to have a say in who represents them? Why they are ignoring the commission they set up? We demand the right to fair representation.
Emily Elizabeth Cook
Wow, impressive gerrymandering! Republican representatives are ignoring the voices and votes of their constituents!
Michael Dymowski
These maps are incredibly biased, and the committee that created them is completely disregarding the recommendations of the independent commission that we voted for in 2018. The independent commission is nonpartisan, they held meetings across the state for two months to gather public input, and the maps they created meet nationally-accepted criteria for fair maps. The Legislative Redistricting Committee is partisan, their maps do not meet nationally-accepted criteria for fair maps, and they are undermining the public's best interest. Since the maps are only updated once every 10 years, this has serious implications for our state. We need to follow redistricting best practices for data-based maps that create voting districts free of political bias.
Preston Gallacher
Utah voters overwhelming approved an independent redistricting committee, which was done with careful attention for permitting fair and just elections. Redistricting should help our areas with interests and make sure the needs of all Utahns are balanced. Instead of using the independent recommendations (of which they gave several options), the Utah legislature is proposing this plan—which combines urban and rural interests by splitting up Salt Lake into its 4 districts. This type of biases, disregard for creating fair voting districts will harm our state by keeping the very politicians in position that do not deserve to be there. Please follow the redistricting best practices using data-based maps.
Christine Christensen
These maps are incredibly biased, and the committee that created them is completely disregarding the recommendations of the independent commission that we voted for in 2018. The independent commission is nonpartisan, they held meetings across the state for two months to gather public input, and the maps they created meet nationally-accepted criteria for fair maps. The Legislative Redistricting Committee is partisan, their maps do not meet nationally-accepted criteria for fair maps, and they are undermining the public's best interest. Since the maps are only updated once every 10 years, this has serious implications for our state. We need to follow redistricting best practices for data-based maps that create voting districts free of political bias.
Erik Brunvand
Horrible map - beyond even my low expectations! The excuse that all districts should contain rural and urban districts disenfranchises both constituencies. This "new normal" of elected officials having absolutely no consequences of their blatant power grabs is disgusting. These maps essentially guarantee that we can't even vote out the politicians who support it! Ugh.
Rebecca de Schweinitz
The Utah Legislature's end-run around the will of the citizens of the state on our new redistricting maps is unconscionable. Voters said they wanted maps drawn up by an appointed INDEPENDENT redistricting committee. And that committee did exactly what voters wanted them to do. The Independent committee's efforts to seek input and to talk to people across the state (over many months), and to carefully weigh appropriate criteria as they considered boundary options was truly admirable. Now hyper-partisan, self-serving officials are going to throw out all that work--the work of democracy in action--in favor of nonsense boundaries that put party power over representation, shared interests, common sense, and just plain human decency. Their actions say so much about about our broken political system and the bankruptcy of the current Republican Party. American democracy requires civic virtue. Our State Legislature has shown they have none. History makes clear that voting rights mean nothing if your State Legislature creates structures that result in (and are designed to result in) large segments of the population having no effective voice. Way to delegitimize Utah politics completely. Way to pave the way for extremists. Way to foster public cynicism, especially among the younger generation.
Bradley Korth
Absolutely not! Salt Lake County divided into all four districts? Splitting a single city into two districts? That's not reality here. Salt Lake County should be all in the same district. This is corrupt and needs redrawn. (Also, it shouldn't default your comment to "Like").
Gary Riehle
We voted for the maps drawn by an independent commission knowing that they would still be Republicans but at least it wasn't you deciding who gets to rule. Seems Bad when The Government chooses who runs in elections.
David Allen Westerby
Really? That's the best you can do on the Congressional map? The Independent Commission did such a good job. As a conservative in Southern Utah, I protest. Your map is so blatantly partisan!
Laura Leavitt
I am furious that the voter initiative we voted for is being blatantly misconstrued into further gerrymandering. I implore the legislature to have a backbone and choose the right. This is blatantly dishonest.
Michael Green
The Utah GOP blatantly thumbs their noses at Utah voters, and they are re-elected every time anyway.
Matthew Coles
I followed the independent redistricting committee very closely and admired the way they abided by the spirit of Proposition 4, passed by me and my fellow Utah voters in 2018. This supplanting of a legislative map that divides SL County into four parts is a sham and a poor idea of good governance. Please adopt the independent redistricting map!
Giles Larsen
As a resident of Salt Lake City, it is clear that the legislature proposes (again) to dilute as much as possible the electorate of the Salt Lake Valley with rural communities whose bread and butter issues, environmental pressures, ethnic and racial demographics, social priorities, and local economies bear little resemblance to each other. The proposed redistricting scheme will (again) permit a US House Rep from the smallest homogeneous rural communities to represent the largest and most heterogeneous urban areas, and vice versa. Both options are equally offensive to the spirit of authentic representation for these distinct communities of interest, and both will result in representation that is disconnected and even hostile to the daily lives of those whom they purport to represent. If the purpose of the proposed redistricting scheme is to disenfranchise and diminish the distinct communities of interest within our state for the sake of partisan advantage, then the legislative committee's plan contains considerable merits. However, as Utahns, we should aspire to more. The Utah Independent Redistricting Commission's (UIRC) proposed maps attempt to do precisely this, and I encourage policy makers to divide the Salt Lake Valley as proposed within the UIRC's maps, and reject the legislature's transparently anti-representative maps.
Bryan Young
This is a travesty. We passed the referendum to prevent this gerrymandering. Let Salt Lake City remain whole and have a voice.
Joseph Young
We voted for the voter initiative so this wouldn't happen. This clear and blatant gerrymandering and shows a complete disregard for what we voted for. Honestly, I am not surprised but extremely disappointed. Dividing salt lake into 4??? If you all focused on what the voters wanted (a prime example is this) you wouldn't need to do things like this to win or stay in office. Looking at the Map, other regions appear to be mostly preserved; i.e. Utah Valley gets to vote together, and my area of Davis County (Bountiful to Farmington) gets to vote together, but Salt lake is not afforded that same privilege? Why? Because it's the only liberal area that can make a difference so let's gut it? This is so far from democratic something you all pretend to cherish and live by. The message of this map is crystal clear: People living in Salt Lake are second-class citizens in Utah because they are liberal and do not deserve their vote to be heard nor represented fairly. They do not deserve the same rights based on this decision and it must be vetoed.
Lindsey Webb
Few voters participate in the political process in this state because they believe their views, Republican or Democrat, don't matter. This map is further confirmation that in Utah, the voters are ancillary to elections, not central to them. The legislature has tried to use this map to pick their own voters, signaling to everyone that here in Utah, democracy is merely a facade. I am very worried for the future of democracy and fairness in Utah if this map gets adopted.
Keith Henderson
You are disregarding the voters and all semblance of fairness and representation for the minority. You propose to ignore the independent commission that voters overwhelmingly approved, because it would slightly loosen your chokehold on political control of this state. Instead, this blatant gerrymander that denies fair representation to the residents of the Salt Lake Valley. You should be ashamed. Look at the public's response and reconsider.
Jerry Pistorius
If splitting the map to gerrymander this bad is the only way you can win, you should work on what you’re doing for your constituents. All the Rs are doing anymore is whining and crying then blocking legislation.
Leslie Liberatore
This is meant to divide us and silence the voice of anyone who differs in any way from the Utah GOP. This map is not about looking at keeping communities whole. We voted for an independent commission, this was handed to us at 10 PM on a Friday night, which tells us this is intended to not receive fair public comment. All of our voices need to be heard. The needs of Park City are vastly different than the needs of rural Utah. Our democracy is at stake and once the will of the voters is ignored, it dies. Democracy is what makes us great. I implore you to use the UIRC maps created to represent us all. That's what's fair and that's the only way this state will thrive.
Katie Newburn
This map is a clear power grab by the GOP. It’s partisan gerrymander to keep Utah’s urban population from having a say in our representatives. 90.6% of Utah’s population lives in urban areas, we deserve at least one, if not more, urban districts. Please adopt a map created by UIRC. The people voted for prop 4. The legislature needs to honor that.
Cheryl Johnson
Disappointing to say the least. The GOP is doubly silencing the voices of Utah voters: by ignoring our vote for the independent committee and by this blatant gerrymandering that ensures their preferred outcome. Wanting to have power is not the same as deserving it.
Lisa Rampton Halverson
Voters approved of an independent redistricting committee, and you have ignored the maps they have presented. Instead, instead of acting to ensure voter representation, you have acted to ensure partisan interests. This is wrong. These new districts divide communities. You have not acted in accord with the will of Utah voters.
Jared Herrera Loya
The entire process that has led to this map just screams opaqueness and betrayal. This map intentionally ignores the will of voters to establish an independent commission to prevent gerrymandering. In fact, it does exactly what the commission was established to prevent: create a map where legislators pick their constituents to ensure they and their allies stay in power without any regard for the people they represent. At the very least, it creates the illusion of malice. The representatives claim they toured the state and received the feedback to create this map. There's so much pushback to this that I don't know if the representatives could even single out those who supported their creating this map. Businesses are against it. The people are against it. Everyone but the legislature and GOP leaders are against it. The independent maps, created with significantly more transparency and in public view, should be considered and forwarded for approval, not this blatant disregard for the people's wishes. After all, you were all elected to represent the people's will, and so far, the people's will appears to be that the legislature debate and adopt the independent commission's maps, not this gerrymandered offense.
Fatima AF
The way that salt lake city is split up doesn't sit right with me. Frankly, I think it's unfair for the minority (republicans) to have so much power over the whole state. I think the republicans and democrats should have an equal chance of representation and this map does the opposite.
Ben Rabinowitz
How, in any way, does this represent the city of Salt Lake without washing it out in rural votes? How, in any way, does this represent the other cities and rural areas in Utah without muddling their voice with urban votes? How does this map represent the independent redistricting maps that have been presented? They don't!
Laur Mecham
We voters- Republican, Democrat, and Independent- passed a resolution to create a fair process through the redistricting commission. The commission upheld the voters' wishes and gave us three appropriate and fair maps. Choosing any one of those maps would be fair and would be a positive response to Utah voters. Will the Utah Legislature once again completely ignore the will of the voters with this gerrymandered map?
Shawn J Stoyle
This is beyond ridiculous. You will NOT gerrymander my vote or those of other NON-GOPee voters. What you propose is CRIMINAL but not unexpected.
Arianna Ewell
I believe that politics should not decide the redistricting of the congressional map.To put it simply, it is unfair. Because what we are seeing now is that Republican's are gerrymandering. But I also believe Democrat's given the choice could do the same. So the solution should be no politics. I believe we can come up with a fair way to split the map. It will be hard to please everyone but I think we can come to a agreement. We can compromise.
Caroline Gleich
The districts proposed in this map divide my home county, Summit County, in two. And much of my family lives in Millcreek, UT, and in a small stretch around their home, it’s possible to run through all four of Utah’s legislative districts.
Todd Christensen
A blatant and disrespectful disregard for Utah's left leaning citizens. The committee claimed to want to take into account both rural and urban voters, but this gives all of the power to rural voters. Gee I wonder why.
Logan Mitchell
I'm a registered Republican, and I helped gather signatures for the ballot initative to establish an independent redistricting commission. I have watched the commission do their work with the utmost integrity. I appreciate their process, their compilation of public input & professional conduct. The map proposed by the legislature completely undercuts those effort. I hope that the only reason for introducing it is to reject it & approve one of the Independent Redistricting Committee's maps.
Rachel Reed
This map is a disgrace and chosen by power hungry republicans who like to be Big Bad Government.
Christian Weaver
It is disgraceful how casually the legislative redistricting committee has discarded the good work of the UIRC. This map represents a nakedly partisan effort to marginalize Democratic voters and silence rural voters, who they falsely claim to support. I urge the state legislature to reject the maps approved by the redistricting committee and vote instead for maps provided by the UIRC. Your legitimacy in the eyes of the citizens of Utah are at stake.
Tyler Riggs
This map, rammed through the Legislature in hyper-partisan fashion, is a slap in the face to Utahns who through referendum and public comment and the outpouring of comment on this platform, demanded a non-partisan process for redistricting. This is an abuse of power by lawmakers who are using the process to choose their voters, rather than the way it should be where voters choose their representatives. Any member of the Legislature who supports forcing this map through is without ethics.
Erin Carroll
Please choose one of the maps presented by the independent commission. This map is dividing the people of Utah in a harmful way that won't lead to people being well represented.
Nathan Murray
Blatant gerrymandering to remove even the *possibility* that another party can get a seat. This is ridiculous - this is the entire reason the people of Utah voted to create an independent committee.
joann stewart
Back in 2018 the people of Utah voted for an independent committee to prevent any gerrymandering. Yet here we are with the dominant political party gerrymandering. Utah representatives are suppose to represent all people, yet they continuously only represent the dominant party in Utah. This is not right. Only their party is represented in Washington. This is not right. Now they are trying to make it so they are 100% in control in Utah. This is not right. I urge Governor Cox to please do what is right. If the Utah Legislature succeed in gerrymandering the districts, please veto the bill. Please do what is right. Utah has always tried to convince the world that they do what is right. Now is the time to show the world that what you say is really what you do. Scripture tells us that God knows your heart. He knows when you do right or wrong. You may be able to fool others, but never God.
Jesse Walker
This map is the worst idea. It's simply wrong and immoral. As a business owner, and registered Republican, this map is not representative of my community and my city, no matter how you slice and dice it. Please choose one of the other options. Do the right thing.
Janet E Wade
We voted as a state to have an impartial redistricting commission. Now the very partial legislature should follow the maps created by that commission. The views of the people in the Salt Lake County need to be heard.
Hailey Leek
Please considering using the Utah Independent Redistricting Commission maps, they are the real people's maps. They took the time to hear public comment, they didn't focus on political data to draw their maps. You split Salt Lake City to silence and disenfranchise thousands of people.
Hailey Leek
Please considering using the Utah Independent Redistricting Commission maps, they are the real people's maps. They took the time to hear public comment, they didn't focus on political data to draw their maps. You split Salt Lake City to silence and disenfranchise thousands of people.
Hailey Leek
Please considering using the Utah Independent Redistricting Commission maps, they are the real people's maps. They took the time to hear public comment, they didn't focus on political data to draw their maps. You split Salt Lake City to silence and disenfranchise thousands of people.
Hailey O Leek
Please considering using the Utah Independent Redistricting Commission maps, they are the real people's maps. They took the time to hear public comment, they didn't focus on political data to draw their maps. You split Salt Lake City to silence and disenfranchise thousands of people.
Zoeie Lee
We should not be represented with the other side of the mountain because, us Magna people and Tooele people for example have different opinions and political views. If two groups have different opinions, there is a chance one of the groups will be neglected. We should have our own district so every person can be treated fairly.
Ruby Bonilla
The way the map was designed and the way they rejected the maps given to them to vote for confuses me and concerns me, considering the fact that they stated they wanted it to be fair for everyone, however they made the map to favor one group and one group only. It's really disappointing to see this, they stated they wanted it to be fair, however they did the opposite and didn't stick to their word, why can't they just do what's ask of them?
Tiffany Caldwell
I don't see how we can have any confidence in a legislature that would adopt a map that so blatantly splits and disenfranchises communities and prevents both urban and rural Utahns from having appropriate/accurate representation.
Abigail Bird
I can't understand this map, splitting Salt lake County into 4 different congressional districts. This seems like the anti-thesis of the proposition 4 that the citizenry just voted for.
James Reber
Please use the IRC maps. Keep like with like — let rural voters elect rural representatives, urban voters elect urban representatives, and so forth. Others have given strong comments articulating the flaws with this map. Please heed them.
Victor Carrillo Mendoza
The Utah legislation is completely disregarding the vote of the people. By choosing not to vote on any of the independent redistrict and essentially choosing their own map. While I live in Magna it is moving my congressional district and placing it into a new district with counties that don't have the same issues. But that is to be expected since the LDS church control the government.
Bryon
As a lifelong Republican, I am disgusted by the blatant gerrymandering in these maps. Salt Lake County communities deserve equal and fair representation. It is unconscionable to split up communities like Holladay and Millcreek, Murray and Midvale, or West Valley and Taylorsville. All Utahns deserve fair and equal representation. Elections should be won on the merits of the candidates and policies, not because large portions of the population have been marginatlized. As the Republican party continues to seek to disenfranchise voters, they will continue to lose the respect and support of good, honest, and fair individuals who want to live in a society that respects all individuals and protects their rights and freedoms. Respect the will of the people of Utah who asked for an independent commission to create maps as unbiased as possible.
Jonathon Owen
These proposed districts are a slap in the face to the majority of voters who favored nonpartisan redistricting. They're also a rather naked attempt at gerrymandering, with some communities arbitrarily split up among multiple districts. Salt Lake County is especially egregious, being carved up among four different districts. Urban and rural interests are lumped together for no apparent reason. All the liberal areas of the state are combined with heavily conservative areas, meaning that races will always be uncompetitive in favor of the Republican Party and that a sizable portion of the electorate will effectively have no voice in government. This map ignores not only the will of the voters but the basic principles of representative government.
Banai Feldstein
The Utah legislature disgusts me. The state literally just voted for fair districts -- the whole state, more than the majority, of all parties. I'm embarrassed to say I live in this state. The people don't get a vote here and never have. The church decides everything, and those beholden to corporations. This is taxation without representation. I haven't had representation at the federal level since I moved here, and barely at the state level since they're in such a massive minority. We the people voted against this shit.
Curtis Page
TOTALLY UNFAIR! This proposed map has Salt Lake County is split among all four districts. Metropolitan voters will end up with zero representation in the US House, even though we are more than half the state population! What about keeping communities intact in the districts?!? Most Utahns support the INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING COMMISSION! CONTACT YOUR STATE REPS! DEMAND THE GOVERNOR SHOULD VETO!
Stephanie Peterson
This entire process has been incredibly disheartening. We voted for prop 4, only to have it be thrown back at us. This map proves that when those in power are given an inch, they will absolutely take a mile. I urge Governor Cox to veto this gerrymandered map.
Bryan Banks
Utah voters deserve better than this. We asked for an independent non-partisan redistricting plan and you have instead crafted a plan to consolidate the state's federal voice into one political party. We asked for you to honor the people's wishes and you have instead formulated a selfish scheme for more political power. We asked you to keep communities together so that the people who make up those communities could participate in the political process and select representatives to pursue their interests. You instead drew a map with the express purpose of dividing up communities to silence peoples' voices. You should be ashamed of yourselves. Please read the comments (nearly all extremely negative) and ask yourself whether you were elected to represent voters (you know, the 99% with negative comments) or whether they gave you their vote so you could pursue your own political ambitions. You know the answer, of course. Do you care?
Mister Concerned
Magna is in the Salt Lake Valley and a part of Salt Lake County. Splitting the Valley is not a good idea because it takes away the opportunity for one united community and causes major unnecessary divisions.
Mister Concerned
I live in Magna, and being grouped in with the townships from the other side of the mountain isn't a good idea. We as a Metro Township are still in the Salt Lake Valley and in Salt Lake County.
Erika Darrow
I don't think Salt Lake should be split among all 4 districts. This map is not an improvement from the current one is any way. The maps from the UIRC were more of a step in the right direction, and I think it is wrong to give us false hope of a change made by the people and instead the government took that opportunity from us.
Elliott Hansen
A vote for any map other than those submitted by the independent redistricting commission is a slap in the face to the voters who clearly prefer an open an honest process to the closed door shenanigans of the legislative committee. If you want to perpetuate distrust in the system by continuing to alienate and disenfranchise huge portions of the electorate, this is the map for you. Stop voting only to advance your own political party (no matter which party you are in) and listen to the recommendations of the people, the bipartisan commission, and independent audits.
Barbara Ann Gentry
please do not use this map, SLC should have a voice!
Nicholas Hoffman
This makes absolutely no sense. As someone from Southern Utah, why should we be getting represented by people from the Salt Lake Valley? The citizens of that region have very different needs compared to those of us in Southern Utah. I believe the Purple and Orange maps from the independent commission give us more of an undiluted voice than this abomination that will ensure we continue to get subpar representation for the needs of our region since people from the Salt Lake Valley will always look to those constituents needs before those of Southern Utah.
Mike & Mary Malmquist
I'll keep this simple. Adopt the map drawn by the Independent Redistricting Commission. Your map is even more unfair than the current one, and disenfanchises me and my family. Gerrymandering at its finest. There was a reason Prop 4 was passed. I implore you to do the right thing and adopt the Independent Commission's map. Please give me a chance at representation in the Congress!
Jennifer Woznick
Dividing isn't as simple as making sure there are equal numbers in 4 groups, not when you are talking about representation. Come on, go visit a 5th grade classroom. Come visit mine. My students will explain to you the pros and cons of equal and proportional representation. This map is not a good framework for representation in Utah. Shame on you.
Rebecca Wallace
This redistricting map is not representative of what Utahn's wanted or voted for. There is so much emphasis in the Republican party about elections being fair, yet you won't allow them to be fair in your own state. Where is your integrity?
Gregory Bayles
This is an outright affront to the will of the people, an insult to justice, and an unconscionable offense to the already disenfranchised west side of SLC. Bald-faced gerrymandering, at the expense of brown and black folks. If you have any shred of conscience left you'll listen to the voice of the people and use the independent commission maps that the people ASKED FOR AND BROADLY SUPPORT.
Chris Braymen
The gerrymandered Utah congressional districts of the past 10 years have been a travesty of justice and fair representation. My congressperson in no way adequately represented me or thousands of my neighbors, and had no incentive to do so. The district was deliberately drawn to disenfranchise urban citizens of Utah. That is why the people of Utah voted for an independent committee to draw maps this time around.   This proposed map from the Utah Legislature (plan 132) ignores the wishes of the citizens and continues the absolute failure of the previous decade. It should be soundly rejected in favor of one of the more fairly drawn maps from the UIRC.
Michael Zeleznik
This proposal is pure gerrymandering, as has been well articulated in many previous comments. Our dominant legislators seem to simply be following the low bar examples set by their party at the national level; doing whatever they can legally get away with, regardless of any moral or ethical concerns, and often with blatant disregard for the principles, or even the basic spirit of our democracy. As others have pointed out, this is dangerous.
Chris Wallace
First, why green (like) set to the default choice? Many green comments are negative. Second, this doesn’t represent what Utahn’s want or need. Third, as much food, water, and energy comes from rural areas, tech, education, commercial endeavors, and industry come from the urban areas—this is driving Utah forward. Finally, the URIC proposed maps all worked. What the Republican-controlled legislature proposed does not work. It silences the vote of anyone not Republican. I’m not a Democrat, but can’t handle the constant disenfranchisement of anyone not Republican.
Kate Reynolds
The majority of the Utah legislature has shown over and over again that they don't care or listen to their constituents--watering down every initiative, ignoring the voice of the people and this is just one more verse in the song--Utahns voted for an independent redistricting commission. But those in power have decided once again that the voice of the people, from which they derive their power, is irrelevant. If anyone on the Redistricting committed had one ounce of integrity they would acknowledge what a travesty this proposed map is. I've given up on any elected official in Utah having integrity.
Christopher Ward
The people of Utah voted for an independent redistricting commission. It provided maps which represent the entirety of the state, without political motives. Sadly, this map ignores the IRC recommendations, and serves to enhance the power of a single party. Represent the people of Utah (including Prop 4), stop the corruption of gerrymandering, and use an IRC map.
William Graden
This is designed to silence the voices of many Utahns and deny them any real representation.
Sarah Graham
This commenter sums it up best: "As a Republican who lives in a more rural part of the state, I have the same complaint as those living in Salt Lake.... Please do not dilute our vote by splitting us up between all four districts! I’m far more interested in having everybody fairly represented than I am in electing more people from my own party." I join the commenter above in calling for fair, common-sense representation; we must not forget that our first duty as Utahns and Americans is to fight for each other's rights--regardless of the party we usually vote for. I realize this process is challenging and complex, but that is the whole purpose of the Independent Commission--to keep it as impartial, transparent, well-researched and meaningful as possible. I truly believe their maps best represent the best interests of all Utahns. I'm asking, you as our representatives, to represent us, the voters, in honoring the Independent Commission's role and choosing a map they submitted.
Marissa Moran
This map is shocking and so blatantly gerrymandering. I live at the crossroads of these four districts and I'm shocked to see that my friends in West and South Millcreek would be in an entirely different district than me. This makes no sense and it is so clear that the legislation is trying to split Salt Lake County.
Carolyn Urban
I do not like this map, and instead highly prefer ANY of the three drawn by the Independent Commission, at least compared to this one.
Molly Lewis
What happened to the suggestions of the independent commission? We voted for an independent commission to draw fair boundaries and the legislature completely ignored their ideas. Shame on them!
Glenn Johnson
A state-wide referendum passed in 2018, demanding fair boundaries for Utah Congressional districts. But with this map, the Legislative Redistricting Committee (LRC) went in the opposite direction, deciding (among other things) that Salt Lake County wasn’t gerrymandered enough. They diluted Salt Lake County into four Congressional districts instead of the current three. They posted their map for public review at 10:00 pm on a Friday night, less than 72 hours before the public comment deadline. Since Saturday, I sent two emails to both my State Senator (Cullimore) and Representative (Spendlove), both of whom serve on the committee. Neither has responded. The volume of traffic on the website set up for citizen comments was so large, that the system crashed. I watched the livestream of the committee meeting. The vast majority of people that were allowed to speak, spoke in opposition to the legislators’ map, and the opposition was surprisingly bipartisan. But, all that wished to were not allowed to speak. The chair cut off comments at 6:00pm. The committee’s map passed several minutes later on an entirely partisan vote. After three years since Prop 4 passed, - After taxpayers spent ~$1 Million on the Utah Independent Redistricting Commission - After an independent commission presented three alternative maps to the committee, the LRC passed their shameless gerrymandered map on a straight party-line vote. And again, this map had never been seen by the public a mere 72 hours before it passed. This is a giant middle finger to the majority of Utah voters that Yes on Proposition 4 in 2018.
McKay Mattingly
This is so very obviously a gerrymandered map. It is disgraceful that you would disregard the proposal of the republican backed independent redistricting commission. Do not approve this map.
ALEXANDER WALKER
Seems pretty bad to have this many negative comments. The public voted for an independent redistricting commission - please listen to that commission and their proposed maps. At least that commission was transparent and open about the process behind their development.
Chris Rawlins
I do not think the committee chair's proposed map results in good representation, for anyone. As a Utah County resident, my representation is unnaturally split off from other voters who likely have very similar concerns as me. Any of the Independent Commission's maps are better than this map. The committee seems to keep harping on a mix of urban and rural in each district as a reason for their map, but I don't think that actually results in good representation for rural areas.
Brett Loertscher
How is this map different from #150? Both this map and #150 blatantly ignore the will of the majority of Utahns that the legislature claims to represent. Do not adopt this clearly gerrymandered map. At stake is more than the outcome of a single election, or even a decade’s worth of elections. People’s faith in the government is fading fast. If the Utah legislature fails to honor the will of Utahns by adopting the Independent Redistricting Commission’s maps, the deterioration of trust will only accelerate. Please, please do not jeopardize the integrity of our representative democracy by perpetuating the pernicious practice of gerrymandering.
Vincent Rackliffe
As a conservative, I believe in taxation with representation. I believe the citizens of Utah would be more accurately represented by the nonpartisan commission's plan. Even people that disagree with my politics deserve to be counted and represented according to their numbers.
Ben McKee
Absolutely absurd to split Davis County. Even more absurd to split Salt Lake County four ways. Please do better. No need to cheat to win.
Linda Reinkoester
If we had an independent commission create an unbiased districting plan that was more fair and more in line with Utahns' interests, and they're overriding that, it makes it obvious that their priority is about power and not in supporting what their constituents want.
Jim Bach
Dividing up Salt Lake County violates the practice of maintaining communities of interest and observing geographic boundaries. For the legislature to ignore the UIRC maps and present their own gerrymandered boundary map is cowardly and a disservice to urban residents, who now have no voice in Congress.
Robert William Reinkoester Jr
As it was decided by a referendum to have an independent committee draw up the redistricting map, I am unsure why the legislature is proposing its own map. I do understand that there were 26 out of the 29 counties that had voted against that referendum. Still, clearly, the majority of the population that is being affected did vote for this independent redistricting committee. I understand the now proposed redistricting map before the legislature is one that the legislative committee drew, not the independent committee. I also understand that the independent committee provided the legislature with 12 different maps to look at and debate. I don't remember hearing or reading if this process was done or if there were public meetings. Actions such as this are one reason people no longer trust their representatives. It would be beneficial to tell the people why the proposed map is favored over the other maps. If there is no clear reason to favor the proposed map, then you should have the moral and ethical obligation to yield to the people's decision and allow the independent committee's map to be the one to consider. (Yes, I am frustrated at having politicians ignore the people's voices both at the State and Federal levels.) Please consider your decisions carefully as you are the representatives of all the people regardless of party affiliation. Please be fair.
Ellen Slade
I don't know how you can ignore the voters again and again. Seems like you might not understand representative government. The only option is to use the non-partisan map put forth by the UIRC.
Angela Rawling
A third-party organization was asked to draw up districting for the state of Utah and produced a perfectly reasonable and well represented map. This is NOT that. Anyone with half a brain cell can see that this proposed map is blatantly intending to divide the urban voting demographic in order to benefit Republican voters and candidates. Regardless of party orientation, the state congress should support maps and districts which accurately represent the demographics and political affiliations of ALL UTAHNS; this includes Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, Green Partiers, et al. This is disgraceful, disrespectful, un-American, and disappointingly transparent gerrymandering that needs to stop. You were appointed to your position to represent the people, not a party line. Please recognize that people are begging you to pay attention, and vote against this redistricting map.
James Larson
Follow the map the UIRC developed. It clearly represents all of the people of Utah unlike what you have proposed.
Benjamin Stanley
This is a gerrymandered power grab by the Utah State Legislature.
Arleen Barrell
I live in Millcreek Utah I am not in the same district as neighbors a mile away and am with people in Utah county. This is gerrymandering. Fair representation in this state would make a stronger state. The people of Utah want fair maps the gerrymandering has led our country into the decisive mess we have now. You are not listening to your people. You did not even consider the Independent Commissions' maps. There is no credibility for these actions.
Jane Larson
Use the map the redistricting committee worked so hard and impartially on. Key word impartial. I trust the committee not our state legislators. You embarrass and disgust me. For once, do the right thing and leave this to the group the citizens of Utah VOTED to impartially draw up this map.
John Adam Murray
How dare you claim to represent the people of Utah and then try to put this absolute garbage forward as some sort of acceptable plan for for voting in Utah. This is absolutely Injustice this is absolutely unfair this is gerrymandering this is wrong it's fundamentally morally wrong to try and change the way that policies and voting will work in the future to try and sway it so that your personal ideology has a better chance of succeeding when the role of government is to enforce the will of the people. This map is a direct offense to the will of the people. How dare you sit in your offices paid to be public servants and pretend that you can do something with this and not face consequences.
Joseph Wade
THIS IS A TEST TO ENSURE THE COMMENT FUNCTION IS WORKING!!!
Eric Eliason
How in the world do we go from voting for an independent redistricting committee with A and B rated independent maps back to carved up communities and fishhooks. You all should be ashamed of yourselves. A small portion of a party who uses its power to maintain it's power and hold others in submission isn't a whole lot different than a communist party who does the same. Don't vote for this map and call yourself good protectors of democracy. I believe representatives represent contiguous groups of people and not public lands. You wonder why we have the lowest turnout of voters in the state.... keep making peoples votes not count.
Christopher N Davison
Please don't approve this map! It is not fair. This map breaks up my community. Why does Salt Lake County need to be part of all 4 Districts? That doesn't make any sense. Someone living in Salt Lake City (Salt Lake Valley) should not be in same District as my parents who live in St. George. Please don't approve this map.
David Lloyd
This is blatant gerrymandering and is in complete disregard of the desires of the people of Utah. As a state, we explicitly voted to have an independent redistricting process and that desire is being ignored in its entirety. As a resident of Salt Lake City, I will NOT have representation in congress at a federal level.
merlin hubbard
Please respect the majority of Utah voters who voted for the independent redistricting commission by submitting one of the maps the commission suggested. I can walk and talk at the same time and do NOT need you to help me out. Please do your job!
Grant Foster
Taxation without representation! This is not acceptable. The reason we needed, and empowered an independent redistricting commission is clearer than ever. The Utah state legislature is afraid of representative democracy, period. They have disregarded all input from the commission, and are acting in bad faith. This is a flat out assault on American values, a disservice to all Utah citizens, and an embarrassment to Utah. Shame.
Joel Barber
Please respect the will of the *majority* of Utah voters who enacted the independent redistricting commission, and use one of the maps the commission suggested. Thanks.
Dustin Garner
This is a spiteful and cynical work and and antidemocratic attack on the voters of Utah. Shame on the committee for paying no heed to the hundreds and hundreds of public comments - Shame on the committee for voting to take away my voice in this representative democracy.
Mac Scheldrup
I request that this map be rejected by the Utah state legislature. The manner in which it splits Salt Lake County, and particularly my neighborhood, is atrocious. As a Marmalade resident, our area is split between two districts. Center St, the proposed border between CD1 and CD2 in the neighborhood, is barely more than an alleyway. It has no meaningful geographic division. Please adjust the boundaries so that the area north of N Temple, west of the capitol, and east of I-15 within SLC is kept intact in a single district. I would prefer a massive overhaul of this plan. But if legislators do feel that they should go ahead and follow their legal right to ignore the voices of their citizens, I would at least hope that small suggestions such as this one are still taken into account. Thank you.
Sarah Hart Kingston
This map makes a mockery of the Democratic process. It's embarrassing to me as an America and a Utahan that this is even being considered. It's so obviously intended to silence all minorities by spreading them out into the more conservative blocks. This is not how democracy works.
Samuel Clayton
I'm politically unaffiliated and voted for Prop 4 in 2018. I believe that candidates have a stronger incentive to represent their constituents when it's a competitive race--which this map is clearly avoiding. I shouldn't feel like my choices are either to register as a Republican so I can vote in the primaries or not be represented at all. But if my reps vote for this, honestly I will vote against them in the primaries out of spite. Also, the local interests of West Jordan may not align with areas like Manti, yet somehow my representative will have to represent both of them. This map isn't in the best interest of anyone, except the GOP
Miles Petty
Dear legislators- Please do not approve this map. It is unrighteous dominion. You have the voice of the people before you and you are subverting it for your party's benefit. Please choose from the maps the independent commission presented.
Brenda Clausen
Salt Lake County is split 4 ways. It is not fair to the voters who live in the county to have their issues diluted 4 ways. Voters approved an independent commission to draw maps. The UIRC maps for SLCo better represent the people who live in the county as well as in rural areas. Two districts for Salt Lake County should be the goal.
Ryan C Williams
While I love my fellow Utahns in Washington, Millard, Iron, Beaver, and other rural counties, I think they deserve a federal representative that is attuned to their needs and wants. Residents of Salt Lake County have needs and wants unique (and not necessarily adverse!) to residents in Beaver, Cedar City, and St. George. The redistricting process should seek to keep communities, especially communities of interest, together. Keeping representation based on communities makes representation fairer and stronger--and importantly, more accountable to local voters. Please do the right and fair thing by adopting one of the maps proposed by the independent redistricting commission. Thank you.
jennifer Fegely
This is unfair and totally goes against the IRC recommendations which the voters wanted to be empowered with this task. You are shameless and power-hungry.
Karl Staber
A clear attempt to silence the urban population of Utah. There's no way my congressional interests align more with the rural northern boarder of Utah than my neighbors 2 blocks south of my house. A disgusting move by the redistricting committee to further their own interests over the interests of the people of Utah.
Claire Schairbaum
Please use one of the congressional plans submitted by the Utah Independent Redistricting Commission. These plans best represent the voters of Utah.
Robert Phillips
Follow the UIRC recommendations. Gerrymandering, like your map, should be illegal.
Lorraine Quigley
Use the maps submitted by the Utah Redistricting Commission. Everyone in Utah deserves representation. The maps drawn by the Utah legislature disenfranchise urban voters.
Suellen riffkin
A majority of voters, from the whole state of Utah, indicated they wanted districting to be performed by a commission. You must, in good faith, follow the recommendations of that Commission. That’s why it was formed, they have done a fair job, and our congress, representing US, must use their findings.
Richard Douglas
The voters supported by their ballots to use an independent commission to redraw our congressional and state legislative boundaries. To ignore their wishes is undemocratic. Please listen to your constituents.
Nathaniel Nelson
It's extremely disappointing to see that the maps from the Utah Independent Redistricting Commission don't appear to be considered at all in these maps. Ever since Prop 4 passed in 2018 through a majority vote establishing the Utah Independent Redistricting Commission, the fear was that the legislature would undermine the will of the majority of Utahns and ignore the findings of the Commission for their own political gains. It appears that is what's happening. The maps created by the UIRC are more fair than these legislative maps, which show signs of clear gerrymandering evidenced by the large number of splits in counties and cities, and testing showing that one particular party is favored heavily. Please reject this map and adopt one of the UIRC maps which are more fair and better represent the people of this state.
Jack Crockett
Why put rural communities at a disadvantage? The political intent of this map is to split urban representation. However, by doing that, rural Utahans will be represented by wealthy political candidates from the Wasatch Front. By grouping rural communities in single districts, they would be represented by people that understand their actual issues. Not city politicians that can afford to bombard constituents with billboards and mailers. If a leader from a ranching and farming area out of the Wasatch Front was allowed to represent his community without the necessary political connections of the city; those areas would thrive. We are in a system where you the legislators get to choose your own voters. It should be the other way around.
Eric Gardner
This proposed redistricting map does not make sense, is not fair to the voters of UT, purposely attempts to discount the voices of people of color and urban voters. It would be a sham if this was to pass. Our state woudl once again be the subject of national negative attention, as it is obvious what this redistricting is attempting to do, who it is attempting to keep in power, and who is attempting to keep in in position of lower status. Any state representative who would vote for this is doing our state a disservice and in the long term will even hurt themselves and their own constituents with this.
David Scheer
I am the chair of my community council. The map splits my council into two congressional districts. We are a single, diverse community that shares many interests and concerns. We should have the same congressional representative to use our collective voice to make our concerns heard.
Kelly Jones
I am appalled at this plan for redistricting. This is essentially ignoring a large portion of voters in order to further the republican agenda. That is not a voice for everyone. Please redo this in order to reflect different communities, not silence them.
Rob Mecham
Another disgusting power grab by the Republicans in the Utah Legislature. Senselessly splitting up Salt Lake County to ensure a 100% Republican Congressional delegation. YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELVES!!!!!!!
Clayton Phipps
Maps that were not developed and designed by the Independent redistricting commission are a direct violation of the peoples will. The State is violating the will of the voters by stripping Prop 4 of its power, so they can attempt to consolidate power further, the house proposed boundaries do not represent the people, and fail to uphold the will of the people when Prop 4 passed by more votes than any single politician in the state house represents, yet these people who have received less than 20 thousand votes in their wins, believe they know what is best for the 600k+ who voted for an Independent commission.
Aaron London
Same old same old gerrymandering. Will we be splitting all cities and towns in Utah by four the same way?
Christopher Viavant
The proposed redistricting map proposed by the Utah Republican legislature reflects the authoritarian and anti-democratic beliefs of these individuals. This is not a proposal to support the principles of the United States of America as a constitutional democracy. This is a naked power play to keep the State of Utah and our country under the control of a minority who cannot win in open and fair elections. The Utah Republican party's proposed voting boundaries are designed entirely and intentionally to ensure that the political beliefs of 40% (or more!) of Utah voters will continue to have no voice in our national delegation. You would all be perfectly at home in the Chinese Communist Party of Xi Xinping. I have been a citizen of the United States for 65 years. I have been a resident of the State of Utah for 45 of those years, and the anti-American and authoritarian Utah Republican Party has ensured that I have NOT FOR ONE SINGLE YEAR felt that I was recognized as a citizen of the State of Utah. I am a proud, engaged and patriotic US Citizen. You authoritarians who proposed this DISGRACEFUL election map for our state are SHAMEFUL autocrats.
Marcus Stevenson
With the many divisions we face as a country, splitting similar communities into multiple districts is not the right approach. It’s disheartening to see Midvale split along both I-15 and 7200 S. - Marcus Stevenson, Midvale City Mayor-Elect
Rob Jeffery
**reposted, accidentally submitted as a 'like' earlier. I'm trying to understand how you arrived at this configuration, especially based on the excellent options provided by the IRC, and the only conclusion to be drawn is gerrymandering. The fact that you waited until the 11th hour to submit this (trying to dodge comment and scrutiny) leaves no doubt that is what this is and that you *know* your culpability, and that you are actively promoting the systemic miscarriage of justice. What a disgusting display.
tana hunter
All 6 of our congress members are Republicans, two senators and 4 representatives. One third of the state did not vote Republican in the last election. It is a travesty that the people who do not vote Republican do not have a say in what our state does in Washington. You are worried about rural Utah not getting a voice? What about Urban areas? Are they to be drowned out by people who do not share their experiences? There should be at least one member of congress that share the views of the one third who live in Urban areas. Just who has been doing the gerrymandering?
tana hunter
All 6 of our congress members are Republicans, two senators and 4 representatives. One third of the state did not vote Republican in the last election. It is a travesty that the people who do not vote Republican do not have a say in what our state does in Washington. You are worried about rural Utah not getting a voice? What about Urban areas? Are they to be drowned out by people who do not share their experiences? There should be at least one member of congress that share the views of the one third who live in Urban areas. Just who has been doing the gerrymandering?
jennifer pennington
The independent redistricting commision (that the majority of Utahns voted for) proposed fair boundaries based on population AND communities of interest- not just Republican interest! Salt Lake County should in its entirety be in a district. You do not get to choose your voters!
Pamela Allison
This map is a slap in the face to Utah voters who demanded an Independent Redistricting Commission. The Republican dominated Legislature is presenting a map that further divides the Urban Wasatch Front. I strongly dislike this proposed map that was drawn by Republicans in their favor.
Kathryn Lindquist
Why does the legislative committee believe they have the right to deprive so many Salt Lake County citizens of a voice in Utah and national politics? We are screaming to be heard and you turn your backs on us. The Utah Legislature is helping to make the USA as undemocratic as the worst of the repressive nations.
Annette MacIntyre
The people of Utah voted for an Independent Redistricting Commission. Please respect their recommendations and uphold democracy in the State of Utah!!
Hazel Coffman
The Independent Redistricting Commission demonstrated how maps can be drawn without focus on party affiliation and incumbent addresses. I followed their process and attended their presentation to the legislative committee. CHOOSE from the maps that they worked so hard to provide for you!!! The process was fair and transparent and yes, it still produced a variety of maps because there are so many criteria to consider. The 4 voting maps are among the most important and consequential decisions the legislature will vote on this year. I see that my small city of Millcreek is the epicenter of division to dilute our voting power by combining with large parts of rural Utah. The gerrymandering intended is shockingly blatant. I have lived in Utah for 63 years and only very rarely had real representation in the US government thanks to these sorts of voting district maps. Progressives and Moderates make up a significant portion of this state and have every right to expect representation in government. PLEASE CHOOSE from the FAIR and TRANSPARENT Independent Redistricting Maps.
Daniel Seibert
It is important that the districts in place are not only representative of communities, but also legitimate. The map put forward by the Legislature Committee fails in both accounts. It blatantly divides communities in order to increase the GOP’s advantage. District 4, which had become semi-competitive with a 59%/37% Republican advantage, becomes solid Republican with a 66% to 28% Republican advantage. This, at the expense of places like my neighborhood which ends up divided into three different districts (my neighbors a street south vote in one district, and four streets east vote in a different district). It is also at the expense of more rural communities, which end up with representatives that are disproportionately urban. The maps are also illegitimate. Utahns voted for an independent commission. The legislature not only ignored the maps they put forward weeks ago, but they designed their map behind closed doors, they published it at the last minute and will approve it within two days allowing minimal public input. If you take democracy seriously, you should vote for one of the maps built by the UIRC.
Lee Christiansen
Splitting up urban areas and grouping them with sections of rural areas does not provide representation for the people. We voted for districting maps created by an independent commission without political bias. This map clearly goes against what the majority of Utahns voted for.
Tyce Addley
Bringing gerrymandering partisan politics into the state of Utah with this proposed redistricting. No one will gain proper representation through this map and pretending that rural and urban needs can be mixed through a sham like this proposal is dishonest at best. The Independent Redistricting Committee was voted and passed by citizens who wanted to be fairly represented, not to be muzzled in a partisan, last gasp, grab for power. You betray the people of this state with this map.
Sandi Brown
As one who gathered signatures for this ballot initiative, I heard many express frustration about the way our legislators totally ignore the needs and wishes of constituents on this and many other issues. Once again Salt Lake County residents are having our voices and rights taken away. The voters decided that we want to vote with our own communities. Reject the partisan gerrymandered map in favor of a much more fair map drawn by the Independent Redistricting Committee. All of Salt Lake County should be in one congressional district.
tana hunter
All 6 of our congress members are Republicans, two senators and 4 representatives. One third of the state did not vote Republican in the last election. It is a travesty that the people who do not vote Republican do not have a say in what our state does in Washington. You are worried about rural Utah not getting a voice? What about Urban areas? Are they to be drowned out by people who do not share their experiences? There should be at least one member of congress that share the views of the one third who live in Urban areas. Just who has been doing the gerrymandering?
Jeff Lyon
This map would divide Salt Lake City right down Main St. That is not a sensible way to think about representation. Do better, you are public servants. Serve.
Rob LaRe
Come on man
Kasandra VerBrugghen
What I don't understand is why we would allow two white men to have so much power in deciding the fate of an entire state. We, the voters, selected a bi-partisan, democratic redistricting process. What we got was a dictatorship. This is absolutely nuts. I urge any lawmaker who has any ounce of power to please wield that power now to stop this from going through.
Zachary Ipson
Dividing the state into congressional districts with both urban and rural splits does not benefit any communities. What is important to my community is vastly different than other cities that are in the same district. These maps blatantly ignore every map recommended by the Independent Redistricting Committee that was voted into existence by the people of this State.
Kelly Johnson
I am so disappointed that our legislature will not listen to the will of the people and the fair redistricting process that the people of the state voted to put into place. Please use the maps developed by the independent redistricting commission. The legislature should absolutely not be the ones to select their own voting blocks.
Carter Ailshie
Please use the IDC maps instead. This is blatant gerrymandering and as a voter I'm very disappointed that a map this bad would even be presented as an option when better alternatives already existed.
Will Carr
What is going on here? Why have you ignored the hard work of the committee, which provided various options that gave real representation to both rural and urban voters? Are you so afraid of a Utah congressman with a D after her/his name that you would disregard the overwhelming will of the people and the patient and transparent work of the committee in favor of disenfranchising communities and voters with whom your majority disagrees for the sake of retaining power? USE ONE OF THE COMMISSION'S MAPS—ANY OF THE THREE IS BETTER THAN THIS.
Peter Margulies
Tired of Salt Lake County and City being overly carved up.
Alex Rasmussen
I am extremely disappointed in the committee for ignoring the independent commission's maps. Any one of the options presented by the commission would be better than these. Splitting Salt Lake County up into four different districts is terrible policy. If the goal is to include rural areas in each congressional district, congressional map SH2 proposed by the independent commission does a much better job of that. I just don't see any legitimate non-partisan justification for diluting Salt Lake County's vote like that.
Christine Baczek
in 2018, Utahns created the Utah Independent Redistricting Commission (UIRC) through a popular vote. The maps created by the UIRC are more fair than these legislative maps, which show signs of clear gerrymandering evidenced by the large number of splits in counties and testing showing that the republican party is favored heavily. The people in this state are sick of being ignored by their representatives and seeing the democratic principles of our community being thrown to the wayside. Do your duty, be a public servant, and listen to the people. Adopt the the UIRC maps which are more fair and better represent the people of this state.
DANIEL MOORE OMALLEY
The process of determining these maps in secret, and then releasing them on Friday night with only one chance for comment, is ludicrous and one hundred percent biased AGAINST the public interest. I wish I could say I was surprised by these actions but the public servants of Utah have continued to fail their constituents time and again. Do the right thing for the people of Utah and do it over.
Bob Baldwin
This map divides Salt Lake City into two partitions. With a population of roughly 200,000, we would only take up 1/4 of the allotted population of a district of roughly 800,000. This is unnecessary and intentional. My needs to not more closely resemble those of the people of St. George than my neighbors do of Brigham City. Furthermore, Salt lake County has population of 1.2 million, which would necessitate only a single partition. It is partitioned 4 ways, in a clearly partisan attempt to split the votes of a single party. Salt Lake City and County are being divided by this map in an attempt to dilute voters.
Thomas Gappmayer
I implore you, please follow the advice of the commission. Use the map of the independent redistricting commission to give all voters in Utah fair representation.
Samuel William Ashworth
A majority of Utahns approved a fair and impartial redistricting process that preserved communities, and the legislature is on track to deny us this. Please use the maps from the independent redistricting commission instead. Please show a willingness to respect democracy even when it might make it harder for your party to win in some districts.
MATTHEW MOENCH
I am an independent, non-affiliated voter. This map is gerrymandering at its worst. Instead of representing all Utahns, it eliminates the voice of Utah's most populous area by dividing it into four districts. It's disingenuous at best and blatant lies at worse to say this is to represent all Utahns. It clearly is to eliminate the voice of Salt Lake County voters. This is completely undemocratic, as the people-mandated independent redistricting committee recommendation was ignored. Comments here are almost universally negative. This is a pathetic power grab and the Utah legislature should be ashamed.
Thomas T Smart
There must be one positive comment on here, but I have spent the last 30 minutes looking and can't find it. Even the "green" comments are actually negative, and are only green because the "like" option is preselected. I won't add to what hundreds of others have already expressed, except to say: Shame on you. Deep, abiding, irredeemable shame.
Jacob Barlow
The Committee Chair's proposed maps are nothing but brazen partisan gerrymandering and do not represent Utahns. Dividing Salt Lake County into the four districts ensures that those living in SL County will not have congressional representation.
Katherine Young
This map splits up Salt Lake County and the rich Millcreek/Holladay community in order to blatantly make each district lean republican. This part of Salt Lake County has a high voter turn out, high expectations of its elected leaders, and high community involvement and deserves to be united in who they are represented by. It is the precise area that would be pushing the Republican party to be better and it is blatantly gerrymandered. Strongly oppose.
Gregg S. Alex
This is SUCH a let down. Looks very gerrymandered again. Under cover and out of sight, the legislature lied to the public about considering the IRDC plans and developed their own without community input. The needs of my suburban area are so much different than those in Blanding and Salt Lake City. Please use the bi-partisan IRDC maps that have taken broad input from the community.
ETHAN FRANKLIN KNOWLTON
I voted for fair voting districts, this does not deliver on that vote. This map is clearly gerrymandered by a committee serving it's own interests.
Brian Stephens
Gerrymandering is one of the most undemocratic things a government can do. State legislation should listen to the will of the people and follow the guidelines set forth by the independent redistricting committee. It's what Utahans voted for. Your job is to represent Utah and its citizens in the best way possible. Gerrymandering our districts is the complete opposite of that. My friends in Vernal should absolutely NOT have the same representatives as those in Sandy. West Valley City should have very little to any say what goes on in Saint George. We have vastly different needs than people living hundreds of miles away and to lump the representation of those people together should be criminal. It's disgusting, it's undemocratic, it's autocratic, and again you should listen to what the voters voted for instead of imposing your personal agenda onto the people of this great state. Follow what we voted for, the independent redistricting committee's suggestions for a correct as possible representation of Utah's citizens. Anything less is un-American in every sense of the word.
Brian Stephens
Gerrymandering is one of the most undemocratic things a government can do. State legislation should listen to the will of the people and follow the guidelines set forth by the independent redistricting committee. It's what Utahans voted for. Your job is to represent Utah and its citizens in the best way possible. Gerrymandering our districts is the complete opposite of that. My friends in Vernal should absolutely NOT have the same representatives as those in Sandy. West Valley City should have very little to any say what goes on in Saint George. We have vastly different needs than people living hundreds of miles away and to lump the representation of those people together should be criminal. It's disgusting, it's undemocratic, it's autocratic, and again you should listen to what the voters voted for instead of imposing your personal agenda onto the people of this great state. Follow what we voted for, the independent redistricting committee's suggestions for a correct as possible representation of Utah's citizens. Anything less is un-American in every sense of the word.
Tyler Bain
Use the maps created by the Independent Rediscricting commission. The people voted it, and the legislature's map is obviously designed with political considerations in mind. There is no justification to split Salt Lake County into 4 pieces.
Jason Tea
The state legislature is going to great lengths to go around a non-partisan process that was voted on by Utah citizens. Stop playing these games to ensure one party's victory over the other. Have confidence in your ideas and let the people decide what will be best for the people that live in those un-divided communities. The issues that affect Holladay are much different than those in Jensen. Splitting up San Juan and Grand Counties does not make much sense.
Matt Janke
So the LRC Chair asserts bias in the IRC maps then trots out a map dividing Salt Lake County into four legislative districts. Curiously, it's the only urban county divided in such a way. I doubt the hypocrisy could be more blatant and the gerrymandering more brazen. I suspect my comments and those of others here will amount to no more than the legislature checking boxes in the process, since they have shown no interest whatsoever in listening to voters (as those who voted for the latest ballot initiatives can attest), but nonetheless I will ask for a chance at Congressional representation and that the IRC maps be adopted rather than those proposed by the LRC.
Paul Conlon
The primary purpose of redistricting is to ensure political representation for people living in the same are with similar issues and concerns. Our esteemed legislators have utterly failed the above definition in favor political expediency and control. Please, please use the redistricting commissions proposed map which increases political representation in my district.
James Bennett
The maps proposed by the Redistricting Committee are not the will of the people. We vote for an independent group to have a say in the process, and so far those recommendations have been ignored. Our voices need to be heard. The heavily gerrymandered map proposed by the Legislature in an abomination.
Caroline Taylor
What a clear example of gerrymander and disgraceful means of determining districts for the next decade! Voters chose an independent commission map and that should be used; not a map that was published late on a Friday allowing for public comment just a few days (mainly over the weekend) before a vote.
Katrina Twing Gardner
The constituents of Utah plead that the UT Legislative Redistricting Committee take the three maps developed by the Independent Redistricting Committee seriously, rather than default to a gerrymandered map that disenfranchises the Salt Lake County voters.
Stephanie Tonin
The citizens of this state voted for an independent commission to create the maps and you completed ignored that process and voice. You should adopt one of the independent commission maps for all of the different layers of districts. You have broken apart communities of interest in many places here, clearly to gerrymander, and dilute many people's voice. Also, how is it that my children's schools, that are in the same school district, can be in different congressional districts? I would add that you have limited the ability for people to even comment as these comments cannot be made via cell phone (many people do not have computers access) and the website has been glitchy. I have tried to input comments 3 times this weekend. You should open the window and give people a chance to actually comment. Please follow the will of the people, and use a map from the independent districting commission. Otherwise, this is a bad look for the legislature in terms of purposefully silencing the people of Utah on many fronts.
Ammon Gruwell
Using this blatantly gerrymandered map is a bold-faced power grab that goes directly against the will of the majority of Utahns who voted to put map-drawing powers in the hands of the Independent Redistricting Commission. Show the people of Utah that you value their voice by approving one of the maps suggested by the IRC.
Bradley Rich
This is a terrible proposal it divides my city, my county and my community into multiple districts. Flagrant gerrymandering. Go with the commission suggestions.
Jason Motley
These maps are clearly constructed on the basis of religion and ethnicity/race. Key communities in Rose Park/Poplar Grove, West Valley, and the Murray corridor are split apart. Communities with nothing in common, such as Provo & Park City, are grouped together. I would urge you to use the independent commission maps instead, which would ensure both competitive elections and that similar communities are grouped together. Also, cut the crap about rural Utah producing urban Utah's food. We are all smart enough to read that our food comes predominantly from California and Mexico.
Larry Herndon
I retired from PEHP, and have personally helped legislators with their healthcare coverage. I am represented by Democrats, Derek Kitchen and Joel Briscoe on the Utah hill. SLC and our neighborhoods need Washington DC representation. We do not have it. Our local votes prove that we are united. This map is basically telling me that my vote for US Congress does NOT count. Gerrymandering to win is wrong. Going against the will of your constituents is wrong! Choose the right, guys!
Thomas S Brennan
I am appalled by both the process and the Committee Chair's proposed maps. Neither represent Utah or Utahn's. The public's ability for comment is deliberately limited to the bare minimum. And my community and its perspective is deliberately carved up and divided between multiple districts. The Congressional District Map literally runs down Salt Lake City's Main Street. I am a small business owner who lives and works in Salt Lake City, and my children attend the neighbor public schools, and yet between my home, business and children's schools, my interests are split between 2 Congressional Districts, 3 House Districts, 2 School Board Districts and amazingly one only Senate District. The division of my community and my City is a deliberate moved to weaken the voice and vote of my community.
Mark Mears
Well, your proposed redistricting map provides no surprises, just disappointment at your attempt to disenfranchise a large number of urban voters AGAIN. Your map certainly meets my low expectations of the Utah legislature. Contrary to all of the final citizen-proposed maps, you insist on diluting the population concentrated in Salt Lake County with plenty of rural and otherwise Republican voters who have entirely different priorities, virtually guaranteeing your desired outcome of keeping Utah Democrats from being represented in the U. S. Congress. As with the Medical Marijuana initiative, you modified the redistricting proposition to suit you, contradicting the intent of the citizen proposition by giving yourself veto power over it. Reprehensible! You still have a chance to redeem yourselves. Just trash your partisan map and pick one of the committee-proposed maps. They all do a much better job of keeping people with common interests and priorities together. I won't hold my breath but I am crossing my fingers. DO THE RIGHT THING THIS TIME!
Julie Mecham Knowlton
Please don’t use this gerrymandered map. It disregards public input that was collected by the independent commission. Please do your duty to represent the people you were elected to represent, and allow all people to have a voice in their representatives.
David J Grunwald
The map designed by the Committee Chairs Proposal - Congressional will take away representation from citizens in utah. Subdiving the Salt Lake County urban area into 4 districts means that all of these citizens, who legitimately have common concerns, will now have voices so diluted that they can be effectively ignored. This map strips them of any effective representation.
Paul H Shepherd
This is clearly more of the same gerrymandering similar to what has been done in the past. It is one more example that the elected politicians should not be able to choose their constituents. The independent commission maps are superior and should be used.
Brett Johnson
Wow, just wow!! The people vote to have an independent redistricting committee created, the legislature works around that and creates their own maps that are clearly gerrymandered to suit their own purposes. They ignore the voice of the people that they are elected to represent and consolidate power for themselves. This is dangerous when a few control so much and don't bother to think about the people. History is filled with such situations and it never works out for the good.
Andrea Rodriguez
The districts proposed on this map are NOT representative of Utah's demographics and communities, particularly in Salt Lake County. They have chopped up SL County (and cities) into all four districts, obviously intending to dilute representation of constituents. They are blatantly ignoring the will of the majority of Utahns who voted to establish an independent redistricting commission who would develop district boundaries. It appears the legislative committee didn't even attempt to use any of the information the UIRC proposed. We all have a right to fair representation. The UIRC proposals are much better because they are fair. Governor Cox must reject the legislature's map and use what the UIRC proposed instead!
Evan Willie
This map is very clearly gerrymandered. Others have given plenty of evidence in abundance. This also is just a bad map from a drawing perspective. Two examples: 1) For the D1 reprsentative to go from Davis County to the parts of Salt Lake they represent, they have go all the way around through Odgen, back through Morgan, down to I-80, and then over to Salt Lake. The other option is to leave the District and then come back. 2) Antelope Island is a zero population area. It won't change the numbers at all to be put with D1 instead of D2. So why put it in D2, where you have to leave the District in order to get there? Both are textbook examples of poor map making design, where the district may technically be contiguous, it effectively isn't due to zero or near zero ways to get to parts of the district without leaving it.
Art Santana
Not too sound vulgar, this map sucks! Plain and simple. One street dividing my city in half? Come on!
Jared Moulding
This map does nothing to resolve the issues of the previous districts and is blatant gerrymandering. All citizens need fair representation and this map does nothing to promote that.
Sara J
The proposed redistricting maps by the legislature increase the existing gerrymandering. I could take a walk and pass through all four districts. This is not the way that a state should be divided for Congressional representation. The sole purpose of this is to dilute the votes of Utahns that live in urban areas. It doesn’t necessarily provide rural Utahns with a greater voice - just based on population, their reps are more likely to be from an urban rather than rural area. Utahns voted for the Independent Redistricting Commission and the legislature, again, is acting in opposition to the majority of state voters. Adopt the maps presented by the UIRC, not this proposal.
Rebecca Noonan Heale
This map is a classic example of gerrymandering. It should be thrown out and one of the maps that meets the criteria of the independent redistricting committee should be used.
Matthew Jacobson
I live in a city. We deal with hundreds of issues that have nothing to do with the people in the far northeast and northwest rural areas of the state. Why do the few people who live in rural areas get to decide who represents me in the city? And Vice versa? My community faces nowhere near the same issues as people who live in Dagget County! My community is Davis and Weber counties on the FRONT of the Wasatch! Give rural areas their own representation.
Michael Zeldes
Proposals to redistrict by splitting areas with views differing from the current government is shameful. We voted for an independent redistricting commission and expect their recommendation to be followed. Governing is about serving the people, not ensuring you get reelected. One day, people will wake up, and insist our representatives do what's best for the community, and not themselves.
Richard T Mollerup
This map is a joke and an unabashed power grab. It is absurd that my city, Millcreek, is divided between all four districts. That’s not representation. Use one of the maps created by the independent redistricting commission.
Sadie Knowlton
Please use one of the maps created by the independent commission, this is blatant Gerrymandering and the whole reason I and many others voted for this ballot measure was to make our maps less gerrymandered. Very disappointed in this blatant attempt that so clearly goes against the will of voters.
Kent Gregory Golic
This is a transparent gerrymander designed to eliminate any Democratic representative from Utah in Congress. You're fooling no one with your "must have mix of rural and urban in every district" nonsense. The map stinks, and so do the legislators who drew it and those who will vote to approve it.
Mike Avila
The proposed redistricting effectively silences my voice and every voice in my community. Who would think the voters of Kearns would share the same interests as those in Ephraim? I would like very much to see transcripts from the meetings that produced this map.
Renee D Zollinger
As a Utah republican, I am embarrassed and angry that my elected officials believe this map is fair and representative. Breaking up our urban area voices just to maintain conservative power negates the needs and voices of a significant portion of our population and results in shortsighted lawmaking. Quit trying to portray Utah's representation as some monolithic vote, and use the independent maps which better express and represent all your voters.
Miles Petty
Dear legislators- Please don’t go through with these maps. It is unrighteous dominion. Please use one of the maps from the independent commission.
Jordan Bowden
Yet another example of Utah GOP Pols ignoring the will and voice of the people they are allegedly representing. This map is a blatantly gerrymandered power grab. Nothing more. Use the independent commission's maps like we voted for in the referendum!
Robert Jorrdan
This is absurd and in direct conflict with Prop 4, neutering the voice of the state's population center, and economic driver. It is a blatant attempt to exert raw political power to the process to silence the voice of the people. Salt Lake City/County, at least, should have fair representation, as should other communities of interest. The Independent Commission has done good work. Listen to them.
Christian Duvall
I don't want Salt Lake or Utah County having a say in what we do or want on the Uinta basin. Who thought it was a good and honest idea to divide the most Democrat/Liberal area in Utah in to 4 chunks so they can overtake the rural peoples vote? This is absolutely crooked and if this passes we should protest. This is something I'd expect to see in California or Oregon, but not Utah, what a shame that this map made it this far.
Kirian Crabtree
I am disappointed but not surprised that the Utah legislature is drawing the districts in such an obvious way of dividing the most populous and most liberal county in a way that dilutes our vote.
Melissa Inouye
Utah legislators who control the Utah legislature, I am outraged to find that, against the will of the voters who created an INDEPENDENT redistricting commission, you and your colleagues in the Utah Legislature have chosen to create an entirely new, extremely gerrymandered, completely nonsensical map that looks like it doesn't help represent Utahns, but instead protects the interests of legislators and makes it easier for all of you to keep your seats. The whole point of the INDEPENDENT redistricting commission was to come up with something fair, something that would put all legislators current and future under reasonable guidelines for healthy competition. This current, ridiculous map splitting Salt Lake County into four districts shows how little the current legislators in power, apparently led by you, want healthy competition. This is shameful. Please ditch this gerrymandered map. Please use the map that the voters of Utah asked you to use: the maps of the independent redistricting commission. Don't be crooked! Don't gerrymander! Even in high school government, kids learn about gerrymandering! It is Basic Corruption 101! To be honorable, use the maps the people of Utah asked you to use, which an independent commission of honorable citizens created.
Trevor Olsen
This map breaks up so many communities. All of my friends that live nearby and many of the businesses I frequent that are within walking distance of my home are in a different district. Allowing our state to be "represented" by this in the United States House of Representatives would be to spit in the face of what it means to live in a democracy. The voters chose an independent commission to handle the redrawing of this map to avoid this exact kind of problem. The Utah legislature is drunk on its own power and authority. It sought to override the will of the voters and relegated the independent commission that WE voted in favor of to a mere "suggestion" and then didn't even bother to use any of the maps that were suggested. Instead we get exactly the opposite. What a joke. I would say that I can't believe how blatantly corrupt this is, but everyone expected this. Especially after the legislature declined to follow the will of voters when we passed the proposition for an independent commission years ago.
Kathy Park
I understand why you're doing this. Mainly, because you have the power, so why not? Unfortunately, very few people in any party like these gerrymandered maps. They deny rural voters anyone to represent their interests who actually lives in rural Utah. And obviously, they dilute the power of people living in Salt Lake to be fairly represented. No doubt, you think this anger will pass. It won't. Just like it didn't with the 2010 maps that led people to create and vote for Prop 4. Want Utah to attract tech and other lucrative businesses? It's going to be even harder in the next 10 years if you vote in these gerrymandered maps. What employee would want to move to a place they have little to no voice in their local politics? You might even succeed in so alienating Republican voters that you lose your super-majority. Vote for the independently drawn maps by the committee we voted for in prop 4 and paid for this year, and you may be able to recover from this terrible mistake of obviously and blatantly gerrymandered.
Shirley Acaya
I reject the proposed Legislative Redistricting Committee's map. It does not make any sense to split Salt Lake County into 4 separate districts so that there is a mix of urban and rural views in one district. This mix would not represent the views and votes of the constituents who actually live in Salt Lake County. It makes perfect sense to follow the map created by the independent and transparent redistricting commission. This whole proposal is an exercise in gerrymandering that is created to keep certain parties/people in power and does nothing to actually help the people who live in the district. It is a shameful power move.
Jasmin Cruz
The Legislature’s congressional map is gerrymandered to favor the Republican party, splits counties and cities unnecessarily, and does not perform well at an urban-rural mix. I ask to please use the Utah Independent Redistricting Commission maps.
Todd Sangster
When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bonds which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness...But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security. Such has been the patient sufferance of the citizens of Utah; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former systems of government. The history of the present Utah State Legislature is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over the citizenry. In every stage of these oppressions we have petitioned for redress in the most humble terms: our repeated petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. Such a Legislature, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define tyranny, is unfit to rule a free people...
Kristin Baughman
Vote NO on the Legislative Redistricting Committee's map. It is vitally important to me that the approved map avoid splitting of cities, counties, and communities of interest.  It is also important to me that the map be created through an independent, transparent map-drawing process. The map put out by the Legislative Redistricting Committee does NONE of those things.  Moreover, I do not care one bit about making sure that each Congressional district has a mix of urban and rural. The better and more effective representation comes from districts that are more homogeneous.  By splitting the urban areas as the LRC map does, it dilutes the votes of minorities and underrepresented groups, which results in voter suppression and LESS representation.  ALL Utahns deserve equal and fair representation.
Alyssa Campos
Please listen when constituents comment that the proposed gerrymandering doesn’t reflect what’s best for the interest of the people it’s dividing (how is the capital of this state and Salt Lake County in different districts and why has it always been gerrymandered in the same district as far away from it as possible?)… Please follow the set Utah Independent Redistricting Commission’s recommendations. I ask: why set a supposed redistricting committee and also pretend to welcome feedback only to have legislators decide the fate of certain demographics possibly for their political benefit anyway? How is my neighborhood of 9th and 9th in Salt Lake City going to be in 2 different districts?! Do the residents of Salt Lake County not deserve representatives reflecting its constituents? We, the people of Salt Lake County, deserve better than this proposed gerrymander… We deserve representatives that will listen and welcome progress. We deserve a better Utah.
Linda G Keyes
Why do we even bother to try to have a nonpartisan commission on anything when we all know the legislature will do what they darn well please? The latest thinly veiled attempt to show that the legislature cares about their constituents hearkens back to the 2018 election’s three (four) propositions. Remember medical cannabis expansion, Medicaid expansion, changes to election district boundaries, and the caucus system (yes, Count My Vote yet again)! Citizens worked hard to get these propositions on the ballot only to have the super majority legislature circumvent the outcome of two and get one thrown off the ballot. Now you are going to do the same thing with the independent, nonpartisan, boundaries commission voters overwhelmingly voted for. Your blatantly gerrymandered district map is another failure to listen to and to respect the will of the voters.
Phillip Lambson
I shouldn't be in the same district after moving 400 miles. This is blatant voter suppression. Remember, no taxation without representation, and I am **NOT** being represented when I share a district with Southern Utah. Follow the redistricting committee's guidance, or we will vote you out.
Bret Wardle
How do we not understand that the needs of people in Salt Lake are different than the edges of the state. Schooling, Infrastructure, Healthcare, Economics, Housing, and so much more are so drastically different between the two. Please stop splitting up the needs of our capitol city and pretending that they can be represented by someone that doesn't understand the issues facing a large city.
Jennifer Lopez
This division silences the voices of my very diverse Glendale - by dividing the city into four separate districts, the votes and voices of each of our sectors are competing with the vast non-SLC populations. Silencing the entirety of the state capitol is an egregious example of gerrymandering. Use the independent commission maps, not this horror.
Mason Decker
This map is very disappointing. It divides communities such as Sugar House and Millcreek, and splits up Salt Lake County more than is necessary. This is clearly gerrymandering, and the people of Utah voted for the independent redistricting commission for this very reason. Do the right thing and let the people pick their leaders. PLEASE USE ONE OF THE MAPS CREATED BY THE INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING COMMISSION!
Dianne Lewis
I urge you to reconsider the recommendations from the independent redistricting committee. Better governance is found when residents can be represented by legislators who can consider commons interests. This is better fulfilled not by creating equal slices of rural and urban in each district that split the interests of disparate areas but by grouping according to geography and shared needs/interests.
Kimberly Wagner
I strongly urge you to accept the maps created (transparently and with extensive public input) by the Independent Redistricting Commission. Please don't disregard the will of the voters who passed Prop. 4 and who want to see an end to gerrymandering.
Anna Swenson
In 2018, Proposition 4 was placed on the statewide ballots, and the majority of Utahns voted to designate an Independent Redistricting Commission. I believe that this proposition resonated throughout Utah and to me personally because we believe that our votes should be represented fairly, and that the districts we vote in should be drawn in a transparent and nonpartisan manner. The Independent Commission's criteria for creating their maps are heavily centered upon minimizing the splitting of cities, counties, and communities of interest, as well as working transparently and cohesively without a political agenda. This has led to promising results, especially with the Princeton Gerrymandering Project giving 8 out of 9 of their maps an "A" rating for partisan fairness. Meanwhile, the Legislative committee's map was released with less than 40 hours for the public to comment and was drawn by those with a direct political stake in drawing boundaries that suit them. For rural Utahns, the Legislative committee's map basically guarantees that they will be represented not by someone who lives in their communities, but by those who live along the Wasatch Front. For urban Utahns, this map dilutes their voices and their votes. We will all need to live with the new districts for another 10 years. I am concerned about the future of a Utah where we cannot expect our decisions in a fair, statewide vote such as that which was held for Proposition 4 to be respected and upheld by the legislature. I am also concerned that voters' needs are being placed below the potential for the political gain of our elected representatives. Utah voters deserve the opportunity to have our voices heard, lest we as a community and society lose whatever faith is still left in free and fair elections. I urge you to respect the will of Utah voters and support the Utah Independent Redistricting Committee's maps. Thank you for your time and your consideration.
Rebecca Lyons
Please use the independent commission's maps! I want to believe Utah's representatives represent the interests of the people of Utah. I want to believe they can be courteous and honest and be an example to the nation. Increasingly I'm losing that hope. Between obvious gerrymandering like this, and direct disrespect that I've gotten from Curt Bramble, I've been finding it hard to have any faith that our legislature actually cares about the people of Utah.
Kyrie Stark
It's horrifying to see the government act this corrupt. What a bunch of cowards. If you need to manipulate your districts to get what you want, you don't want to be a leader - you want to be a dictator. Grow up and do what's best for everyone instead of what's best for you. Utilize fair districting instead of pretending like a large portion of Utah's population doesn't exist.
Joshua Powell
This feels like a total disregard for the people’s map, an attempt to gerrymander, and bypass the will of the people of Utah.
Celia Walters
I strongly disagree with this map. This map not only fails to make sense for rural Utah, but it also most certainly does not make sense for Salt Lake City and the Wasatch front. Everyone deserves to have a district that fairly represents them. This map is not it. Please use the map proposed by the independent commission.
Amy Elizabeth Ungricht
This is a disgustingly blatant gerrymandered map. This may he a shock to some of our elected officials, but a democracy is supposed to be representative government. How on earth does dividing the Salt Lake Valley into four different districts make any sense, especially when some of the districts include half of Southern Utah? Different parts of the state will have different needs based on their geographic location, someone in Salt Lake is going to have very different concerns than someone in Hurricane. The only obvious reasoning for this terrible map is to break up votes in Democrat strongholds in cities. It's disheartening to see how little our officials care about giving equal representation to everybody.
Lowell Camp
Our governor and our two senators represent the entire state, and voters from across the state vote for these three offices. Therefore, the governor and the two senators should represent the entire state. Voters in a given congressional district (and Utah State Senate and House districts) only vote for candidates within their district, and the purpose is for the Congressperson to represent the local needs of constituents in his/her district. It is disingenuous and nonsensical to divide the Salt Lake City metropolitan area into four congressional districts, especially under the guise of “each district should represent both urban and rural areas.” Sadly, that phrase is code for the Legislative Redistricting Committee wanting to dilute the vote of the Salt Lake City metropolitan area. Allow the voices of the SLC metropolitan area AND the voices of the rural areas to be clearly heard. Don’t artificially dilute all of their voices by using this map. I appeal to a sense of fairness, integrity and decency from our Utah State Legislature. Use the maps from the UIRC. They are well-researched and were designed with specific metrics to ensure fairness and to maintain communities, towns, cities and counties within the same district. This is why the majority of Utah voters voted for an independent commission.
Keith Lufkin
The fact that the city of Millcreek is divided into all 4 Congressional districts is yet another blatant example of the complete disregard for keeping communities of interest together in the redistricting process. Use the maps that were submitted by the Utah Independent Redistricting Commission. I would like an explanation as to why the so called legislature is afraid of allowing the free exchange of ideas and debate to determine the outcome of elections as opposed to the obvious suppression of ideas that do not align with the party currently in power. Could it be that they have no ideas in the best interests of their constituents? Suppression of opposition is what in part defines Fascism. How can legislators who support this remain continue to be re-elected?
Kai Gentille
I implore the committee to use the map put forth by the independent commission.
Dan Ebling
(submitting again, my first attempt did not appear to save) This map is a disgrace. In just a few miles of where I live, me and my neighbors are split into four congressional districts that do not follow county boundaries, city boundaries, or proposed House and Senate districts. Instead, arbitrary and invisible lines along 3900 South and 200 East were chosen, which splits Millcreek and South Sugarhouse - not to mention the apparent, deliberate maneuvering done in Springville, Farmington and Kimball Junction. My neighbor to the south is in House district 40 and Congressional district 2, yet my neighbor to the east is in House district 36 and Congressional district 2. Just a little bit further, and their eastern neighbor is in House district 36 and Congressional district 1 - all within walking distance. I can walk to my friend's house in Millcreek, and it feels like the same neighborhood to me. Yet they are represented by someone else as part of a different district - why are they treated differently? In what scenario does this make sense? Dividing multiple communities up into different districts is not fair representation. I understand the need for urban and rural participation in the same district(s), but there are much better ways to do so - the Commission has done this with their SH2 map. These districts make it a lose-lose scenario for both urban and rural voters: Representatives can hide behind their rural constituents for all unpopular positions which frustrates urban constituents, while rural voters only get candidates from densely-populated areas which disenfranchises constituents that want local issues heard. Yes, each district needs to have equal populations but this does not mean splitting established communities in two or three. It is disgusting to see the hard work of the Independent Redistricting Commission blatantly ignored - they had a transparent process, they spent weeks gathering feedback throughout the state in public town halls, and they put in effort with third parties to make sure their maps were as fair as they could be. None of this is evident in this map, and to say it is anything but a product of closed-door scheming is lying to Utahns.
Madi Schlesinger
I fail to see why having an entire Congressional delegation that represents both urban and rural interests makes any sense. You're just diluting both of their voices in the name of partisan control. Why not have dedicated representatives who will fight for the rural areas just as much as dedicated representatives will fight for the urban areas? Utah is so much more than land: it is people. And it seems you are forgetting that.
Jennifer McDaniel
This map is shocking to me in its partisan gerrymandering. I live in Herriman and my city have very needs and priorities than people who live in Manti or in the national forest down there. (Seriously, anyone who's driven south on I-15 can see the difference.) The Purple Map submitted by the independent redistricting commission groups Herriman with similar cities--South Jordan and Sandy and Eagle Mountain. This is where we should be grouped and how we should be represented. Please adopt any of the independent commission's maps, which are much more fair and honest than this one.
Jake Petersson
I really don't like how this map splits up communities. I want to see a map put together by the commission that the people voted for used. It seems disingenuous to both rural and urban residents to be lumped together and have someone try to balance both of their needs. It would be much better to have representatives that could narrow their focus and really meet the needs of those the represent.
Tim Larsen
Congressional representatives are supposed to represent their districts. Certain parts of the state tend to have certain views, and splitting those areas up so each district represents the overall demographics of the state makes it hard for representatives to represent their individual districts, and denies a voice to regional interests. Utah has four congressional districts and is somewhere near 70% Republican. If all four districts are drawn so that each is 70% Republican, the 30% Democrat are denied a voice in politics. While no system will be perfect, if we are trying to be fair, the districts should be drawn so that roughly 30% of Utah's representatives are likely to be Democrats. That would more accurately represent the opinions of the voters in Utah and would be disenfranchising fewer voters overall.
Barbara Cox
Citizens in Utah proposed and voted for an independent redistricting commission. That group's website lists its criteria (things like compactness, community of interest, least possible division within a county or town) and asked for public input. I could not find stated the underlying principles used for the legislative map, other than mandated population and quotes in news reports that it favored having every congressional district have both urban and rural voters. The time for public input seems very limited. The commission's criteria seem fair and its maps meet them as well as can be done given constraints of geography and arithmetic. The Legislature needs to explain its process and product more convincingly. For example, Salt Lake County must inevitably be split between congressional districts. Why did the Legislative committee choose to divide it in four when the commission shows it can be be assigned to only two?
Donna Branson
In 2018, the people voted for an independent commission to draw up the maps. The maps developed by the UIRC were well thought out and allowed for public input. The maps proposed by the Utah State Legislature are blatant gerrymandering. Use the maps the people voted for and stop trying to serve your own interests instead of the people of Utah. This situation is immoral and unethical.
Elizabeth Tashjian
We voted for an independent redistricting commission. Please accept their recommendation and uphold the will of your constituents.
Evan Johnson
It feels like this map, once again, splits up my communities of Millcreek and Salt Lake County, and lumps me with distant rural parts of Utah that I have little in common with. I don't feel well represented by this map. Please use the Independent Redistricting Committee maps instead.
Donald John Mike
This maps is drawn so unfairly. This is obviously text book gerrymandering. This is not at all what the people of Utah wanted when we voted for a news congressional districts. This just proves the fact that republican are trying to pick their voters instead of their voters picking them. What was the point of the independet committee if the legislature can still draw the districts however they please. This whole progress was just a waste of time and money if the Utah legislature has full digression of choosing their preferred maps that keep them in power. What the sad this is, is that this map will not help rural Utah or urban Utah be represented, this only represents the Wasatch county.
Joseph Yohann
I Strongly Disagree with this map, Its disappointing. Gerrymandering still. You need to listen to the voters and not silence us.
John F Major
A majority of Utahns voted for district maps drawn by an independent commission, and they did a great job (see the analysis by the BYU professor). The Legislature map is extremely biased - for example, why does it take into account the addresses of incumbents, when the commission maps do not? Isn't that "politicians choosing their voters", instead of the other way around? And poorly-drawn redistricting can still be challenged in court - careful, you might make people mad enough to want some real change in this state!
Catelin Yohann
I STRONGLY disagree. Do not split up Salt Lake City. This is not in the best interest of the people. But shows its in your best interest. You are trying to silence and splice up the majority of the voters.
Hilary Silberman
The maps that have been drawn are disappointing and reflect political gerrymandering and an attempt for the Republican party to stay in power, not follow the will of the people or meet the needs of the people The independent maps drawn by the UIRC reflect our communities’ needs. The UIRC received 1,000+ community of interest maps and 1,000+ comments on draft maps. The legislature did not implement communities of interest as a mapping standard and made it really difficult for the public to submit their own maps. Lawmakers drawing their own maps is a conflict of interest. A functioning democracy relies on the free market of ideas, and by drawing districts that protect their seats, lawmakers are relying on manipulation of boundaries, not quality ideas, to get elected. This undermines the free marketplace of ideas in policy and government. I like the criteria and I want maps that reflect the nonpartisan criteria. The UIRC maps are getting A’s from the Princeton Gerrymandering Project and respected redistricting analysts for being partisan-neutral Drawing unfair boundaries undermines the freedom of people to pick their leaders. This freedom is foundational to all our other freedoms. Please respect the will of the people and adopt the UIRC maps.
Christopher Phillips
I am a lifelong Utahn and I now live in Cottonwood Heights with my wife and three children. I love urban and rural Utah. This map does not do either urban or rural Utah any service. Instead of uniting the groups, it will pit them against each other. Representatives who largely live along the Wasatch Front will not be appropriately familiar with the needs of rural Utah, and may only give lip service to their requests. We need maps that provide communities a common voice. We need maps that actually serve rural and urban Utah - maps like the ones proposed by the UIRC. Please use the UIRC maps at all levels.
Pavel Komarov
This is partisan gerrymandering. What is the point of the independent commission Utahns approved in 2018 if you're not going to listen to their recommendations? Clearly you're all just powerhungry and don't care to represent us.
Amanda Pluskett
I wish I could say the blatant gerrymandering is surprising, but it's not. I voted to have an independent redistricting committee draw maps, as did the majority of Utahns. I appreciated their clear approach. I also voted to legalize medical marijuana and expand medicaid, as did the majority of Utahns. Why does the legislature get to override those votes? If these maps are passed, once again my vote will count for nothing and I will have no representation. Why should I pay my property taxes when I have no representation? These maps are also clearly meant to marginalize people of color. The lines are drawn and split in the areas with the most diversity in Utah. The people of Salt Lake deserve to have representation in congress and the state legislature. And for that matter, the people in rural Utah deserve the same representation; they deserve to have a rep that actually lives in rural Utah and understands the problems facing those areas. It's also despicable that you'd release these maps on a Friday night, when the vote takes place on Monday. This entire process stinks of corruption, which again, is not surprising with a legislature that constantly hands out no bid contracts and wastes the taxpayer's dollars.
Marybeth Bowman
The Independent Redistricting Committee was voted into existence because a large portion of the population realized they were not being represented in their government. The maps resulting from this committee's work ore accurately reflect our communities than the highly gerrymandered districts, and thus allow for far better and fairer representation, especially in our local politics. The IRC maps have been rated and given high scores for partisan fairness. It is important for our communities and our voting rights that these independent redistricting maps be adopted.
Brad Keyes
I can’t see how this proposed map will ensure that the people of Utah are fairly represented in the United States congress. Having one county (Salt Lake) split between all four congressional districts, and the remainder of each district filled in with other population centers and rural areas with different needs and concerns seems to be self defeating. If I were the representative from your proposed district 3, how do I balance the concerns of a tourism based economy in Park City with that of an energy based economy in the Uintah basin? Or an agrarian economy in the four corners region? Judging by the overwhelming majority of the comments on this site, it would seem that I’m not the only one opposed to these proposed congressional districts. I think you need to go back to the drawing board on this one, and take into consideration what the independent commission came up with.
Jamie PETERSON
This map is an obscene example of gerrymandering. I am disgusted that the majority thinks splitting up SL County into 4 sections is "FAIR". It is an obvious example of silencing the majority of those who live in Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County. GO BACK to what the voters demanded back in 2018! Use one of the maps suggested by the Independent Study. They gave you many fair options.
alex taylor
I am saddened by the congressional district map proposed by the utah legislative redistricting committee. It essentially silences the population of salt lake county (more than a third of the entire state population). I, along with a majority of voters, passed a proposal for an independent redistricting committee in order to prevent this from happening again. Why is the committee we voted for being ignored? The most densely populated and cultural center of Utah should not be pulled apart into oblivion. This is a cowardly and self serving act imposed by those already in power against the wishes of the people they claim to represent. This is not good governance and I am once again ashamed of my home state.
Jason Thorpe
Stop wasting everyone's time with gerrymandering. UIRC was specifically setup so you couldn't choose your voters. We want the voters to choose the politicians. Adopt one of the UIRC maps like your constituents said to.
Nikhil Poudel
I live in South Salt Lake, and I have far more in common with a person living 4 blocks away from me than the person living on the other side of the state from me. So, when we elect our representative either me or the person who lives nowhere near me will be stuck with a person who does not know of our local issues. Why should either of our opportunities of representation be taken away like this? Is it not American to stand up for democratic ideals like fair representation, rather than do something like this? Listen to the Independent Redistricting Commission and use the better map that they made. One that actually gives representation to the people and doesn't spit in the face of democracy.
Justin Phyl Johnson
This map is infuriating. I have lived in downtown Salt Lake City for nearly 20 years. For the past 10 years, I have been in the same Congressional district as Kanab and Hanksville, while my downtown neighbors a mile away are in an entirely different district. It's blatant gerrymandering and this 2021 map is more of that. I live near Pioneer Park. I have more common issues and concerns with residents in the Liberty Park neighborhood. But, once again, our votes and issues are being divided among two Republican-majority districts who will focus more on the suburbs and Rural Utah than anything having to do with the urban core of this state. Utah is not 100% Republican. Joe Biden won 37.7% of the vote in 2020. There should be at least one Democratic majority district among Utah's 4 Congressional seats, but we're clearly seeing the Utah GOP again "crack" the D stronghold into 4 smaller blocks which can be easily overwhelmed by Republicans around the rest of the state. Republicans are not happy with 75%. They cheat to get it all, and I'm absolutely disgusted by their behavior demonstrated here. A majority of Utahns voted for an independent redistricting committee because of the exact shameful bad-faith effort we are seeing here.
Kaitlin Julander
I am very disappointed to see that the map recommended by the IRC was ignored. This new map doesn't make sense. Why would you split Salt Lake County into four different districts unless you were trying to gerrymander the state? We should avoid even the appearance of gerrymandering! The map the IRC recommended does have a mix of urban and rural voters, and has much more common sense boundaries. As a resident of Millcreek, I am horrified to see my neighborhood sliced up, and I am saddened that the legislature is trying to dilute mine and my neighbors voices.
Mark Lentz
This redistricting is no improvement. It is more of the same. It is no wonder that the same Republican congressmen who have stifled the voices of residents of the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico among others have also repeatedly denied Salt Lake County a voice by dividing it into nonsensical entities. Shame!
Emma Ryder
This map for congressional representation is partisan gerrymandering and should be taken out of consideration in the redistricting process. Dividing Salt Lake County into four different districts unnecessarily splits cities and will harm communities by taking away their representation. Utah voted for independent redistricting, you must listen to the voters and adopt the maps submitted by the Independent Redistricting Commission.
John Neill
It’s unfortunate that our state leaders feel threatened by a nonpartisan redistricting committee. They don’t respect the will of the people and created a map that intentionally divides my community into four districts. Thanks for diluting the urban and rural voices of all Utahn’s and eroding the foundations of democracy.
Emily Walsh
You should leave Salt Lake City intact. I realize Salt Lake County has to be split, but putting it in to 4 districts is going to far. I suspect you are well aware of this, but need to do this to come out of convention in 2022.
Winston Seiler
The map as proposed by the legislature is poorly drawn specifically in its division of Salt Lake City. Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County should be kept as a single contiguous voting district. To divide it appears to clearly be an attempt to limit the representation of the Salt Lake City and County voters. I strongly dislike and disagree with the map proposed by the Utah Legislature.
Daniel Ball
I don’t see how the proposed boundaries will represent my small family’s needs or values. With the information We have, I ask you to follow the Independent Commission's recommendations and expose this corruption as unfair and harmful for our democracy.
Robert Cousins
Watching the Independent Commission do its work over the past months, I held out a tiny but real hope that things would be different this time around. These blatantly gerrymandered maps are not surprising but are still so so discouraging. To the IRC: thank you for your thoughtful and attentive service--you have acted as a model for our legislators, even if they lack the faith in democracy or the personal integrity to follow it.
Shaun Anderson
We voted to get an independent redistricting committee that designed maps that better represent the needs of Utah residents. This is a clear example that the legislature is out of touch with the people they have been elected to represent.
Matt Butler
We voted for independently made maps. Use them.
David McNeill
Without a doubt, those in power will cry foul when they see the legislatures in blue states do what they are doing here - i.e., demonstrating that absolute power corrupts absolutely. They have the power, and whatever they need to do to maintain that power is ethical. Ethics is relative - but for this legislature, it is a totally unknown concept. Representative Bishop expressed his concern that the rural areas of the state were not being represented in the maps generated by the impartial commission. In response to those complaints, our totally impartial legislature developed this map to make freakin sure that the majority of the population of Salt Lake County are not represented in Congress. With this map, they were able to water down any democratic leanings of the majority of the population to guarantee that there would be 4 republicans representing Utah in Congress. I will not be surprised at the next republican convention when those who want to represent Utah's form of republicanism have to swear allegiance to the Man who would be King (i.e., Trump), to the Party (right or not right, but the only Party in Utah), and finally, to God - in that order. I swear - this state is such an embarrassment. It is antics like this that make it so easy for outsiders to refer to the citizens of this pretty great state as sheeple. The people vote, and the legislature does their darndest mock whatever the people wanted, and undo what the people wanted, and the only thing that comes of the people's vote is that the legislature makes it harder for the people to speak. Next session, they'll get rid of the independent commission, and change the statute governing ballot initiatives to require 100% of the population of the state to sign it - and only on paper - before the legislature has to consider it. They make me sick.
Stephanie Stanley
Please use the maps drawn by the Utah independent redistricting commission. This map does not provide fair representation and disregards what Utah residents want and need in their communities.
Jess Whisnand
Salt Lake City deserves a unified voice and should be one district. Full stop.
Emmalene Schneider
This is an appalling example of gerrymandering but I don’t need to tell you that, right? Any one with eyeballs can see the intent here.
M. Hardy
The green markers are mostly NOT positive. The system defaults to "Like" / Green for some reason and a lot of people aren't catching that. Any comments re "not all bad" or "lots of green" should be taken with a grain of salt during Monday's 3pm proceedings.
Josh Bauer
Please respect the recommendations of the independent commission and choose a fair map. it's obvious that this map was designed to prevent Salt Lake metro voters from having any political representation. Can't we design a map around fair representation rather than around holding onto any power the majority party can get its hands on?
Gregory Forbush
Please demonstrate through your actions that you represent all of the people in your district. Follow the recommendations of the independent committee. Vote for fair and impartially drawn maps that allow all to be enfranchised and empowered. Anything less is not worthy of our values and commitment to each other.
Michael Adams
I am a registered Republican, but disagree with this map from the Utah Legislature. I want to have districts that generally make sense, grouping people and areas that are generally similar. I looked at congressional districts throughout various states. Understanding that due to populations, the lines need to be drawn somewhere. However, I do not see a core part of a major city divided into more than two districts. Sure, there are some strange shapes of many districts due to the details, but to divide places that are extended neighborhoods is absurd. Why is Downtown Salt Lake City split right down the middle? I used to live near the Capitol and worked four blocks away – which would mean that I would live in one district and work in a different district only walking distance away in Downtown. This map from the Utah Legislature is the very reason why people voted for the independent Commission and is the reason why so many people get disenfranchised with the political process here. They truly feel like they are not heard. I have not read every comment on this map, but have not seen any positive feedback. I would love to hear a really good reason why you think this is not gerrymandering at its finest. If you want a map that has both urban and rural (which doesn’t make tons of sense to me) then I suggest using the option from the Independent Redistricting Commission, the map labeled as Public Congressional SH 2 FINAL at this link: https://uirc.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=5a8155ad963e496bbf261c7067c9f62c. All districts have urban and rural, but Salt Lake County is divided into two districts and it generally keeps regional parts together – SLC and the north and east parts of the County spreading out to Vernal and the east border; the west part of Salt Lake County and to the west border, including some St George area; Davis County northward to Logan and the north border; and Utah County down to the south and east.
Derek Lloyd
The committee isn’t even attempting to hide their bias and intention with this map. It is a clear and plain example of gerrymandering being pushed under the facade of a breach in voter security that has time and time again proven to be false. What a sham to what democracy is meant to be and represent.
RICHARD MINGO
This map totally disregards the recommendations of the bipartisan redistricting commission established in response to the will of the people of Utah. This map does not keep communities of interest together but rather silences their voices but splitting them up for the sole purpose disenfranchising SL County voters. What a terrible sham this has all been and what an incredible wasted opportunity. Gerrymandering is alive and well in Utah!
Thomas Talin Hansen
Doesn't seem to make sense for us to share a district with Holladay. I understand the desire to have every district be part urban and part rural, but the Independent Redistricting Committee submitted a map that accomplished that without splitting up communities based on politics. Utah is better than this blatant gerrymandering.
Karen Hevel-Mingo
Congratulations! You’ve managed to take terrible congressional districts and make them even worse! Salt Lake County with its dense urban population has different priorities, concerns and needs then rural areas of Utah. It is not governing in the best interest of the citizens of Utah when you gerrymander boundaries to stay in political control. Four different districts within a mile of my residence is ludicrous!
Jenni Thompson
THIS MAP REPRESENTS TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION. THIS MAP IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE. THE PEOPLE VOTED AND YOU ARE NOT LISTENING SENATOR SANDALL AND REPRESENTATIVE RAY. THIS IS A BLATANT DISREGARD FOR WHAT WE VOTED FOR. PRESENT THE MAP THAT WAS APPROVED BY THE INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING COMMITTEE!!!!!!!
Frederick R Adler
I'm extremely disappointed that the legislature chose to ignore the will of the people and the independent commission in order to gerrymander districts. Our democracy would be a lot healthier if people had representatives who represented them, rather than being chosen to maintain one party in power. I can see no good reason why ballot initiatives are ignored and then legislators choose their voters to stay in power.
Dan Christensen
This conclusively proves that Utah did the right thing voting the legislature out of the redistricting process and trusting an independent commission. The legislature should just give up and use a map from the UIRC. In high contrast, the UIRC maps were fair, rigorous, and transparent. With how egregiously the legislature divided Davis County (right down the middle of Farmington!), this map is a very easy target for outrage and contempt (and I'm not even talking about the quadruple division of Salt Lake County). I thought the 2011 maps were terrible with a line between Farmington and Kaysville where apparently they thought Farmington was part of Southern Utah. Now they just fine-tuned the gerrymandering and they expect us to appreciate them throwing out the UIRC maps. As a then-resident of Farmington, Prop 4 was my #1 priority on the 2020 ballot - even more important to me than the presidential race because it was local and I thought my vote would make a difference. Sure enough, it did make a difference in the tally, but the legislature decided to ignore my vote, along with over half of Utah, and reinsert their personal and partisan politics back into this process. And here we are with a slap in the face. I've never felt more disenfranchised in my life. No doubt they are trying to solidify seats for the incumbents. I would go marching in the streets, but apparently middle-of-the-night shenanigans are not below the legislature either and now I have no time to get down there. Shame.
Jennifer Guillory
The whole point of the redistricting vote was to create non-partisan boundaries. Now the Legislature wants to send the non-partisan recommendations out the window and water down urban votes again. District boundaries should reflect populations with similar needs and issues. Yes, please listen to both urban and rural voters! But they need to be separated to hear and understand the needs of each.
Julie Faure
This map divides Salt Lake City into 4 districts. My part of Salt Lake City is lumped in with St George and the entire southern part of the State. Our concerns in Salt Lake City are very different from those of the residents of Southern Utah. I can't understand how one representative legislate in the interest of all these very disparate constituents.
Nicholas Steffens
Districts should reflect the economic and cultural makeup of its region. This principal is fundamental and foundational to the democratic process - so much so that our founding fathers offered guidance for the process of drawing district lines. This map does not reflect the spirt or the values our country was founded on. It's disappointing that our elected officials are seriously considering a map that caters to politics rather than democracy.
Taylor Webb
I recognize that redistricting is a complex process. I also believe that the way to create anger, partisanship, and extremism is to write the rules of the game in a way that silences or attenuates the voices of those with whom we disagree. Whether it is intended or not, it is hard for me to see how that won't be the effect of this map.
Rosalie Warnock
We voted as a state to have an impartial redistricting commission. Now the very partial legislature should follow the maps created by that commission. How long do the partisan mob bosses in politics in this state think they can continue to ignore what the people vote for?
Yulia Goff
This map is unacceptable and clearly gerrymandered. Stop ignoring voters, and use one of the independent commission's maps!
Heather Webb
The legislature claims that this map was drawn so that each Congressional representative will represent the interests of both rural and urban Utahns. How is it possible to represent both rural and urban interests simultaneously?? We need one representative who has been elected to represent urban needs. Not both urban and rural. I have family in rural Utah and they need their interests to be honestly represented as well. I'm really angry about this map.
Hayden Copenhafer
This is obviously gerrymandering. Cutting the most populous part of the state up and extending the boundaries into rural areas unfairly and purposefully silences Utahn's voices. This is not how democracy should work.
HEYDON KADDAS
I am appalled at the proposal of this map. As a registered republican, I can not express enough disgust at the party members in the legislature for playing ridiculous partisan games, which waste precious legislator time and taxpayer dollars. In 2018, the majority of Utah constituents spoke with their vote and decided that drawing political boundary maps should be done by an independent commission. A bipartisan independent commission that was created and spent precious time designing maps, all using taxpayer dollars. Maps, such as Public Congressional SH 2, which address issues such as including voting districts that have a rural/urban split. Additionally, the Public Congressional SH 2 map does not have community members who live in the same cities, facing the same local issues, forced to be represented by two separate representatives like this atrocious map does. A significant problem, which will only serve to create more barriers and confusion for public input as well as, slow down the implementation of real changes that will help issues these cities face. This map is an illustration of gross governmental bloat, republican legislators have all “claimed” to be opposed to. You spent time, energy and money repeating a process that had already been completed by another governmental committee at the request of the majority of your constituents. Shame on you. I would think you have more important things be spending your time on governing, like actually addressing important state issues like our growth, infrastructure, and economic development. Stop duplicating work, reject this map and use Public Congressional SH 2 suggested by the independent commission like the majority of Utahns requested.
Dexter Murray
This map was made to diminish the votes of people living in Utah's urban areas. Utahns living in Utah's urban core deserve to have their voices heard just as much as the people living in rural Utah. The maps created by the independent redistricting commission that Utahns requested in 2018 would allow for rural and urban voices to be heard.
Dallin Witt
This gerrymandered map is precisely what Utah voters were demanding an end to with they voted 'Yes' on Proposition 4. The independent commission created by that vote had citizen buy-in across the state. To once again ignore the voice of the people just to advance partisan interests is an affront to the very idea of democracy. Shame on anyone who votes to support this awful map.
Andrew James Somers
This map completely disregards the separate identities and neighborhoods of every Utahn and is designed to oppress and indemnify this state's great citizens who happen to reside in Salt Lake City. We voted for an independent redistricting commission for a reason - if that was just lip service, we will VOTE YOU OUT - Republicans and Democrats alike. RESPECT OUR VOICES!
Rachel Legree
Is democracy dead? Look at the number of negative comments in the three days this was posted. If our "Representatives" put forward that they reached out to the community they should be prepared to prove it. To toss out a 2 year effort of actual community engagement in favor of this is enacted prepare for a lawsuit. This is garbage. This is the entire point of why the John Lewis Voting Rights Act should supersede local gerrymandering efforts. The notion Utahn's want an Urban/Rural split over local concerns is a falsehood built to support partisan concerns.
Tim Martin
Rural needs and urban needs are different. Combining Rural/Urban into a single district is not in the best interest of either group. Utahans voted for Prop 4 and this legislative redistricting ignores the (watered-down) independent commission recommendations. Please use the independent commission maps which score better on nearly every value. Do the right thing - not the political thing - for a change.
Benjamin Jones
This map is a clear partisan gerrymander written by cowardly republicans who are interested in sending right wing ideologues to congress and have no interest in representing their constituents. Shame on them for ignoring the work of the independent commission.
Avery Cook
This map takes away the voice from a significant proportion of Utah residents, disenfranchises voters, and is an example of how our politics has devolved to party over people. Follow the will of the voters and use the map from the independent redistricting commission to give all voters in Utah a chance at representation.
Sterling S Foster
How is it the the Dividing line for district one and two goes right down the bottom of my street? How does one block difference in the middle of Salt Lake, not even close to different counties, make me better represented as a Utahn? I'd REALLY appreciate if someone up at the legislature could take the time to explain it to me :)
Kellie Baxter
I am disappointed that the legislative redistricting committee chairs chose to disregard the maps proposed by the UIRC. In the press release announcing this map, it was mentioned that an important factor in developing the map was that each congressional district include rural and urban areas. The UIRC also proposed a map that included rural and urban areas in each congressional district. What is the merit of this map over the UIRC's if both maps have rural and urban areas in each district? Only clear, substantial reasoning could justify setting aside the recommendations from a voter-approved initiative, which the committee chairs haven't provided. The UIRC has been transparent with their process and decision-making. The legislative redistricting commission has not provided that same transparency. Please use one of the maps proposed by the UIRC.
Mandee Rodriguez
This map is clearly meant to disenfranchise Democratic voices in Utah. In 2018, Utahans clearly voted to have an independent committee redraw a map and Utah officials clearly ignored that to serve their own interests rather than listen to their voters. This is blatant gerrymandering, and it allows elected officials to choose their voters rather than voters choose their officials. Please use one of the maps the independent committee put out instead.
Steven Hepworth
This map is blatant gerrymandering, or how else would one explain dissecting Salt Lake County into four separate districts. Park City, Provo, and Moab do not belong in the same district. This is an attempt to suppress the voice of the people of Utah. Please use a map created by the independent commission as the people of Utah originally desired and requested. Their process was open, fair, and data-driven. Do the right thing and reject this map.
Melissa Stamp
This map is an embarrassing, disgusting disappointment that blatantly denies Utah’s urban core appropriate representation in Congress.The Prop 4 initiative for Better Boundaries was a successful grassroots effort built on the work of thousands of dedicated volunteers who believe that our state and our democracy are stronger when communities have coherent representation. Rather than respecting the will of Utah’s voters and adopting a map recommended by the Independent Redistricting Commission, you have doubled down on the flaws of the gerrymandered 2010 district boundaries by dividing my Salt Lake City -area community even more egregiously. Your so-called “reasoning” that each district should blend urban and rural interests is an absurd, transparent, and short-sighted power grab. The task of representing Utah as a whole falls to our Senators; artificially forcing rural-urban blends into each Congressional district is simply a bogus excuse to silence the voice of the state’s urban interests. Your proposed map will dilute the power of our Congressional representatives, making it harder for them to effectively collaborate with the federal government to address urban concerns like air quality — concerns that need to be addressed for Utah to maintain a healthy economy and continue to attract workers. I urge you to reconsider this abomination of a map and instead adopt one recommended by the Independent Commission.
Garrett Olsen
It’s incredibly clear that the only goal here is gerrymandering. We, the people of Utah, voted for an independent redistricting commission, and the fact that the legislature not only ignored our voices but is now entirely ignoring the stripped down commission you created instead, really speaks volumes about how much you care to actually represent the people of Utah. This is blatantly partisan and as ridiculous a map as you could ever have created. Shame on you for your dishonesty and failure to represent the people you are supposed to represent. You would silence a huge portion of the population for your own selfish gain. How dare you call yourselves representatives when you only represent yourself and your partisan social club.
Garret Roundy
The majority of voters established the UIRC because we want maps developed with broad bipartisan support, strengthening our democracy. It is the moral duty of our representatives to respond to the electorate and use one of the maps from the UIRC.
John S Colton
The proposed map is disgraceful and contains shameless gerrymandering. The new districts would divide communities and voters for purely partisan reasons. The legislature's proposals ignore the work of the independent redistricting commission and the will of Utah voters. To quote a previous comment, "It's a pathetic example of our elected officials choosing their voters when it's supposed to be the other way around. Please have a conscience. PLEASE ADOPT ONE OF THE INDEPENDENT COMMISSION MAPS."
Mindee Kunkel
The reason this proposition was passed was because the people of Utah are tired of being held hostage to the undying politicians who think they k is what is best for all the people. This clearly was not created by an independent firm and favors one party over the other. Salt Lake County should NOT be broken up into 4 districts and then diluted with the rest of the state. Allow everyone to be heard.
KIRSTEN CANTRELL
This is ridiculous! Gerrymandering at it's finest. Use the maps the independent commission came up with.
Steven Gonzalez
Nobody likes this, as you can see by the other comments. I've lived here since I was a boy; so I know why the districts are divided this way. I'm not surprised at all because I actually expect this type of thing from you people. I hope you actually read some these comments and do the right thing.
Jacob Stecker
My Neighborhood is split between 2 districts! My County split between 4. This is highly undemocratic. The needs of St. George are different than the needs of my neighborhood. You don't have to, and SHOULDN'T split cities up in two, let alone splitting up neighborhoods, My neighborhood & city should be represented by the same representative. Let me vote with my neighbors!
Julie Fritz
This map obscures the voice for both rural and urban Utahns. The Independent Commission maps will give voice to both constituencies through more logical boundaries.
MATTHEW DAVID SCHNEIDER
If an urban/rural split is required - use the map from the independent committee - Public Congressional SH 2. That map achieves the goal of urban/rural split and takes into account the voice of Utahns who want their voices heard. The Princeton group notes that any map that divides Salt Lake County and it's cities more than necessary is a negative to Utah citizens. PLEASE listen to Utahns and follow the committee's recommendations.
Richel Raich-Cantu
I've lived in 3 cities represented by your proposed district (Salt Lake, Richfield, Cedar City, & Saint George) in my lifetime. And none of these communities are accurately represented by this redrawing. This is blatant gerrymandering, all done in service of keeping one party in office. The committee chairs claim to want urban AND rural Utah to be represented but this drawing places far more representative power to voices in more rural communities.
Tyler Hall
This map is a disgrace and completely ignores the will of the people of the state of Utah. Any representative voting to adopt this map should be filled with the guilt of silencing hundreds of thousands of Utahns' voices that they are supposed to be representing. The blatant gerrymandering happening in this map is a complete disenfranchisement of Utahns, it's unAmerican, it's offensive to the concept to democracy, and it's just not fair. It's a pathetic example of our elected officials choosing their voters when it's supposed to be the other way around. Please have a conscience. PLEASE ADOPT ONE OF THE INDEPENDENT COMMISSION MAPS.
Jeffrey M Sargent
I am extremely disappointed but not at all surprised by the efforts of the Republican-led legislature to ignore the recommendations of the independent redistricting commission. Intentionally dividing those with opposing opinions into districts where their voices will largely be silenced by voters with different ideas and priorities will simply perpetuate the polarization of Utah politics and leave effective control in the hands of politicians who have proven to be the collective enemies of moderation and the will of the silent majority of the governed. I am hopeful that the preponderance of comments opposing the legislative maps will stir the moral compasses of enough legislators to accept the independent commission recommendations and move forward toward a more bipartisan and less polarized future for Utah and more accurate representation of the wishes of the governed in Washington.
Tyler Sutherland
The currently proposed map is a blatant assault on contradicting the Commission's recommendations. This is gerrymandering in an obvious attempt to suppress the vote of democrats centered within the big cities in Utah, and ignoring the interests and needs of the cities in Utah, and distribute power to the rural areas.
Annie Putman
This map was drawn behind closed doors and rushed through the map evaluation process. It's shoddy, partisan work. The map represents a gerrymandered districting option that disenfranchises a large voting block in Salt Lake County. The map unnecessarily splits Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County, as well as specific interest groups (racial and ethnic) within these areas. It also does a worse job of representing the urban-rural interests than UIRC map SH2, which is a primary goal of the Legislative Districting Commission. Instead this map primarily favors wealthy suburban republicans over both rural Utahns and progressives who live along the Wasatch Front. In a representative democracy, everything comes down to the maps. The people of Utah understand this, and in 2018 passed Prop 4 - the Independent Redistricting Commission Initiative. This UIRC put together 3 fair, non-partisan maps for consideration. The process was open, fair and resulted in statistically and demographically robust options. The voting body should throw out this shoddy, weak excuse for a partisan power grab and select from among the maps drawn by the UIRC.
Jessica Perrie
Utah residents are not represented with this proposed map, and I am incredibly disappointed. Please consider the maps proposed by the Utah Independent Redistricting Committee, as they better represent the demographic of Utah. With this proposed map, many Utahs will not be represented in Congress both locally or nationally.
Brenda Ahlemann
This map is a disgrace. Even the Princeton Gerrymandering Project had to revoke their grading of this map after your committee was using the grade out of context to justify an obviously biased map. Follow the will of the people, and use one of the independent commission maps.
Christopher Humphrey
Blatant gerrymandering at its finest. Do right by the voters and honor the independent redistricting commission!
Byron Allmon
It would be really nice if you PUBLIC SERVANTS would actually serve the public instead of just your own interests. You created the redistricting commission and now you're ignoring its findings. Despicable! Do the right thing!
Byron Allmon
It would be really nice if you PUBLIC SERVANTS would actually serve the public instead of just your own interests. You created the redistricting commission and now you're ignoring its findings. Despicable! Do the right thing!
Emily Innis
This congressional district map does not accurately represent the people it is supposed to. PLEASE consider using the independent maps submitted by the Utah independent redistricting committee.
Elizabeth Zeldes
The purpose of the Independent Redistricting Commission is to study and objectively draw reasonable districts. I see no basis for the legislators to ignore the work of the Independent Redistricting Commission.
MERLE NATASHA DIAZ
This map is gerrymandering and an afront to what the people of UT actually voted for or wanted. You had a choice between 3 maps by the independent commission, all of which better match the desires of this state than this blatantly partisan map. Districts are supposed to represent local regional communities based on population. These districts proposed represent politician's interests to have votes that keep one part in power at the expense of the population. It's a joke! There is a reason I voted for an independent commission and this is it!
Eric Humphrey
The ideals of representative democracy are based on the notion that communities have a voice in their governance. I live on 900 S and can walk across the street into a totally different congressional district. In 2018, we voted for an independent redistricting commission in the hope that we could rise above partisan politics in the ideal of representative democracy. This map proposed by the legislature is a disgusting rebuke of the will of the people, further divides communities, and will continue to sow deep mistrust and resentment from the people of Salt Lake City to the Utah government. We demand unity and representation.
Samuel Schmidt
Appreciate the website allowing citizens to voice our opinions. Dear legislature - taking in all of these comments (obviously many people are upset), listening, and approving a less divisive map could really bring Utahns together. Prefer Public Congressional Map 2 SH from UIRC but the independent maps are all good. Please use their work and stop the conflict.
Susan Corth
This map is so disrespectful towards the people you are supposed to represent. Your constituents made it clear they wanted nonpartisian maps and passed an initiative to have an independent committee determine communities of interest and keep them together to give us representation. The legislative committee's TOTAL disregard for their carefully researched results is completely shameful. This map you are recommending in no way represents the current state and its diverse population. It is a disservice to everyone except the partisan "reps" that created it. BIshop and his followers complained that there was no way Republicans could win the seat covering the Metro SLC area. Guess what? There is at least 35% of voters have different needs and beliefs. Having one district that actually gives us some representation would be true representation of where Utah is in the current century!
Carleton DeTar
This Congressional District Map goes against the will of the people. We worked hard to get Proposition 5 on the ballot and to pass it, and we worked with the nonpartisan IRC to create maps that kept communities intact. This blatantly partisan map splits Salt Lake City and County which effectively denies residents representation in the House of Representatives. By subverting the process at every step of the way, the legislature is abusing its power. Is this what is meant by the "Utah way"?
Eric Swanson
This is insane and makes no sense. It is clearly a way to dilute the voices of those in Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County
Michael Thoman
Please use one of the map created by the independent commission.
Danny Situ
This congressional map proposal does not serve the people of Utah. It is not a requirement to pair rural and urban areas together into a single seat. It is unfair for people hundreds of miles apart to have the same representation. It is unfair to separate people within the same county into different U.S. congressional representation. If the state legislature approves this map proposal, it will benefit outside interests more than Utahns. Please propose maps by the Utah Independent Redistricting Committee, which have provided maps that are fair and beneficial to Utahns.
Jacqualine Grant
I'd like to see a districting map that was created by community input and the synthesis of large datasets. If that can't happen then I'd like to see a map in which rural communities would be represented by people who also hail from rural communities. This map does not get us there. Please don't vote for this map. Thank you.
Darian Hackney
Please do not vote for this map. A vote for this map disregards the wishes of Utahans that voted in 2018 for and independent committee to redraw these maps. This is Gerrymandering and a clear example of "cracking." Salt Lake County should not be divided in this manner. This disenfranchises the voices of many individuals in Salt Lake County.
Scott Williams
This map is NOT acceptable to me. It would not give me a representative who was as geographically accessible as those with better “compactness” and who could spend sufficient time listening to the concerns of those of us living in Utah’s in urban communities and then could focus on the issues that are important to us in Congress. The maps proposed by the Independent Redistricting Commission do provide me with that kind of representation.
Jacob Heaton
This map splits my Salt Lake City neighborhood right down the middle and is an obvious attempt to prevent urban voters from having any influence. The Salt Lake County four-way split similarly dilutes urban votes and makes sure Republicans can win every district easily with rural votes. Voters in Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County deserve at least one district where our interests will be represented. The UIRC purple and orange maps are much better.
Andrew Dutson
This is gerrymandering and 100% not okay. It doesn’t take rocket science to draw up boundaries. This is very unethical and disappointing. Keep the boundaries the way they were.
Joshua Sanders
The people of Utah voted for a non partisan map. This means we rejected the idea to have rural and urban mixed. The good people of salt lake county have different needs than rural Utah.
DANIEL ROBERT TRIPI
Establishing a redistricting commission was voted on by the people. Although the legislature modified the bill to allow their own option to be presented, the map they present should still meet minimum reasonable standards. This map (1) divides communities and does not follow reasonable geographic or natural features (I-15 and 3900S are neither of these), (2) does not present geographically compact districts, (3) does not preserve neighborhoods and local communities. Part of the role of a representative is to represent the people of their district. When districts have a wider variety (e.g. rural and urban), and individual communities are divided, this cannot be effective. A representative would need to do much more research and listening to learn the interests of their constituents. Please consider one of the maps proposed by the independent commission, which has spent countless hours actually listening to the voice of the people.
Paul Daniel Richardson
Let's look at this logically. We want our representatives to represent the interests of their district. The needs of urban residents is much different than that of rural residents. So it's only common sense to keep those populations together. A representative with both urban and rural constituents cannot properly represent either.
Brita Engh
The creators of this map claim that they believe "both rural and urban interests" should be represented by each member of our congressional delegation. But that is the job of our senators, to represent everyone in our state. The job of a congressperson is to represent a smaller constituency that has needs specific to a certain region of the state. Slicing up Salt Lake County into four parts will both erode the trust of voters because of blatant gerrymandering, and will lead to poor, unfocused representation for both the rural and urban voters in each district.
Lori Tripi
Please use one of the maps from the Independent Redistricting Commission. That would represent the will of the people from the voter ballot initiative. Salt Lake County residents deserve to have fair representation, rather than diluting their votes and issues through gerrymandering.
Danielle Nives
This is directly the opposite of what the people want and what the people voted for. These maps show politically gerrymandered and suppress the representation of some Utahns
Katherine Kitterman
This map is far inferior to the maps submitted by the Independent Redistricting Committee because it splits up communities. As a voter, I want the legislature to listen to the IRC and adopt one of the maps they recommended because that was the process we voted for years ago. It's not good government to split up communities like Salt Lake City across 4 districts. This map will ensure that people who live where I do will have no say in our congressional representatives because of the horrible gerrymandering. Please don't ignore what Utahns have been telling the legislature and the IRC for over a year now - we want our communities to remain together instead of being split for partisan advantage. Good government depends on fair representation.
Scott Williams
This map is un acceptable to me. It would NOT give me a representative who could spend nearly as much time listening to those in communities like mine who share my concerns and then focus on the issues that are important to us in Congress. I’ve submitted comments in support of the maps that are acceptable to me.
Staci Duke
It's so upsetting to see this plan to break up our communities. I implore you to do the right thing and take the advice of the INDEPENDENT commission's recommendations.
matthew roberts
Please, Please, Please follow the recommendations of the INDEPENDENT redistricting committee as voted for by the majority of Utahns.
Stephanie Peterson
If you choose to adopt this map over any of the independent commission’s submitted maps, it will become (more) obvious that you care nothing about your constituents and hold your own agenda above all else. Do not make a stupid and selfish decision by ignoring what the voters of Utah chose. Do not divide this state unfairly. Do not try to win the game by cheating and taking away the voice of a part of Utah’s population. We aren’t religious and we aren’t republican and we demand to be heard beyond your tunnel vision.
Stephanie Peterson
If you choose to adopt this map over any of the independent commission’s submitted maps, it will become (more) obvious that you care nothing about your constituents and hold your own agenda above all else. Do not make a stupid and selfish decision by ignoring what the voters of Utah chose. Do not divide this state unfairly. Do not try to win the game by cheating and taking away the voice of a part of Utah’s population. We aren’t religious and we aren’t republican and we demand to be heard beyond your tunnel vision.
Keri Gonzalez
The map is showing how you are disempowering people from the city to choose their own representatives. I do not approve such a map. Also, why do you default the website as if everyone likes it? It should be neutral. This is an abuse of power.
James B. Hopkin
What a disgrace the legislative map is! Gerrymandering at it's finest. As a registered Republican I am very disturbed by the will of the people to be totally ignored once again by the Utah State Legislature. Splitting SLC into four separate districts is a slap in the face to the voters in the Wasatch front. Use the Independent Commissions recommendations not yours.
Liz Rank
This map seems like an exaggerated version of our current districts---which do not work. The idea that each representative should have the full range of Utah in his district so that "everyone can be represented" is faulty: the urban areas get ignored. (I speak from experience, having attended town halls for my congressman in both urban and rural settings. The urban audience was, after a brief civil opening, treated with disdain; the urban audience was treated with a great deal of warmth.) It makes no sense that the people who share my needs as a city-dweller are split among all four districts. Unless the goal is to ensure we are not represented. That would be bad for our collective civic life. Please choose one of the independent commission's maps, which at least try to address this.
Eric Hobday
Senator Sandall, the word you are looking for is "cracking". You are intentionally cracking the Democratic vote. This map is hyper partisan and does not reflect the will of Utah votes as expressed by Prop 4. You have made a mockery of the democratic process and the will of Utah voters. Dividing a community into four districts? Really? How stupid do you think voters are? I do have a suggestion for you, redraw this map with all four districts meeting in downtown Provo.
Allyson Mathis
Grand Co & San Juan Co should be in the same district. Grand & San Juan have much in common, and for example, San Juan-Tooele have very little in common. Further, the community of Moab-Spanish Valley extends into San Juan Co, and this would break up this community of interest
Logan Hauenstein
This map blatantly disenfranchises Salt Lake. Use the map that the independent commission made.
Patricia DeYoung
Gerrymandering is an abuse of power. Utah citizens passed Prop 4. Elected officials should respect the will of the people. Please listen to the commission that we voted for and use the UIRC Map.
Robert Koehn
By ignoring the UIRC recommendation, you are fueling the polarization of our communities, counties, state, and country. I implore you to please reconsider.
Samuel Schmidt
There was no need to break off Bountiful and Davis County from District 1. Southern Salt Lake County has far more in common with voters in St. George and Western Southern Utah than Northern Salt Lake County, and could have comprised District 4. Lehi to Provo and Eastern side of Southern Utah in District 3 with no need to go into Salt Lake County. Instead District 1 and 2 contort around other districts all to make sure to draw and quarter naturally contiguous Northern Salt Lake County 4 ways.
Katie Matheson
This is a terrible map. Please adopt the UIRC map instead.
Bill Hanewinkel
The congressional redistricting map presented by the Utah legislative committee is disappointing and infuriating. Conjoining rural and urban areas continues to prevent communities of interest from having fair representation in Congress. Any of the UIRC maps would be fine with me. The Utah Republican Party continues to be extreme and hostile in preventing our urban community fair representation in Congress. Salt Lake County’s problems are just as complex as rural counties while the problems typically require different solutions. The majority of Utahns voted by referendum their determination to have congressional redistricting by independent commission. By not adopting the UIRC maps we once again experience the majority thwarted by the minority.
Tina Cannon
This is a ridiculous rearranging of congressional boundaries in order to draw Blake Moore into a district he hasn't spent one day of his adult life actually living in. REPRESENTATIVE Moore not only championed the independent redistricting committee- he co-chaired it! Now he ignores ALL their recommendations in order to write himself into a district. He knows he is vulnerable- he is willing to sale out his Salt Lake County neighbors AND the rest of the current 1st congressional district to serve his own interests. Being a representative does not mean you create a constituency that meets YOUR needs, it SHOULD mean you represent the people that live in an area. If the republican party should be able win by having better policy- not by gerrymandering
Bradley C Nauman
I implore the legislature to follow the Commission's recommendations. The proposed redistricting is legislative abuse of power against the will of the people.
Andrew Weuling
This is not democracy. This is a power grab. It is the legislators' job to uphold our American democracy. The party in power is supposed to win off their merits and not by cheating. The people of Utah do not stand for this and we are making it clear. The question is will you stand for freedom and American values?
Tamsen Maloy
This map is blatantly designed to remove the voices of the Salt Lake area in Congress. Congress should represent all of Utah, not just the dominant voice.
Kathy Adams
Legislative Redistricting Committee Chair Sen. Scott Sandall, R-Tremonton, said the proposed maps from the independent group are designed to help Democrats. Evidently he's never met commissioner and former Republican State Sen. Lyle Hillyard. It was wonderful to witness Hillyard and other officials get excited to work together to make Utah a true democracy. They were excited until partisans like Sandall tried to put their thumb on the scale. The bi-partisan commissions' maps have received A grades from respected national statistical and legal analysis groups known for creating good-government by crafting fair maps. It appears the Legislative Redistricting Committee has no shame.
Kathy Adams
Legislative Redistricting Committee Chair Sen. Scott Sandall, R-Tremonton, said the proposed maps from the independent group are designed to help Democrats. Evidently he's never met commissioner and former Republican State Sen. Lyle Hillyard. It was wonderful to witness Hillyard and other officials get excited to work together to make Utah a true democracy. They were excited until partisans like Sandall tried to put their thumb on the scale. The bi-partisan commissions' maps have received A grades from respected national statistical and legal analysis groups known for creating good-government by crafting fair maps. It appears the Legislative Redistricting Committee has no shame.
Alison Hopkin
This is so gerrymandered. This is exactly what the people of Utah voted to prevent. Once again, the voters wishes are ignored. This is not the people choosing representation, it is just the opposite, politicians choosing what will benefit them and their party only. Such a disgrace. Please use the Independent Commissions map recommendations.
Vincent Carson
My commute to work (the UTA 209 bus) would take me through every single one of Utah's congressional districts drawn on this map. This map does the opposite of preserving communities - instead it divides them in the name of anti-democratic powergrabs. If you claim to represent the people of Utah, you MUST choose a map drawn by the UIRC.
Polly Hart
You have silenced the will of the voters. Prop 4 was passed in 2018, and you have thrown it to the trash heap.. The voters of Utah demanded a non-partisan redistricting process, and you have created a map that disenfranchises the residents of Salt Lake County. If the goal is to divide up urban areas, why is Provo intact? Why is St. George intact? One third of Utah voters are Democrats, yet zero out of four congressional seats are or will be held able to be won by anyone other than a Republican. If the representation does not even vaguely reflect the will of the voters, then clearly this committee has not done its job. You have failed miserably at the democratic process.
Matt Anderson
This map does not keep communities together. It splits communities up so that everyone is mixed in with Salt Lake, which seems to be the obvious intent.
Andy Robertson
These extremely gerrymandered lines have me, a South Salt Lake resident, in the same district as St. George AND Big Water? This makes absolutely no sense from a demographic, social, or utilitarian sense. Please revert back to what the people want when we voted for Prop 4 and an independent redistricting process.
Travis Marble
I prefer the maps from the independent commission that was the chosen process from the voter ballot initiative. I disagree with the idea that each representative needs to represent part of SLC. The idea of representatives is to represent the people, this is vastly difficult if you represent such a diverse area.
Ken Marker
The demographics of Utah are shifting, and the districting maps should account for that. Fair representation in government is a right. Gerrymandering is an abuse of power. These so-called 'God-fearing' people are selling their virtue for power. Shame on them.
Samuel Forbyn
This gerrymandered map should not be used, it's not fair to misrepresent the population in such a disrespectful, illegal, and immoral way.
Daniel Bertrand
This map cuts up the Salt Lake Valley with the hopes that it won't be represented in the legislature. This is not how districting should work, please listen to the commission that we voted for and use the UIRC map.
Philip Pelster
It makes no sense demographically, economically, or geographically to split the Salt Lake City metro four ways like this map does. This is also a slap in the face to the citizens of Utah, who passed Prop 4. Shame on the legislature.
Kevin P Jones
What Kind of proposal is this any of the UIRC are better in terms of communities and population deviation.
Jillynn Stevens
As a resident of St. George and a former resident of Salt Lake City, I can tell you that the needs and interests of living in the two areas are vastly different. We have serious resource issues in Southern Utah that don't apply to folks living along the Wasatch Front. The legislature has an obligation to ALL the residents in the state and fair representation is the most important obligation of all. Please use the maps recommended by the independent committee and knock off the partisan gerrymandering. I am an independent voter.
Forrest Ablott
Splitting this way is intentionally taking the power of vote away from anyone who is not Republican. The state should follow the independent redistricting committees suggestion. Your job is to represent the people of this state fairly and you are instead trampling on their rights to a fair process.
Taylor Wilmot
This map is such a disspointing display of blatant gerrymandering. Please, for the sake of reasonable representation for Salt Lake City and rural communities, use a map drawn by the Independent Redistricting Commission. The people of Salt Lake City deserve to have their voices heard, and rural communities deserve representation from someone beyond the Wasatch Front.
Briana Kobor
State legislators should not overturn the will of the people in passing Prop 4. The majority of Utahns voted to form and listen to the Independent redistricting Commission. They proceeded with their work in an apolitical and sound manner. The Commission's recommendations and the will of the people should be heeded. Votes must choose their politicians, not the other way around.
David Tait
Why is the state demographic about 1/3 democrat, but this map gives them no seats? This seems very unfair and gerrymandered.
Jason Ablott
Please respect the people you represent and their wishes for fair representation by using the maps provided by the Independent Redistricting Commission. This proposal clearly goes against the desires of the people of the State of Utah whom the legislature is supposed to fairly represent.
Timothy McDowell
I believe the ethically & morally correct thing to do is to follow the maps developed by the independent commission. Do this one part of your job correctly.
Diane Orr
Utahns voted for fair representation. The Utah Independent Redistricting Commission made recommendations which the Utah Legislature is ignoring with a map that gives voice to rural Utah and silences Salt Lake City. You have denied my right to representation in a "democracy" I have three sons who live within 20 blocks of me. We are divided into three legislative districts. Shame on you. Government which represents "we the people," all the people is truly what made our democracy great. This map represents petty self-interest and a cynical twist on democracy. I am old enough to remember when Utah politicians honored the two party system.
Bailey Roberts
The legislature should follow the Independent Redistricting Committee's recommendations. The fact that someone in Beaver, Fillmore, or Blanding is in the same district as me a block away from Temple Square is ridiculous. Sacrificing the needs of rural Utahns in an attempt to gut Salt Lake County for Republican control is immoral.
Casey Carrigan
Add this map to the long list times the Utah Leg has failed to do the work asked of them. In what other profession would such insubordination be tolerated? It's ALMOST as though they ACTUALLY work for their rich buddies instead of people of the Utah. Disgraceful.
Jordan Meier
This is gerrymandering. Please respect our votes and the spirit of the law of democracy. You know this is wrong in your heart of hearts. This type of behavior is very unbecoming of democratic leadership and will not yield good fruits in the near and distant future.
Denise Wong
As a resident of Salt Lake County, I implore you to follow the independent commission's recommendations. This map is a travesty to equal representation that we Americans should be afforded and have the rights to.
Walter Paul Reeve
What is the legislature afraid of? Being accountable to the people? Of an Independent Commission that did its job? Or of losing power? The map for district 2 is designed to do one thing: Keep Chris Stewart in power. Why am I, who lives in Bountiful, in the same district as my mother who lives 300 miles away in Hurricane? Please use the Independent Redistricting Commission maps. Why go through the sham of creating a commission only to ignore its work?
Elaine Klein
I am an independent voter who believes in fair, nonpartisan district mapping. I object to gerrymandering by either party, since it corrupts elections that are fundamental to good government. The Independent Commission executed a thorough, nonpartisan and transparent mapping process, informed by extensive public feedback. Their maps adhere to prespecified criteria required by state statute, and reflect constituent preferences for districting. External evaluation confirmed these maps to be fair and nonpartisan. The Legislative Redistricting Committee maps shamefully ignore the painstaking work of the Commission. They are politically driven and do not meet the specified criteria. They revert to the slicing and dicing of Salt Lake County and other communities of interest to ensure that minority party voices are diluted. If the Legislature ignores the Independent Commission and approves gerrymandered maps, it will be an abuse of power and a slap in the face to voters who mandated change.
Ryan P Terry
This is not representative of the maps put forth by the independent committee that was voted on by the people of Utah and should not be considered as a potential option.
Rich Nazzaro
It's irresponsible to throw such a variety of constituents into the same Congressional District. The needs of rural Utahns shouldn't compete with the needs of urban Utahns. This map doesn't lend voice to all Utahns, it mutes the many in the interest of what?
John and Debra Baun
Just what you would expect from Utah politicians. For once do what is right and use the maps from the independent commission.
Abigail Collingwood
As a resident of Salt Lake County, it is discouraging that the County has been divided into 4 districts. This completely dilutes the vote that the County, which has more democratic leanings than the rest of the state, would have. I urge the Utah legislature to return to the Independent Redistricting Commission's recommendations, which were established to fairly represent all Utahns.
Eric Potter
It's clear our politicians in Utah are enemies of the people. Republicans continually going against the will of the people to further their agenda. Gerrymandering this brazenly should be shut down immediately. History will not be kind to the hypocritical and selfish.
Ethan Morse
It is undemocratic to go against the independent redistricting committee that a majority of Utah voters supported. Splitting the map this way harms the voices of people in Salt Lake County, and is only drawn this way to benefit a political party.
Ana Sorensen
The legislature must follow the commission's recommendations; the gerrymandering on the legislature's current proposal is ridiculous and undemocratic.
Ethan Carter
This map feels insanely gerrymandered; why are residents of Sugar House sharing a representative with the residents of Beaver? This pinwheeling of Salt Lake City shows a disregard for democracy. Lines are drawn across neighborhoods to silence your constituents. Please use maps drawn by the Utah Independent Redistricting Commission like we voted for in 2018.
Ben Ackerman
It's clear the people in charge of Utah are no longer interested in representative democracy, but enforcing a perpetual one-party state. I would remind them that that never ends well, as well as the fact that this nation was founded partially around "No taxation without representation." I wonder how the state would feel if the entirety of Salt Lake County were to simply stop paying taxes. Because, certainly, we (and any non-R voters statewide) are blatantly being denied representation.
TJ Parsons
The legislature's choice to completely ignore the independent redistricting commission and blatantly gerrymander these boundaries is absolutely insulting to those of us who value fairness and a functioning democracy. The obvious attempt to dilute the voices of Salt Lake City voters is as shameful as it is unsurprising, given our legislature's history of ignoring the will of the people whenever they so choose.
Kyle Williams
I am trying to avoid just making a snarky comment and actually say something substantial, but that is hard to do given the lack of substance in this map. Davis school district is split into two congressional districts? How does that help anyone? This is even more egregious in creating a new “four corners of the North” in the middle of Salt Lake. This map is useful for one thing: demonstrating the unfitness of congressional leaders by showing they do not care to actually provide representation to those the have been elected to serve as well as demonstrating they cannot properly manage taxpayer funds as they have wasted the resources and efforts of the citizen mandated independent commission.
Mary Jo Hinsdale
Once again, my Congressional district has been severely gerrymandered and my community will lack proper representation. RESPECT the voters from across the entire state who voted the UIRC into existence and who want us all to be fairly represented. These maps blatantly dismiss the peoples' input into the redistricting process.
Murphy Degen
This district map gives no regard to demographics found within the Salt Lake Valley, it only serves to dilute the voices of the people residing there.
Amara Bray
I ask you to please consider accepting the maps of the independent redistricting commission instead. Please don't gerrymander. It isn't fair to put the bulk of the population of Utah into one district and thus not give them a fair voice in our legislature.
Suzanne Pierce Moore
The maps of the UIRD better represent what Utah voters want than the proposed maps from the legislature. Why don't you use the maps of the UIRD?
Ryan Call
The legislature's proposed maps are both gerrymandered in an obvious way to favor the majority party. They are clearly unfair and even more clearly inferior to the maps recommended by the Utah Independent Redistricting Commission. The UIRC maps represent many more hours of public input from a much wider segment of the various populations that live in Utah. These maps should be adopted instead of the hastily drawn and unfair maps suggested by the Utah House and Senate. Respect the electoral results of Prop 4 by doing the right thing!
Benjamin Miller
These boundaries ignore recommendations from the independent redistricting committee and are obviously created to favor Republicans.
Chris Paul
The logic that a Government Rep has to represent both urban and rural doesn't make sense. Nobody expects this of any other politicians in other states. Nobody expects rural representatives to be forced to represent some urban areas too. USA's democracy is broken. There's no fixing this. This comment will go on deaf ears. Nothing matters anymore.
Alex Mercado
What a waste of time and taxpayer money for this gerrymandered atrocity. All you are doing is continuing the political shenanigans and outrage that is dividing this country and the people. Disgusting and reprehensible. We knew this would be a sham from the beginning and you delivered.
Brian Vance
This map seems to blatantly ignore what Utahns asked for in favor of what one party's leadership[ wants to that they may stay in power. Please abide by the decisions that we legally voted for.
Dani Hartin
These new gerrymandered district lines are not representative of what most constituents expect from their elected officials. How are you going to divide Salt Lake into four districts with other parts of the state that don’t understand what SLC needs because they’re 5 hours south. I am truly disturbed that the GOP has done this with our state, it makes me want to just leave this unfair state. The state is trying to suppress the voters in SLC so our liberal votes don’t count and they can continue to rule this state without democrat interference. As Utah suppresses liberal votes, they claim fraud in the president election and other state elections. YOU CANT HAVE BOTH GQP!
Suzanne Thompson
Please follow the recommendations of the independent commission. This map disenfranchises so many Utahns but especially minorities. Salt Lake County shouldn’t be split four ways nor should so many individual cities be split apart. Be better!
Heather Harris
Please do away with this unfair and archaic process of gerrymandering. In a democracy, everybody's voice should be respected and honored. This map fails on that front by effectively erasing the voices of all the Utahns in Salt Lake County regardless of their political affiliation. This map is malicious, anti-American, and undemocratic. As your constituent, I implore you to instead use the maps created by the Independent Redistricting Commission to ensure that every Utahn's voice is heard.
Jordan Sackley
Blatant gerrymandering. Garbage map. I want elected officials who are responsive to the people, and this map will not do that. The corruption being displayed by this map is obvious. We voted for an independent redistributing, not this partisan garbage.
Clare Coonan
I voted to have an independent commission make recommendations for redistricting. I have confidence that an independent commission will listen to what we, the voters, want in terms of representation. Because this proposed map once again divides up Salt Lake County into all four districts, the legislative committee has failed to listen to the voters and what we want. This map does irreparable damage to the residents of Salt Lake County by denying us the right to direct and undiluted representation.
Lauren Barth-Cohen
This map is unfairly partisan and being implemented by a small group of legislatures who only care about a tiny portion of the population. I live in SLC and my close neighbors who are part of the same community, who attend the same elementary school as in my school district and are in the same zip code, are being delegated to different congressional districts because of the partisan legislatures. The voters were clear in their intend and the legislature ignore them. Shame on the legislatures. Lets vote them out!
Robert Dow
In the 2020 election 37.6% of Utah voters voted for Biden, 30.3% for Peterson (democrat for Utah governor), and 30.4%, 36.6%, 26.8% and 46.7% for democrats in the four U.S. House races, an average of 35%. Utahns voted for the independent redistricting committee. Utah Democrats have ZERO representation in the federal government and are underrepresented at the state level because of gerrymandering in 2010. Do not be peer pressured to continue this transparently and blatantly self-serving failure to fairly represent Utahns. Whatever happened to honest, principled integrity? You shame yourself if you vote for this kind of distribution.
John Hasselblad
This map does not suit our needs. Good maps were suggested by an independent commission and should be followed.
Karen Brunvand
As a 25+ year resident of rural Utah (currently Carbon County, past Iron County, property owner in Garfield County) I'm am very disappointed by this map because it does not give rural Utahs the representation that is claims. Using the urban/rural split in every district only ensures that all representative come from the urban corner of their district, as all currently do and have since I moved to rural Utah. Our current representative, John Curtis, does fine representing his home town of Provo, but was lacking in understanding rural issue when developing the Emery County Wilderness act. It's past time for rural UT to have a representative who is actually from rural Utah and has a personal stake in rural issues! I want to urge the redistricting committee to follow the will of the people and support one of maps from the Independent redistricting committee that includes an actual rural district. Rural Utah deserves representation!
Suzanne Rackliffe
We are weary of the people's voice being disregarded. Use the commission's recommendation and stop behaving so irresponsibly. It is an embarrassment to the State of Utah, which should be setting a better example.
Travis Harper
This map is a travesty. How stupid do they think the people of Utah are? How can it be called anything but a blatant gerrymandering attempt? Salt Lake City split into all four districts - really? And don't speak to me of some made-up, nonsensical need for some metropolitan/rural combination being needed to be "fair" - it's about dilution of the minority's base and unfair maintenance of Republican power, and the backers of this map know it. And speaking of this made-up "need" for metro/rural balance, the attempt by Bishop with his resignation from the Independent Redistricting Commission to create false controversy around their excellent work immediately before this process is as transparent as it is disgusting. As a supporter of proposition 4, and as a Utahn, I'm gravely insulted, as yet again the legislature seeks to annul the voice of the people and their voter initiatives. Every last legislator who supports this clearly corrupt version of redistricting deserves to be voted out - and rest assured I and many more will be seeking to do exactly that. I appeal to any legislators that are men and women of conscience to obey the will of the people, and adopt the recommendations of the IRC instead.
Joshua Smith
People deserve to be properly represented so that they specific concerns can be addressed. Rural and Urban areas have different needs and should be represented by different individuals. Rural Utah needs representation that is different than urban centers. It doesn't make sense to split urban centers up to distributed the regions to rural areas. Davis county should be keep together. As is it Centerville, Bountiful, Wood Cross and part of Salt lake are in the same district as southern utah including St. George. This makes no sense. southern Utah deserves to be represented by someone from southern Utah. Salt Lake City might be need to split into two districts, but four districts is clearly bias.
Ian Fox
This blatant gerrymandering is a total sham to enforce a chokehold of power to prevent any non-white, non-Republicans from having any representation in Congress. This is totally unconstitutional and a stain on the Utah congress to ignore Prop 4 and the will of the people.
Benjamin Scott LaRiviere
Utah voters approved an initiative to create an independent redistricting committee. The Committee has done great work and produced maps that meet the standards for fair maps. The maps proposed by the legislature ignore the hard work done by the independent committee. The congressional map proposed by the legislature is a clear example of partisan gerrymandering. There is no good reason to split salt lake county into four congressional districts. This is a classic example of "splitting" a strategy used to dilute the power of the majority parties' political adversaries. The talk of "urban-rural mix" is a transparent excuse to pursue partisan power for republicans. In the Utah state legislature, we do not require that each state house district contain a mix of urban and rural areas, this is not a standard that leads to more diverse or effective representation.
Gregory Liles
This map is not significantly different from the current gerrymandered map that gave us four Republican representatives in a State that is not a single party State. Or is Utah now part of China. If the maps developed by the independent commission are not used, then I will consider myself not represented and will begin looking for another State for retirement.
Riley Olsen
I live, work, and go to university in different districts. Stop diluting my voice.
Keilee Terpening
Any map not approved the UIRC should be vetoed by Gov Cox. Let's make sure he knows.
Atticus Madden
This is patently ridiculous and those that proposed it should be ashamed of themselves.
Niccole Smith
This map is ridiculous. Instead of doing things to keep or earn votes fairly, our legislation would rather cheat through gerrymandering. If you support this map, why don’t you drop the act of doing what your constituents want. Utahns want fair and objective districting, we told you with our votes, why won’t you listen?
Kyra M Nelson
The people voted for an independent commission. Please respect the wishes of the people and use maps created by the commission.
Timothy Sims
Please use the maps created by the Independent Redistricting Commission instead of continuing the obvious and unfair gerrymandered maps here.
Patrick young
The people of Utah voted to stop gerrymandering in 2018, the fact that Republicans found some “legal” to ignore UT voters reduces faith in democracy. The legislature proposed maps are clearly and obviously designed solely to benefit Republicans (how can any rational person defend breaking SL county in 4 pieces? If Republicans are afraid of urban voters maybe try to convince us to vote for you rather than designing maps that allow you to ignore us) Please honor our 2018 decision and use one of the IRC maps!
Emma N Healey
"In 2018, over a half of a million Utahns voted to establish an independent redistricting commission that serves the interests of all Utahns. As fair-minded Utahns who value accountability and transparency in our political process and state government, we strongly urge the Utah State Legislature to formally adopt and implement the people's maps soon to be submitted to the Legislative Redistricting Committee by the nonpartisan Independent Redistricting Commission. The Independent Redistricting Commission's process has been open, transparent, and accountable. Thousands of maps have been submitted by the public and numerous opportunities for public comment have been made available. The maps developed by the Commission represent the culmination of years-long work with extensive community input and buy in. Perhaps most importantly, these maps take no preference to partisan gerrymandering, but rather keep our counties, cities, and communities intact, which Utahns overwhelmingly support. The Utah State Legislature should adopt maps that respect the voices of all Utahns." - Better Boundaries
Donald Alexander Bruey
Over half a million Utahns voted for the UIRC. Their maps are extremely popular and none of the legislative committees maps come close to being as fair. Please chose to listen to the voice of the people and to pick districts that are fair for ALL Utahns! These proposed maps dilute the voice of all Utahns. Urban and rural alike!
Melanie C ZanderMercado
What a waste of time and taxpayer money for this gerrymandered atrocity. All you are doing is continuing the political shenanigans and outrage that is dividing this country and the people. Disgusting and reprehensible. We knew this would be a sham from the beginning and you delivered.
Ryan Shaw
Slimy, Crooked, Swamp Creatures! At least try to look objective. Have a little decency and honor and at least pretend that you value the principles of a real democracy and equal representation!
Katherine Paige-Bankhead
My understanding of this proposed map split Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County. Splitting the city and the county into multiple districts do not allow for proper representation of the citizenry.
David G Brown
Is this map a joke? How could anyone support such a blatant attempt to gerrymander our congressional districts? Even suggesting this map is an outrage and is disdainful for the voters of Utah and for representative democracy in general. This is nothing short of shameful.
Kelsey Garner
You have an opportunity to follow an independent commission's fair approach to map-making. Please select the map provided by the commission. You have an opportunity to provide fairness to the State of Utah, or to fan the flames of extremism and vitriol by gerrymandering maps. Attempts to silence opposition, or to gerrymander maps will only heighten the rage and political discord in this country, which I cannot imagine being worse. For the freedom of all, and the safety of our nation, please represent the values this nation was founded upon and select a map submitted by the independent redistricting commission.
Emma Culver
Incredibly transparent and unfair gerrymandering. It's ridiculous I can walk 50 feet from my house and be in the same district as Moad, and drive for less than 5 and be in the same district as St. George. Please use the independent commissions map to keep our elections and representation fair!
Chad Eric Farley
This map violates every principle of good legislative map drawing. It does not keep communities of interest together, it does not respect city and county boundaries, and it does not respect natural geography. All three of the commission maps do follow those principles and those are the maps that the people of Utah want the legislature to be considering.
Carolyn Cannon Jenkins
The voters spoke clearly when they passed the ballot initiative. I'm tired of not having the representation in congress that we all deserve in a democracy. I implore you to follow the bipartisan map from the commission.
Thomas Perkins
There is only one possible reason SL County needs to be divided: to ensure Republican victories. This is corruption, full-stop. Life in a one-party red state...
Jaron Christiansen
This is not the solution. I implore the legislature to look at a more fair and balanced way of representing the actual interests of the people of Utah. Better Boundaries has used quantitative and qualitative data to propose districts and I would urge the legislature to do the same.
John Tice
How do I POSSIBLY have aligned interests sufficient to share representation with rural Utah? I see that the gerrymandering is in full force yet again despite the will of the people to set up an independent districting commission. This map is a dishonest attempt at stacking congressional seats.
Charles Adams
Even Domo has billboards poking fun at the horrible districting in Utah, this is ridiculous.
Emily Price
My grocery store and farmers market are in another district and my doctor is in yet a different district and my best friend lives in another one. I know you've got to draw the line somewhere, but this map reeks of blatant manipulation in an attempt to exclude Democrats from being represented.
Michelle A Marshall
Didn't think it possible you guys could come up with an even more skewed representation for Millcreek and the Salt Lake Valley. 53% of us are Democrats. Yet you've carved this thing up so badly that it insures no Democrat will ever win another election (gasp -- I wonder if that was your goal -- duh). The liberal voices in Salt Lake County will have NO REPRESENTATION in Washington DC. Where is our voice!? Congrats guys, you've managed to screw the voters once again. BOO!
William Huff
This proposed map will make our elected representatives to Congress unable to do their job effectively. By making the densely populated areas of Salt Lake City part rural districts in the far corners of the state, our representatives have too disparate and varied interests to represent. It would be much more fair to the voters and elected officials to divide the state into 2 densely populated districts and 2 rural districts.
Kade Gibb
The setup of these districts is insane. Gerrymandering is NOT the goal, and if it is then our representation is most certainly not representative of anything but their own desire for a political position. You should be deeply, deeply ashamed of yourselves.
Briant Novinska-Lois
Please follow the recommendation of the independent commission. You will be hurting all Utahns otherwise.
Karin L Fenn
This is absolutely a blatant attempt to silence liberal voices, suppress democracy, and continue the practice of gerrymandering. The fact that we had to fight to get any attention for this issue through petitions, ballot initiatives, and then be blocked once again by congressional leaders who clearly seek to perpetuate their conservative political agenda is ridiculous. This has been in the works for at least four years and this is the result. This is an insult. This map absolutely needs to be disqualified. An honest map should not attempt to break up communities that are densely populated and rapidly changing and pair them with remote areas hundreds of miles away that could not be more dissimilar. I pay taxes and should have a voice and honest representation to discuss the profoundly negative impacts of the ever increasing population growth as well as the impact upon my daily life and the longterm impact on our natural resources, namely water. Stop this and get rid of this map.
Jacob Nixon
This district map is absurd. Utah legislators don't want voters to have a voice.
Paul Bruno
I live in Cottonwood Heights and do not share the same interests or needs of residents living in rural communities hundreds of miles from my community. Your blatant disregard for our unique needs and concerns is disheartening.
Alexandria Johnson
What is even happening here?? This is blatant gerrymandering and quite frankly it’s incredibly insulting to every Utahn. How on earth are the interests of my community the same as the interests of, uh, ALL OF SOUTHERN UTAH ?? This makes no sense and it is clearly being done in the interests of a political party who is afraid to lose control. Anybody that says this map is in the interest of the citizens of Utah is lying to themselves and to everyone else. It’s time to be fair and honest and let the people be fairly represented!
Jonathan Johnson
This is a slap in the face to everyone in this state. Period.
Kyle Friant
The idea that rural Utah is represented by cracking Salt Lake County is ludicrous. I have more in common with those in Sanpete County than those in Salt Lake City. And yet, to achieve a partisan outcome, you are using a post-hoc justification to defend an extreme partisan gerrymander. One of the commission's maps does an objectively job at keeping communities together AND has a lower urban/rural split. If that is your primary concern, adopt that map (or a version of it.) An urban rural mix can be achieved without an egregious gerrymander.
Ammara Siddiqi
This map does not represent the urban population in volume and equates its effective voice to those of smaller more rural areas; this is not fair or equitable representation! This is somehow worse than the current districting! You need to have the independent review board create the map, I am very disappointed, you need to listen to the people and try again!
SUSAN ATKIN
What' with this little carved out neighborhood. Why are they being singled out? What do these good people have/need that District 2 must take and district 4 doesn't want?
Bill Fox
It is disappointing to see the UIRC's proposals and efforts potentially neglected when it is what the citizens voted for. Where is the transparency and accountability for this proposal?
Jeff Barney
It's clear that this maps intent is to avoid even the slightest chance of Salt Lake electing their own representation. Rural communities should not take precedence over our most populated area, and to say that it was the intent is insulting.
Helen Peterson
I am the great-grand-niece of Pres. Heber J. Grant, who had a great empathy for the people of Utah. He was probably more zealous in sharing his political views than it was called for but those were different times and he had zeal. I personally, am an Independent and pick and choose issues I support from both sides of the aisle, as well as an independent party system for a better Utah and U.S.A. Above all, I support democracy and that the will of the people be heard and respected. I am LDS and white but do not support fat cats in legislature that over-ride the will of the people. I was indignant after the passing of Prop 2 - for medical marijuana, when the legislature amended it many times until it not longer was the original measure that was passed. It does not matter what my will is or any particular legislator, this defied the will of the majority vote. For that reason and others, I defy the validity of this redistricting map As my late physician father would say, "Repent Sirs, or be lost in the dust." And I add, "Do not make this Deceit your Legacy."
JOHN GIBSON MARRIOTT
What an ugly, despicable map, totally at odds with what voters wanted when they voted for and passed prop 4. It's an arrogant display of partisan gerrymandering and an insult to anyone who believes in fair representation in government. You should be ashamed, but I know you won't be. You do have communities of interest: Republicans, white men, Mormons, corporations and developers. If you were to ever stop to consider why you are so reviled and ridiculed each year, and why we remain so polarized as a democratic society, just go look in the mirror and you'll see the author of it all. Shame, shame, shame.
Shelley Hill-Worthen
The proposed map for the 4 congressional districts does not reflect the will of the people of Utah. We voted in 2018 to adopt prop 4, which allowed the INDEPENDENT analysis and input for redistricting our congressional maps. Cutting Salt Lake County into fourths is clearly meant to protect the Republican Party, not reflect the will of the citizens. No new map should be adopted . We spent months commenting and working with the committee to get fair maps. I plan to donate for the lawsuit that will certainly be forthcoming.
Angelika Pfutzner
I imploring the legislature to follow the Commission's recommendations. I would like to ask the legislature why it doesn't want people to have a say in who represents them. I demand the right to fair representation. Anything else is not only un-Democratic but also un-Republican.
David Lewis Lloyd
I am tired of having my views and opinions disregarded by the blatant corruption of the Utah legislature. Under these proposed maps, I will continue to have no representation in congress. Do better.
Noah Patton
The people that live in Northern Utah and the people that live in downtown Salt Lake have different priorities and expectations, and should be represented accordingly. However, this redistricting clearly shows that the elected officials, whose duty to serve the common good of the people do not care whatsoever. I understand that gerrymandering is deeply ingrained in the GOP repertoire, but by some miracle, the redistricting committee decides to make boundaries that actually represent the will of the people, I will be amazed. I cannot wait to leave this State, the blatant corruption, and disregard to the people that live here is crazy. Again, congratulations on governing tactics that only support the GOP self interests. I love not being represented (that was sarcasm).
Jeremy Stanley
The Utah Independent Redistricting Commission took input from all over the state and carefully crafted maps that keep communities of interest together, allowing the people to choose leaders who represent them. Then corrupt politicians ignored all that work, gave a giant middle finger to the majority of Utahns who voted for Prop 4, and chopped up our communities to draw gerrymandered lines that will insulate themselves from accountability and further contribute to the dysfunction of our government.
Jill Shea
I would like to say that I like my current representative John Curtis. However, I dislike that my city (Millcreek) and neighborhood (Olympus Hills) is split up. More care should have been made to keep cities and neighbors in the same district. I much preferred the boundaries proposed by the independent redistricting group.
Natasha Seegert
PLEASE accept and adopt the boundaries proposed by the UIRC. It is disappointing, but not surprising, to see that the will of the majority of Utahns is being blatantly ignored by disregarding the findings and proposals of an independent commission. Once again we have anti-democratic gerrymandering that is making the people of Utah voiceless and is concentrating power in the hands of politicians who do not care about representing all Utahns. Please, show your regard for the people and for democracy by adopting the proposed boundaries of the independent commission.
N. L.
We voted and paid for an independent redistricting commission to draw these maps. They have received excellent grades from the Princeton Gerrymandering Project in terms of their avoidance of partisan bias. Any move to throw out their maps goes against the interests and desires of the people of Utah. Keep the independent redistricting commission's maps!
Tyler Peterson
This is ridiculous and obviously gerrymandering. How can this map legitimately be proposed and defended without blatant lies
David Weber
This is preposterous gerrymandering.
Brendan Warkentin
This is blatant gerrymandering. The area where I live deserves to be fairly represented, rather than being lumped in with drastically different and distant parts of Utah. Fair, transparent, and nonpartisan maps were created based on overwhelmingly popular efforts by the people of Utah. Those maps alone should be adopted, as they best represent the interests of the people of Utah.
Mary M Burns
I urge you to use the maps proposed by the independent redistricting commission. It was done in a fair way, not gerrymandering.
Michelle Lee Carroll
This map does not represent the will of the people, nor does it represent the recommendations from the independent committee. There is absolutely no way to justify dividing Salt Lake County into 4 districts. How does a Salt Lake resident residing at 650 E 3900 S have more in common with a resident in Beaver, Utah than they do with their neighbors at 715 E 3900 S. How can the legislature justify being able to walk through four districts in an hour or run through four districts in 30 minutes? Please go back and consider the maps presented by the independent committee. Please listen to the will of the people that you represent.
Amanda Lufkin
You have literally divided our neighborhood into three different congressional districts! Not only is this unfair for our friends and neighbors, it's unfair for the people of southern Utah who share very different concerns. Why are you ignoring the work of the UIRC? Stop the gerrymandering!
Anders Hart
These maps do not give Utahns fair representation. Constituents in urban areas often have different concerns than those in rural areas, and these maps would dilute both groups' interests. Please use maps drawn by the Utah Independent Redistricting Commission and restore Utahns' trust in their government.
Zachary Lamb
I highly implore you to follow the Commission's recommendations.
Dallas Jensen
I'm so disgusted by the way Utah's legislature continues to disregard the will of the people as decided by a vote. This map is just to latest iteration in an ongoing pattern that shows all too clearly that our elected officials fail to represent those that elected them. Please use the results of the independent commission and not this blatant gerrymandered mess.
Sarah B Nichols
I teach US Government. As I look at this map, all I can think is that, on the plus side, my students are getting a great example in real-time of gerrymandering. That's the only positive to this map that I see. This map ignores significant community and is a blatant power grab. How about instead of splitting up SLC to keep power, y'all come up with policies that are aligned to the priorities and values of the people? That's how you are supposed to get votes in a Democracy... not like this.
Jahn Curran
I am DISGUSTED that the Utah State Legislature brazenly is proposing another Gerrymandered map diving Salt Lake County in order to dilute the Democratic residents into four conservative Congressional Districts. In SPITE of the Non-partisan Redistricting Commission's recommendations looking nothing like this. I expect the Utah State Legislature to listen to the people of Utah who voted for this Re-districting Commission, and to adopt the recommendations of the Commission, NOT lean unto their own understanding.
Duane Johnson
Please, no more gerrymandering. As Utahns, we support one another through discussion, and then take things to the polls. We voted recently for an independent redistricting committee, and that is where we must depend for a fair & open process.
Henry C Miller
This is the most divisive and blatant example of gerrymandering I have ever experienced. You have intentionally split the Salt Lake valley into 4 sections and attached each to a rural community that has no relation to the urban experience. Same on all of you. You are obviously terrified of the liberal open-minded opinions of the majority of your constituents.
Justin Thulin
The Utah Legislative Redistricting Committee must ask themselves an important question: Do you believe in the “golden rule”—that is, do you believe in treating others as you would want to be treated? Sen. Scott Sandall, R-Tremonton, and Rep. Paul Ray, R-Clearfield please imagine if you were a Democrat in Utah. Would you think that the map you proposed adheres to the rules of independent map-making and is fair? Unfortunately, the division of Salt Lake County into four different districts looks like a model of “cracking” copied from a how-to gerrymander book. Perhaps, you should start from the Utah Independent Redistricting Maps, and if you believe you can improve any one of them, then please legitimately justify your changes. A majority of Utah voters voted for Proposition 4 in 2018. A legislative body that ignores the golden rule and the wishes of its constituents is not wise and is a threat to representative democracy. Justin F. Thulin, M.D.
Ryan Lufkin
The majority of Utahns voted in favor of the Independent Redistricting Committee. This map shows a complete disregard for the findings of that commission. Clearly the legislature doesn't care about "the will of the people" or about democracy itself! What a blatant power grab when given the chance to fix the anti-democratic gerrymandering that's been going on in our state for too long. Your actions are shameful, anti-American and against everything our democracy stands for. I urge the committee to rescind this proposal and adopt the boundaries proposed by the UIRC.
Ben Smith
The decisions made that led to this version of Utah's districts are disappointing, but unfortunately expected. The disingenuity of Republican leadership in this state, and country-wide, is continuously worrisome.
Laurel
This is an embarrassing example of gerrymandering. Please do not use this map, please use a fair map. Splitting the most populous area of the state into four districts shows a blatant disregard for the democratic process.
Shelly Wills
This map is utterly disgusting! I would say you should be ashamed of yourselves but I know you are all soulless at this point. This is a blatant disregard for the needs of the people in this state and 100% a grab at attempting to keep Republican control. There is no way a representative can fight for the needs of their constituents when they serve both urban and rural communities. The needs of both are completely different and every citizen of this state deserves a leader who can and will fight for what is best for their individual communities (which clearly no one is getting at this moment). I beg of you, if you have any shred of decency left in you to do what is actually right for the people of Utah and NOT what is right for just yourself.
Daniel Gaffin
Very disappointed in this map. Just another way for elected officials to choose voters and not the voters to choose their elected officials.
Jane Bryner
This kind of gerrymandering is exactly what the majority of voters made clear we do not want when we voted to create an independent redistricting commission. Proposing this map and ignoring the recommendations of the independent commission is outrageous, and a direct affront to the voice of the people. Attempting to bolster support for this proposal by pitting rural voters against urban voters is disingenuous, as this map is designed to benefit neither group. Our legislators simply must conjure some commitment to principles of representative government and vote for one of the independent commission's proposals rather than this travesty.
Nicholas Korevaar
I'm well beyond frustrated to see the Legislative Redistricting Committee ignore the Independent Redistricting Committee options and once again subdivide the Salt Lake metro region into 4 pieces. The rationale that each district should have an urban-rural mix is laughable - the point of the U.S. House is that regions within states should have representation and the IRC choices leave at least half the districts with urban-rural mixes anyways. Everyone knows the real reason our partisan legislators want to draw the map as proposed. That's why we voted for an independent redistricting committee, to stop this sort of nonsense. Stop disenfranchising us, please.
Nicholas Landers
An independent group was brought in to provide the most balanced and trustworthy opinion on district layouts. This proposed map clearly ignores everything they suggested and looks nothing like their candidates. It is so obviously designed to dilute SLC it can't reasonably be called anything close to "fair".
Jared Lareno Hansen
The Utah state legislature would best serve the people by eliminating the use of maps to determine Utah's representation in the US Congress. Our winner-take all system ensures poor representation of our state. We should select our 4 Congressional representatives using a proportional representation system, as is described by fairvote.org (https://www.fairvote.org/proportional_representation_voting_systems), such as the proportional ranked choice voting system (https://www.fairvote.org/prcv#what_is_prcv).
Carrie Blaisdell
This proposed map is appalling and blatantly gerrymandered. Use the maps the independent commission produced. I do not belong in a different district than my neighbors less than a block from me.
Elizabeth Geyerman
Wow, this map has it so I live in one district, go grocery shopping in another, work in a third, and go to school in a fourth. For a state with only four districts, it seems odd that my interests are now being represented by four different representatives!
Earl Brigham Daniels
This is such a disgrace particularly after the voters have spoken so clearly that we do not want politicians to manipulate and gerrymander our politics.
Rusty Smith
I am a registered Republican and this map makes me sick. It is a blatant anti-democratic power grab by politicians that care more for their power and party than to values of democracy and what it means to be an American. You have already subverted the will of the people not allowing the independent commission be the only body able to submit maps. Let's not make it worse. Please select one of the commission's maps. Which of their maps is a legitimate debate, but this map is shouldn't even be in the conversation. The only thing it is better at is subverting the will of the people.
Darryl D Spencer
I ask the legislature to respect voters by more closely following the recommendations of the independent committee. This map puts my nearby family and neighbors into different congressional districts. Its gerrymandering dilutes Salt Lake County's representation in the federal government.
Kathy Blake
This proposed map is total bunk. When will the legislature be willing to draw a map that makes it possible for Salt Lake County voters to elect Democrat candidates and representation that align with their political and moral views? You could still have three other districts that would assuredly vote in Republican folks who align with their views. Why the insistence on keeping Utah "pure" red in Congress? This map INTENTIONALLY and obviously dilutes non-Republican votes. Many other states have regions that are Democrat "strongholds" and a mix of Democrat and Republican congressional representation and yet they have survived. It's as if the legislature feels threatened by the possibility of even one Democrat representing Utah. It's legislative games like this that are driving people -- people like me -- away from the Republican party in Utah.
Franz Feierbach
The proposed map is a huge disappointment. If anything it is worse than what we currently have and further divides the population of SL County into four districts with communities that have little in common.
Phillip Sanders
These proposed maps are despicable. Words cannot express how disgusted I am with the Utah Legislature without the use of MANY expletives. You are meant to represent the people – all people in the state. A fair representation would mean various groups and interests are represented if the populations behind those groups and interests support it. The people of Utah support fair maps (hence the proposition that was passed) but Utah’s legislature seem to not care about fair representation or the will of the people who elected them. These proposed maps are clearly partisan and meant to prevent the democrats in Utah from having any representation in Washington. If this map is chosen it will be proof of state-sponsored gerrymandering. Stop splitting the most populous area of the state to dilute our voices and votes! Fair alternatives to this map exist and the maps presented by the independent commission should be used if you care at all about democracy and fair representation.
Evan Leis
This is a shameful, regrettable attempt to subvert the constiuency's vote for independent review. Millions of votes have been ignored in this obvious attempt to rig the game. I'm tired of being ashamed of the behavior f our so called leaders.
Matt Armentrout
This map is utterly shameful and the committee ought to be ashamed. You would think our representatives would have some inkling that they are intended to be stewards of the interests of the communities they serve, but that clearly is less important than entrenching their own power. Let me count the ways: 1) A blatant gerrymander to crack the capitol city into as many districts as possible. 2) Ignoring the democratically created non-partisan redistricting committee's recommendations. 3) Releasing the maps late Friday night for a comment period ending Monday. If this was something the committee was proud of they wouldn't try to hide it. 4) (Allegedly) Giving republican legislators a sneak peek of their districts and partisan breakdowns prior to releasing the map. I can only assume the chances of this getting rammed through without any input from constituents is 100%. However I hope the committee is acutely aware that they are acting in a disgustingly undemocratic fashion.
Traci Gundersen
The proposed maps are disappointingly partisan. The new districts would divide communities and voters for partisan reasons, and the legislature's proposals ignore the work of the independent redistricting commission and the will of Utah voters.
Walter Silva
This is one of the worst thing I seen. Why can't people understand we need change. They need to stop dividing us
Sara LoTemplio
As a South Salt Lake resident I am urging the state legislature to pick a different map. What interests could I possibly share with communities like Panguitch? Both my community and souther Utah communities deserve our own representation that serves US. It is difficult to see how this map could be drawn with our interests in mind, and it's clear that this map serves the interests of political parties rather than the people.
Ray L Worthen
Absolutely shameful. The people of Utah voted to have voting districts drawn up by an independent commission. To just ignore this vote is unconscionable.
Kathleen Roberts Wuthrich
This map is clearly an attempt by some people in the legislature to keep their seats by making sure that the districts are skewed toward a certain party. Follow the UIRC recommendations, especially the Purple map. They worked hard to make the maps fair and non partisan. You might want to recognize how important and fair their maps are, and act accordingly.
Jeff Maynes
Dear Redistricting Committee Chairs, After seeing the proposed maps that you as chairs released it is obvious that this is an egregious use of the directive that was given to you by the people. The people passed a Proposition and the legislature has been working to undermine it since the beginning. Even on the website for the redistricting committee it emphasizes that the legislature is responsible for the process and only barely mentions that feedback from the commission will be considered. While it is the legislature's job under the constitution to determine how the state should be divided up into districts, that really means they can determine the method used to draw up the maps and then vote on it. The legislature's ultimate job is to debate and vote on proposals given to them. So it may take courage to do the right thing but alas this is not to be. Giving the entire process to an actual independent commission and then voting on their recommendations takes nothing away from your job as legislators. The maps that you released yesterday are completely and totally pathetic. I should have known this was coming when I heard both of you on a podcast earlier in the summer and heard words that were concerning. You mentioned that rural Utah actually likes having the state divide up Utah more like it currently is because they get heard more. I'm sorry but that explanation makes no sense, if anything they are over represented because you have diluted the urban core. I grew up in southern Utah and now live in Salt Lake County and seeing Salt Lake County divided up as it is is definitely concerning. It is obvious from voting patterns that Salt Lake County has different objectives that Utah County and so forth so to hack it up the way you did is an affront to democracy. Also your statement that "Rural Utah is the reason there is food, water and energy in the urban areas of the state" give me a break. You both know this is not true. I don't know the numbers but Utah is a desert state so I would guess that a tiny fraction of the states food is grown here. Water is from the mountains near the urban areas run by water districts from those urban areas. Besides, making this statement shows that you want to have rural Utah over represented. I know this is a difficult task since so much of Utah's population is concentrated in a small geographic area but I would think that keeping communities of interest together would be a higher priority. It feels like all of the efforts of the citizens has been wasted since we are basically in the same place as 10 years ago which was also a problem.
Charlene Owens
Blatant gerrymandering....but what did we expect from our totally corrupt legislature? Disgraceful!
Scott Porter
The legislature's proposed Utah map for U.S. House of Representatives is clearly biased and gerrymandered. This bothers me as a Republican in a Republican controlled state. Our nation is supposed to provide representation for the people. When the legislature blatantly divides up the Wasatch Front so the interests of this region can be ignored, then only the rural Utah areas are truly represented. This is undemocratic, unamerican, unethical, and immoral. Elections should be won on ideas, not through gerrymandering. Any one of the 3 maps drawn by the independent redistricting commission would have been acceptable. Utah voters voted for an independent redistricting commission and so blatantly ignoring the commission's maps and using one that isn't even close to the commission's maps is ignoring the will of the people. Even though I am a Republican and these maps will ensure total Republican control of Utah's U.S. House seats, I still find this map offensive. It means that everyone living on the Wasatch Front can have our concerns ignored, even when those concerns are non-partisan. Just because another political party in another state has gerrymandered doesn't make it right in our state or for Republicans to gerrymander. Gerrymandering is wrong no matter who is doing it. This map should be voted down and one of the 3 maps from the independent commission should be approved.
Kelsey Smith
Every resident of UT should be concerned by this, yes even fellow republicans. Not only did the legislature subvert the will of the people, they have made it so no county will get fair representation. Notice how Davis County is divided in half. Do they think Farmington will be listened to when they will be clumped with Sugar house, West valley and St. George? The only thing this map does is ensure no county will be represented well. Does anyone believe that if the legislature is able to so blatantly refuse to honor the will of the people, we will ever be able to have a successful referendum again? In this mad quest to ensure no "D" ever has seat at the table, what rights are the people giving up? Next time the people disagree, nothing will stop the legislature from proceeding anyway. The legislature has made clear they do not care about representing the will of the people, only their own interests. With this map we all lose. This map is a shameful act by the Utah legislature to thoroughly disregard the will of the people. The commission submitted 10 maps that would have been representative for the legislature to pick from. Instead the legislature ignored 10 viable options and chose to create this gerrymandered abomination.
Susan Malmrose
This map is unacceptable. That you would so blatantly gerrymander the districts when voters have asked for fair representation is like a slap in the face to your constituents. If retaining power while causing Utahns to lose faith in government is your goal, this map succeeds. On all other counts it's a travesty and a mockery of democracy. You still have time to do the right thing and reject this map.
Carlie Hahn
You've divided districts at 56th west. I have so much more in common in terms of community needs with the people across the way who are now in CD4 while I'm in CD2, than I do with people in LaVerkin. This map is terrible. Utterly terrible. Stop with the whole "urban/rural" stuff. I'm sure they'd rather have a rep who listens to their concerns, represents their voices, and I know those of us in 84118 (and many other areas) would much rather have a representative who hears our voices, actually represents the very real needs our area has in DC. This map is terrible. The people of Utah asked for a redistricting commission, listen to our voices. Adopt the UIRC maps.
Tyler L Peterson
Please accept the congressional maps from the independent redistricting commission.
Sadie Z Ballif
What a joke. This is blatant gerrymandering.
Dannon Rampton
Please respect the will of the people and the bipartisan process of the Redistricting Commission. The Commission's work was done in a professional, bipartisan, transparent manner, and honest policy demands that their recommendations be followed. There is absolutely no reason that Salt Lake City should be in the same congressional district as St. George or Ogden. I believe the Orange Congressional 3 map developed by the Commission does the best job of aligning & balancing the interests of the various communities in Utah, though the Purple Congressional 4 map is also good, and any of the Commission's maps are worlds better than what is proposed here.
Tom Millar
Fair representation benefits everyone, regardless of current political beliefs. Minds change, people grow, and homes are not either Democrat or Republican. Everyone benefits from truly representative government. The congressional district map proposed by Reps. Ray and Sandall during the week of Nov 1st prohibits this possibility. That proposal further divide our communities, who are trying their best to be less divisive, partisan, and tribal. Systemic division will not help heal these wounds. Please, please reconsider dividing up counties more than once or twice; and please do not divide cities, school boundaries, or geographically-based religious congregations at all. I believe that many of the independent commission's (though not all) accomplish this. This proposed map will reduce or eliminate the possibility of representation for the children, women, and men in all four districts. Republicans will benefit from rejecting this proposal. Democrats will benefit from rejecting this proposal. And the other 1.5M Utahns that don't identify with either of the two leading political parties will most certainly benefit from rejecting this proposal. As you do this, please consider the intent of what the public wanted when they voted in favor of Proposition 4. Thank you.
Filip Anderson
Traditionally the state of Utah has had a higher functioning democracy than many states in the Union. This was because patrician control has never been threatened to a point where undemocratic means needed to be implemented to maintain power. Party control is still not under threat today. Why then after voters voted for fair redistricting has this map been put forward? This redistricting map shows a very alarming shift towards authoritarian tendencies from the majority party. Elected officials represent their constituents in democracies, if you honestly believe the values of people in Vernal and Price match those of Park City and Holladay to a point where one member can fully represent them all you clearly do not know your state. However, I do think you know your state. Instead this map reflects the overall desire to move further from democracy to maintain control; this is egregious.
Brenda Scheer
Chris Stewart has made it clear in many public statements that he simply does not care what urban voters want or think. As long as maps like these are drawn he gets to continue blatantly ignoring constituents. So the idea that a congressman will have to “balance rural and urban districts need” is simply and demonstratively wrong.
Rich Simon
Vanilla Gerrymandering.
Jeremy Smith
Please use one of the UIRC maps. All UIRC maps are superior to this "committee chairs" proposal, especially the two that keep communities mostly intact geographically. This will provide better, more responsive representation to citizens of each community and district and ultimately from the state a whole
Andrew Fronce
This is nothing more than a not-so-clever way to suppress non-conservative voters in the state. Let the more liberal areas of the state decide what's best for themselves in one district, (SLC, Park City), and let the more conservative areas (literally everywhere else) make up the three remaining districts.
Paul Brown
I'd hoped that the legislature would make some attempt to respect city or county boundaries with its map making. This map does a disservice to democracy in Utah. It is a slap in the face to the members of the Independent Redistricting Commission, who had the temerity to propose some fair maps for consideration by the legislature. With this map, the legislature has lost all pretense at legitimate governing.
Shay Myers
The proposed map is a blatant act of gerrymandering. Salt Lake County is the most diverse region of the state and to split it into 4 different congressional districts is to effectively take away the voices of all who live in this area.
Brandi Chase
The purpose of this exercise it to ensure that the State's citizens have representation, not to ensure that incumbents will retain their seats. I'd say "shame on you" UT Legislature but you demonstrate again and again that you have no shame. Use the maps that the independent commission developed.
David Goodyear
This map is absurd. The reason the people of Utah voted for an independent redistricting committee was to avoid this type of partisan gerrymandering. Voters should choose their politicians, politicians shouldn't get to choose their voters.
Janice W Mosby
This map appears to be totally unfair. The Independent Commission, favored by the people of Utah, should be used to represent all of our population. This redistricting map appears to be nothing more than another gerrymandering gimmick. It's time to listen to the voters and represent them in a fair and honest way.
Andrew Woodruff
Creating an "urban-rural congressional mix" will favor urban areas practically every time, because that is where most voters will be concentrated. I realize that drawing boundary lines will never be perfect, but I believe that they should be drawn based on population centers and geography. If we do that, then Utah County and Salt Lake County will each have their own district, and then another district for Northern Utah and another District for Central/Southern Utah. That would give rural voters the best representation, and it would give Utah County and Salt Lake County the best representation too. Representation is about advocating what's best for constituents, and that's very hard to do when it's a rural/urban mix in each district (given that rural and urban needs are very very different from each other).
Pepper Glass
In 2018, a majority of Utah's citizens voted for independent redistricting, setting up a commission to draw new lines. The legislature seems to be mocking this process by ignoring their findings and imposing their own maps, which include the blatant gerrymandering that we voted to end.
Lisa Prudden
This map shows that Republican leaders do not listen to their constituents and are only focused on keeping power by gerrymandering the districts. Listen to the people and what they voted for.
Tim Cooney
This is clear and brazen gerrymandering. I am not properly represented by this map, SLC should be in the same district. To completely ignore our public forum in the interest of your own gain is an outrage.
Michael Fife
The maps created by the Independent Redistricting Committee should be the basis for the new Congressional maps. They do a better job of representing the comments of people all over the state. Salt Lake County should be in only two Congressional districts keeping communities of interest at a broad level together. A more rural based district would have a better chance of electing a rural based member of Congress who would really focus on rural issues rather than having all members of Congress based along the Wasatch Front.
O'Connor Matthews
This map is actually trash and you 100% know it. A first grader could draw a more fair map with crayons.
Kevin Vigor
The independent redistricting commission meticulously documented the research done and process by which they produced their maps. Will the legislative commission do the same?
Natalie Avery
The voters spoke clearly when they passed the ballot initiative. I'm tired of not having the representation in congress that I deserve as a tax paying citizen. I implore you to follow the bipartisan map from the commission.
Mark Schelin
Completely unethical!
Marcia Rogers
The Independent Redistricting Committee went around the state getting comments and feedback from communities. Deep study and thought about how to best serve Utahns was put into their maps, whereas map 132, the legislators' map, appears to have started with the idea of what serves those of us currently in office best and then given a quick stamp of approval by house leadership--not communities. This map should be rejected.
Christopher Cook
I voted for the voter initiative so this wouldn't happen. This is blatant gerrymandering and it shows a complete disregard for what we voted for. Honestly I expected more from our legislature. It looks like we started the map by picking the middle of Salt Lake and dividing it in 4. Looking at the Map, other regions appear to be mostly preserved; i.e. Utah Valley gets to vote together, and my area of Davis County (Bountiful to Farmington) gets to vote together, but Salt lake is not afforded that privelege. I get that there are population constraints, but my district, for instance includes St. George, which could easily be traded to the neighboring district for a section of Salt Lake so more of them could vote together. The message of this map is very clear: People living in Salt Lake are second class citizens in Utah and do not deserve their vote to be heard. They do not deserve the right to vote with their neighbors like everyone else in this map
Michelle Dallon
This is gerrymandering at its finest. Carving neighborhoods into separate districts including rural with urban is NOT representation. It is suppression and I will be encouraging my neighbors and family members to comment - this is an absolute joke and total representation of the legislators that are threatened by democrats. What is the justification of this - would really like to hear impartial justification -NOT from people like freaking Rob Bishop that are clearly biased. This is an attempt to keep the voices of the Democrats squashed. This is disgusting.
Cameron G Howlett
Once again this map places the highly disparate communities of the Salt Lake Valley, Southwest, and Southeast rural into one district, making it impossible to build a coalition of advocacy or a consensus on the most important issues for the district. This hurts each of the communities as they can't be heard as effectively and the congressperson as they cannot effectively focus the issues they push as they have such disparate needs in their district.
Gregory
Please use the maps developed by the independent commission. Salt Lake City should all be in the same district.
Lisa Kelly
This map is completely unacceptable, and a slap in the face to every Utahn that voted for the bill to support redistricting free of gerrymandering. We voted for a map that represents us fairly, and this surely isn't it. Everyone can see what you are doing by proposing to carve the Salt Lake Valley into 4 different districts along with large swaths of rural and unpopulated Utah. You're trying to dilute the voices of the people in the primarily liberal Salt Lake Valley. I have lived here my entire life. I have never liked the ultra conservative politics here. What keeps me here is the ample access to wild places, and the people I love. In recent years, however, it has become increasingly clear that our state's leaders are trying to subvert the will of the people to maintain their political power. Some may say that is nothing new, I suppose, but you're not even trying to hide it anymore. How much longer do you think you can disenfranchise the citizens of the most populous part of the state without a massive uprising? We will not accept this. I'm mad as hell, and I'm going to give everyone I know a the link to this map, so that they can give you a piece of their mind, as well.
Ken Kraus
Well, here we go again, Utahns! Your FLAWmakers have pulled another Inland Port escapade on us, assuming that we're all walking around like 4-year-olds at a Pin the Tail on the Donkey party. I ask myself this every day: why do we keep electing these puppets! The maps as drawn reflect Republicans' state and national one-word mantra: NO. If there were ever a time to thwart these people on the Hill and draw Balanced Political Borders, this is it. See you at the Capitol on Monday.
Susan sheehan symonds
The majority of Utahns voted for an independent commission to draw fair, non-gerrymandered districts. The legislators proposed map blatantly ignores the will of the people. Blatant disregard of what voters requested is on display with totally ignoring the 3 independent maps. Shame on you.
Kevin Lauscher
This location is in the same district as Farmington. 🤯 I think they have different needs.
Amy Brunvand
Like the majority of Utah voters, I voted for a non-partisan, independet redistricting processm. This travesty of a congressinal map represents the same old hyper-partisan gerrymandering that Utah citizens voted AGAINST. The urban/rural districts are intended to dilute the voice of urban voters, and by the way, more than 90% of Utah citizens live in urban areas. In order to keep communities of interest together for fair represenation in Congress, there should be urban districts on the map. This map is unacceptable since it is designed to skew election results away from citizen interests. Utah can do better.
Jesse
This is a deplorable attempt at the "door-in-the-face" technique. Even if this proposal is rejected, it paves the way for further gerrymandering later; a more reasonable proposal can be drawn up and can still be absurdly misrepresentative (the bar is not high), and it will have more support because "hey, it could be worse!" It's a win-win for the gerrymandering clowns who came up with this and that kind of manipulation needs to be thoroughly rejected.
Jason Wolf
This is not how you create fair representation for Utahns. It’s a shame we have such an obviously gerrymandered district boundaries. What a terrible divide this will create. Salt Lake has blatantly been divided.
David Van Orden
About what I expect from Utah rmormon republican lesgislatives, They do their own thing regardless of the will of the people
Roxanne Weippert
This map is a clear example of gerrymandering and was not designed by the independent redistricting committee that we voted for.
Jared Oates
The legislature has ignored the recommendations of the IRC. I expect they will likewise ignore the overwhelmingly negative response here. I expect they will continue to gerrymander until voters remove them from office.
Austin Purdie
At least the legislature is being brazenly honest in their intentions for once! This map is so obviously designed to prevent the people of Salt Lake County from being represented in Congress. What was the point of expending all of the resources needed for an independent commission to draw maps for us if the legislature is going to swoop in and push through an obviously gerrymandered map specifically designed to silence urban Utahns? This is shameful and pitiful, those Utah legislatures pushing this map are a disgrace to the state and the nation.
Jon DeBry
This map is clearly drawn to make sure Democrats never win.
Summer Grider
Splitting the state's major metropolitan areas into 4 rural subsets dilutes the power of interests in both the rural and urban areas. To give people a voice they are entitled to, you need to keep common interests, not politics, grouped together. This map does not follow the principles of majority rules / minority rights our representative democracy is based on. Use the IRC recommendations - their recommendations allow for our representative democracy to function equitably and efficiently.
Collin Williams
This map absolutely disrespects the fundamentals of democracy. The deliberate drawing of these lines shows an attempt to exclude many voices. The fact that within 2 blocks of me there are 3 different districts, but my district extends all the way down to the southern top of the state is a clear sign of gerrymandering to ignore the will of the people.
Anthony Robertson
Blatant disregard for democratic values. Gerrymandering is a good sign that a parties policies are so bad that they know they cannot win with an educated electorate. The biggest part of the current leaderships platform seems to be denigrating minority voices, ensuring they are without representation, and dividing any cohesive group that could garner more votes. The Democratic platform was voted for by a majority of Americans. It is supported - as shown via polling - by a majority of Americans. However a minority of loud, rich, generally white and male leaders are rigging the game and instituting minority rule. An independent, non partisan, people led committee is the only way to do this properly.
NICKOLAS MAX CROSBY
You guys aren't even trying to appear as if you have a genuine concern for representing your constituents. The divisions in salt lake county are such a slap in the face to democracy. You're actively trying to silence the wants and needs of our state's most populated area so that you can artificially maintain control, or more realistically, maintain lobbying revenue streams. Corrupt. Selfish. Authoritarian.
Ashlee Naylor
This is an absolute disgrace of a "map". We, the voting population of Utah, voter for and passed an independent redistricting commission to try and make our maps as fair as possible. Fair means that cities get kept together, not split apart like leftovers after Thanksgiving dinner. Why should northern salt lake city and southern Davis county be lumped in with almost the entirety of southern Utah? It does no one any good- the residents of blanding deserve to have a representative that understands their needs and lives in southern Utah just as much as the wasatch front. Claiming that rural Utah gets a voice under this plan is a farce- as we have seen for the last 10+ years, even when you split up the wasatch front to dilute their votes, you still only get representation for the wasatch front.
Jeanine Bee
This map is gerrymandering. Deciding to use this map instead of one of the ones created by the independent commission that the people voted for would be acting in bad faith.
James G Harris
This grossly undemocratic map demonstrates exactly why the people of Utah voted for an independent redistricting committee. It is clear that the Utah legislature is utterly incapable of drawing fair district maps. And you seem to be completely shameless about it!
Frost Mitchell
There is no justifiable reason that SLC between downtown and the university should be in the same district as Ogden, apart from extremely partisan gerrymandering. This is wrong and un-American.
Frost Mitchell
This is a completely unacceptable redistricting. The idea that the Avenues and U of U area are separate and divided from Sugarhouse is completely laughable. Salt Lake City is a very coherent community and this redistricting process is not fair, just, or representative. Being raised in rural Utah and living in SLC currently, the idea that federal representatives should be balancing the needs of urban and rural voters is absurd. We have the ability to create districts so that representatives can actually represent a cohesive community that already has a set of complex needs. We do not need to dilute urban voters with rural ones, and we do not need to dilute rural voters with urban ones. It is NOT the position of representatives to divide up different types of voters, but rather to select just and reasonable districts for voters. This is why we have districts in the first place, to represent cohesive communities. Salt Lake County should not be divided into 4 different districts. Ignoring the will of the voters by establishing the independent redistricting committee is flagrantly wrong and fully intended to suppress and silence Salt Lake County Voters. The fact that this map was released on Friday night with very little time for public input before the public hearing Monday is shameful. The legislative redistricting committee knows this is a shameful map that directly goes against the decision of voters in 2018, and they are trying to hide the window of criticism and visibility. It's shameful, disgusting, and un-American.
Amanda Lawing
This map makes no sense. It is splitting communities and interests. The claim is that urban and rural interests can be better served with these maps. In actuality, they are pitting urban and rural interests against each other and will result in even more gridlock.
Spencer Horton
I just don't see the logic in splitting up one community, Millcreek, into four congressional districts. SL County is split up into four districts? How is that logical and fair? There isn't logic, just gerrymandering. Utah's legislature is just following the sorry example of other GOP and Democrat-controlled legislatures around the country. You would hope your own state would do a little better, especially in light of the fact that the voters passed a resolution calling for an independent commission to help design the boundaries. I know that the legislature will hide behind the Utah constitution and talk about how it is their duty to draw the lines. It's a disappointment they would seem to so easily cover their ears to the voice of their voters. We didn't want a pat on the head, a few million in taxpayer dollars, a melodramatic resignation from Rob Bishop at the 11th hour, being educated on what the Utah constitution says, and then a dismissal of everything that had been put together by the commission. We just wanted better, more representative, non-gerrymandered boundaries. I wish I could say that this was a huge surprise, but given the way that the Utah legislature has responded to the will of the people in some situations in the past, it seems that disregarding the will of the people in favor of partisanship is the rule rather than the exception.
Leanne Webster
This map benefits no one but politicians, and it clearly disregards the whole purpose and public will behind the Independent Commission. Diluting communities of interest simply allows political parties and outsize special interests to continue consolidating influence at the expense of the greater public good.
Kara Downey
This map is a brazen attempt to disenfranchise urban voters. I'm very sympathetic to the fact that rural and urban Utah have different needs that both deserve representation, but your claim that the best way to do that is to carve up urban areas and swamp them with rural votes is absurd (as is your claim that the desert alfalfa fields are "feeding" the Wasatch Front, but that's a separate discussion). Use the independent redistricting maps (which, according to the referendum that passed several years ago you should have been *required* to use, except that you decided democratic process was optional) and make sure urban residents have a voice. We're your economic engine.
Wendy Conrad
This is a blatant attempt to muddle the voices of urban and rural votes and allow the Republican party to continue to divide their constituents against one another. It does not represent the will of the people, it is illegal, and completely ignores the rigorous, fair, principled work done by the (bipartisan, Republican-led) Independent Redistricting Commission. The IRC was voted on and approved by Utah voters, and is being disregarded. This speaks volumes to your quest to retain power and not actually represent any voters in this state. These maps must be re-done to align with the work and submission of the IRC!
Julia Diane Miller
We asked for nonpartisan redistricting, not blatant gerrymandering. Rural interests are not urban interests. This proposal does not in ANY way come close to mirroring maps proposed by the UT Independent Redistricting Comte. They used a fair, data-driven process. Over 500,000 voters from all over this state asked for an independent commission; recognizing their contributions to a more balanced redistricting process will in no way reverse the republican dominance in our state. Please reconsider your political bias!
Jamie Gross
This is the definition of gerrymandering! This map is absolutely ridiculous. Salt Lake County split up into 4 districts to ensure that urban voters have no real say in anything.
Mark Oram
This gerrymandered map is an affront to the people of this great state, who voted to create an independent redistricting committee and support the maps that committee drew. The legislature has become far too comfortable running roughshod over the will of its own constituents.
Kris Schultz
This proposed map deliberately splits my community into four to dilute the votes of my neighbors. The people of Utah voted for independent redistricting and the legislature has done everything in their power to disregard that vote of the people.
John M Kane
Urban and rural concerns are some times in conflict. How are the representatives supposed to choose which to represent or is it automatically the party position?
Jerri Bearce
This is an unscrupulous, blatant attempt to preserve Republican party domination in the state of Utah. It shows complete disregard for the Independent Redistricting Committee's efforts. The IRC was requested by and approved by the voters. Give us our voice. Represent us in the manner we have chosen, not in this high-handed manner. You are not following the wishes of the people of the state of Utah. I am a lifelong moderate Republican. Why doesn't the party nominate reasonable, moderate candidates in each congressional district who can win on their own merits without being assisted by immoral gerrymandering? (This is not a rhetorical question.)
Heather Stonely
This is very disappointing that the state legislature is choosing to ignore the voice of the people who voted for independent redistricting, and the hard work of the independent commission. We all know rural and urban are code words for conservative and liberal. Please stop trying to dilute the voices of the more liberal parts of our state. Everybody's voice should be heard, and representatives should be able to focus on the common issues of the people they represent. Our state legislature would only improve by having a few differing perspectives at the table.
Shawn James Beus
Keep Davis County in one district please. We should have a unified voice for Congress, especially to join with Weber County. The other commission recommended maps are better.
Michael Heinze
This is insane. By carving up Salt Lake County into 4 pieces, this map effectively eliminates the voice of 40% of Utah's population.
Trenton J Cross
Why is the entire Salt Lake County split into four sections? I hope this comment doesn’t get ignored, and is legitimately responded to. But it won’t be, because what this map represents is the disgusting amount of gerrymandering and politics playing the people responsible for this are doing. When you look at the data, it doesn’t make sense we. Salt lake county residents are split between their votes not counting through northern Utah, eastern, western, and southern Utah. Some places on this map HAVE TO DRIVE THROUGH ONE DISTRICT TO GET TO ANOTHER AND THAT TRIP WOULD BE 6 HOURS!!! That is terrible, not to mention there is no governing reason this map makes sense. Salt Lake county has a much different and bigger economy, has waaayy larger population, and a very different way of governing. You simply cannot make the same policies for these enormously unjust districts and expect it to work for SLC. The obvious goal here is to make the voices of Salt Lake County count much less that the rural population. 80-85% of the entire states’ population lives in Salt Lake county, this map is completely unacceptable and should be considered illegal. Get with the facts, Utah is going to be a blue state and there isn’t anything you can do about it. Maybe actually try governing again instead of playing hate politics and your constituents may return. I was to vote R, until I realized you don’t care about me our people like me. This map very clearly reflects your willingness to prioritize a party over a country. Traitors.
David Parrott
Are you kidding me? Dividing SLC up and lumping me with ALL of southern Utah? Really? How is this remotely fair? How are my values being heard? How are southern Utah values being heard? Dividing us up like this simply favors rural voices and does so to prevent the metro areas from having any say in coming up with balanced laws. Disgusting, partisan and no better than what we had. Another pathetic attempt to maintain one party, minority rule over the state.
Joseph Hoehne
Any UIRC map is better than this. Time and money went into hearing the voice of the people. We want to preserve communities of interest and limit county and municipality splits. This does not do that. By not following those recommendations, you are not following the voice of the people.
Clark Jensen
A lot of people are saying stuff like “the people of Salt Lake county won’t be properly and adequately represented because it’s split into four districts. I mean sure, that’s true or whatever, but I don’t care. I just think it’s neat that Bountiful and Mexican Hat are in the same district.
Cindy Gooch
This map I’d directed at republicans I do not agree
Carolyn Leitko
Once again the people of Utah spoke and once again they were not listened to. It is appalling that the public has no voice in our own legislature. We need districts that represent us all, not the legislatures interests.
Gregg Schultz
Look, I'm a Republican but these maps are gerrymandered and unprincipled. Follow the Independent Redistrcting Commission recommendations. Provo and Salt Lake CIty should be wholly contained in their own Congressional Districts. It is really disappointing to see this blatant attempt to ensure that voters are not represented by people who share their interests. Democracy is really in peril and you are part of it. We have a commission, follow their recommendations.
Nathaniel Byerly
This map is detrimental to the interests of rural Utah citizens. Rural communities already are overshadowed by cities in the conversations occurring in DC. Now all of rural Utah will have to compete for attention with the Wasatch Front, as there’s not a single district that is focused on the distinct needs of Utah’s non-urban, non-suburban communities. This is the true cost of partisan gerrymandering — poor quality representation for all of Utah.
Anna Pardee
I have never felt truly represented and this seeks to reduce my chance of this ever happening, as if the world would crumble if Utah produced one non-conservative legislator. I fail to see how my neighborhood's needs and priorities regularly align with such a huge swath of rural, less populated section of the state. I also live relatively close to my work, but despite home and work both being well within Salt Lake City proper, my vote will do nothing to help what's going on with my workplace. Or issues my parents, who are 10 minutes away also in the city, may have. And that's different district still from the high school I went to and my efforts to remain connected with and help build that community, also in the city. Shame on you for this blatant attempt to dilute the city, which has its own unique problems that its citizens should be able to count on a single representative to help listen to and resolve.
Brady Smith
These maps are an insult to the people of Utah, and especially the people of the Salt Lake Valley. They are obviously meant to deny residents of Salt Lake City the representation they deserve and insulate Republicans from the consequences of their horrible judgment and general moral turpitude. I live in the Ballpark District. What do we have in common, politically and culturally, with residents of Tooele County? Absolutely nothing, and that’s the point. Fix the maps to make SLC its own district. Republicans are enemies of democracy.
Mary Jane Jones
The rural areas and urban areas should have their own representation. The only time our Rep comes to check on us is when he is running for reelection. He lives in Farmington. What does he know of Kanab!
Kayla Steck
This is blatant gerrymandering and a complete disregard for your constituents. You should be ashamed of yourselves for continually ignoring the people you claim to serve. This disenfranchises both urban AND rural voters. My needs in West Jordan aren't the same as someone in Goshen, and it's shameful to suggest otherwise. You disgust me.
Harrison Ziter
This map is an awful subversion of the voters wants, South Jordan has far more in common with our neighbors of the Salt Lake Valley than we do with central Utah. And I don't understand at all how you think it's acceptable to pair rural southern Utah with Sugarhouse. This is not the change we voted for when we asked to have an independent commission, and you know that. Do the right thing, listen to your constituents, and use a map that well represents all Utahans.
Edward Mullaney
Disgusting attempt to dilute the voices of the metropolitan population, shameful and cowardly.
Jennifer Cox
I am beyond disappointed in the apparent lack of interest in allowing an actual democratic election in this state. For many of us voting will become an empty gesture.
Matthew Pruss
This comment is directed at the proposed map for the 4 Congressional districts. While I am not surprised at all, I am disappointed that this map was proposed. Clearly this map is for the sole purpose of gerrymandering the state to ensure that districts are not competitive and that Republicans get elected to Congress. Let's look at this point by point. First, it is clear that the primary intent of this map is to split the Democratic vote in Salt Lake City. In Republican gerrymandering terms, this is called "cracking". But beyond the obvious reason for this, it clearly does not keep communities of interest together. That is one of the stated requirements of redistricting. This map completely fails that requirement. Second, it makes no sense whatsoever to have both rural and urban Utah mixed together in every district. The needs of these two areas are wildly different. Look at it this way. If I am an elected representative in any of these districts, where do most of my constituents live? In the urban areas. Where am I going to focus most of my time? In the urban areas. With these maps you have further disenfranchised the voters in the rural parts of the state. They deserve representation just as the Democratic leaning areas of the state do. Third, and perhaps most importantly, it is quite clear that these maps show that the legislature does not listen to what the citizens of the state have told them. We voted for an independent redistricting committee for exactly the reason that you have shown here. Politicians cannot be trusted to do the right thing. That is very concerning because it causes me to wonder on what other issues the legislature is not listening to the citizens on. This maps are disgraceful. I would respectfully encourage you to consider the maps that the independent committee drew up. They were balanced and were fair to ALL of the voters in the state of Utah.
Thomas Watkins
I am appalled that the redistricting map has split my neighbors North if 900s from me in representation. This is blatant gerrymandering abd ignoring the independent council recommendation.
Allan Gavere
Your congressional map has taken away my voice by mixing it with thousands of rural Utah residents. Your map splits my metropolitan concerns into 4 separate districts and then mixes each with thousands of voters who have VERY DIFFERENT needs. Where is the Salt Lake City District? On your map it does not exist, even though we are the largest population group in the whole state! You did it to all of the dense population centers in Utah. That is Deliberate Misrepresentation. Shameful. Unfair. Shellfish. Again. We see you for who you really are. Yours is not the way forward. You are a corruption of, and an insult to democracy.
CHAD AARON SMITH
This is terrible. The legislature has ignored the will of the people again. We need to amend the State Constitution and take the responsibility of redistricting out of the hands of the legislature. This is the third redistricting process I have observed and they have gone from bad to worse. The Republican majority in the legislature need to have this power taken from them.
Patrick Rawlings
This is a blatant example of gerrymandering and disregards hundreds of thousands of voters who want independent, fair maps. Please use the IRC maps.
Michael Fuzari
Funny how this isn't a joke. Are the R's getting scared they might love in a fair election?
Alex Littlefield
It's somehow worse than the current map. This is an embarrassment
Russell Howes
The Salt Lake County suburb of Millcreek is split into all four Congressional districts. If that's not a textbook example of partisan gerrymandering, I don't know what is. "Rural Utah is the reason there is food, water and energy in urban areas of the state...We are one Utah and believe both urban and rural interests should be represented in Washington, D.C., by the entire federal delegation." -- Scott Sandall. Districts should be drawn to keep like communities together. That is good government. Rep. Sandall's statement is the opposite of that. His remarks are indefensible and a naked attempt to justify partisan gerrymandering.
Zak Peters
They really should have just picked one of the IRC maps, the "UIRC Final Recommendation -- Public" map still leaves room for a contested district with the other 3 seats pretty much guaranteed republican. Instead they created this nonsense. I really hope enough chaos is stirred up on Monday to maybe make them consider a different map. Still not terribly optimistic about it but one can hope.
Sam Garfield
This is highly offensive and obvious. If Republicans can't win, they'll stack the deck in their favor.
Tom Bryan
I acknowledge that, given the opportunity, the republican-controlled state legislature will draw maps to maximize their advantage, and I can’t really blame them for doing so. I am, however, extremely concerned with the state legislature’s worrying trend of ignoring Utah voters and our democratic process. We could not have been clearer: the majority of Utah voters do not want the state legislature to be drawing our maps. The blatant disregard for our voice and expressed preference is extremely concerning. The legislature exists to represent Utah voters, consistently ignoring them sets an extremely dangerous precedent which is completely unacceptable.
Riley Milne
This is so brazenly split up its divided on MAIN STREET. In what universe does the literal center of the urban area need to be split in half?
Aaron Crowder
It's not surprising that the proposed map is as badly gerrymandered as the current one. However it is disappointing. I live in a heavily liberal neighborhood and it makes zero sense for us to be represented by the same member of Congress. It will be impossible for that representative to do what's best for ALL their constituents. Unless the goal is to continue to silence the Democratic voice of Utah. You should be as disgusted with yourself as we all are of you. I urge you to revise this plan and do the honest thing.
Andrew Swallow
A city so nice, they split it more than thrice...
Andrew
Wow, since when could living in Salt Lake City leave open the possibility of living within any of Utah's 4 congressional districts? Where is the input of an independent committee? Also, in response to the only written defense of current redistricting efforts: Utah's rural lands contribute minimally and in no way sustain SLC. (https://yourutahyourfuture.org/topics/agriculture/item/27-background-agriculture-in-utah) I lodge my complaint at the disrespect and intentional bias of this gerrymandered redistricting mishandle. This in no way embodies the ideal of electing public officials for by the voice of their local constituents.
Anthony B
This map is disgraceful. It makes no sense that central Salt Lake Valley citizens share a representative with Monticello. So much effort was put into such a terrible map. Truly a shocking feat. Obvious options would have been so much easier and benefited community continuity. This map makes it very possible for all of Utah's congressional delegation to come from Salt Lake County. How does that benefit residents statewide? How does this guarantee representation for the concerns of southern Utah and rural Utah citizens??? We knew these behind-closed-doors maps would be bad, but this gerrymander is blatant by any standards. This was a shameful process that ignored the will of the voters who wanted partisan power dynamics removed from map making. These maps do not serve the best public, regardless of where they land on the urban/rural spectrum.
Lucas McDermott
This is pretty pathetic. I honestly am embarrassed that this is how we choose to govern in this state. We have a majority of Republicans but we have a lot of Democrats and they deserve representation as well. Really shameful.
Wiam Sheikh
I live in the heart of west valley, a heavily blue city with many different multicultural backgrounds. I do not think this area should be in the same congressional district as rural southern utah. This is not representative and heavily favors republicans.
Rick Gregory
Apparently the legislative committee learned nothing from this past Monday's presentation by the UIRC, since this proposed map completely ignores the most important features of the three Congressional maps presented. Those features include keeping cities & towns together when possible, keeping counties together to the extent possible, and recognizing that urban and rural areas have different priorities. Given that the 2020 Congressional election in Utah had 39% of the vote for non-Republicans, and 39% is more than 25%, where is the non-Republican congressional representation for Utah? Gerrymandered out by this same UT legislature that wants to pull the same stunt again. Guess what we really need is a Constitutional amendment to remove the UT legislature from having any input into district mapping, since clearly this legislature believes that we the people work for them, not that they work for us. The UIRC presented the legislature with three maps that all meet the goals of being non-partisan - the legislature's task was to decide which map to adopt.
Rondo Anderson
Why am I in this district? Why is it stretched down this far only in a tiny strip? Why does it only cover half of my city? I know why, it's because having dense population areas like Provo in another district would make for a fair election, so this district was stretched down all the way to springville to make sure it and all the others vote red. You're not even trying to hide the gerrymandering anymore. It's disgusting, dishonest, and disappointing. If you have to cheat to stay in power, you shouldn't be in power. You should be charged with fraud.
Andrew He
https://old.reddit.com/r/SaltLakeCity/comments/qofwpp/you_have_to_almost_admire_the_brazenness/ What a joke.
Andrew S Green
Shameful display of gerrymandering and partisanship.
Trevor V.
This obviously very heavily gerrymandered map takes the most populated part of the state and divides it amongst all of the districts. Effectively taking representation away from the majority of the population of the state. Clearly they are trying to rig the system against the majority of the residents of this state by dividing us up amongst the rural population. They should be ashamed of themselves by drawing such a map, the fact that they did draw up such a map shows they have no shame and are only interested in rigging elections. Clearly they can only win elections by only counting the votes of rural farmers in the middle of nowhere.
Olivia Robbins
Honestly I can't believe I'm even seeing this. The attempts to gerrymander this state is so transparent. Clearly the legislature is trying to dilute and divide the majority liberal salt lake county in order to benefit them and the "church" (or corporation) they represent. And of course they released the map on a Friday night to avoid it getting the exposure it deserves.
Kent Bradford
Utah is a majority urban state. The redistricting must reflect this with at least 1 and probably 2 urban districts. The current map is clearly set to support the existing Republican domination and is not representative of the population.
Kevin Crouch
Utahns voted for an independent commission to develop a map that best represents Utah, both urban and rural. I felt the independent commission did a respectable job of this. Urban areas should be represented by someone that lives in an urban area and rural areas should be represented by someone in a rural area. This proposal to divide urban areas so each district has a piece of that urban pie doesn't work. Please respect the voice of the people and reconsider using the independent commission's proposed map.
Peter Brandon Christensen
Mike Wickens states the following, "This is great! If this can keep the Democrats from holding a congressional seat Utah will be better off for many years." At least someone is honest about what this map is really about. However, the redistricting process should follow the same principles of representative government that harmonize partisan interests to achieve fair representation. Two principles of representative government address this concern. The first is simple democracy which is meant to protect the masses against the dominating will of an elite minority. The other is republicanism, which is meant to protect a vulnerable minority against mob rule through equitable (rather than merely proportionate) representation. As I'm sure you are aware, this is why bicameralism is such an important feature of the legislative branch and why America is a constitutional federal republic, rather than a "democracy" as such. Since Utah is a supermajority Republican state, we ironically fall into Republican mob rule where "might makes right." I submit that the current congressional map proposed by the legislative committee does exactly this. Using voting precinct data we find each district roughly approximates the proportion of Republicans to Democrats in the state population. But in doing so, it undermines that fundamental principle of republicanism, equitable representation. Precisely because the districts reflect the state partisan populations, none of the districts are remotely competitive. Therefore, I propose that a truly representative congressional map, a "republican" map, would strike a balance between competitiveness and proportionate partisan representation. Instead of all 4 districts approximating the State's 65-35% Republican-Democrat split, 3 of the districts would approximate a 75 (Rep.)- 25 (Dem.)% split and the 4th would offer a slightly less competitive 35 (Rep.)- 65(Dem.)% split. The Public submission SH2 Map from the Independent Redistricting Commission accomplishes this, though that is not the only positive criteria about it. It also features urban-rural districts and reduces the number of split counties and cities. Of course, there is no perfect map. I am not sure how Vernal would feel about being lumped in with Salt Lake. However, these are the same drawbacks found in the Legislative committee's proposal, SH2 simply distributes them in a more republican (small-r) fashion. For these reasons, I believe SH2 to be a clear choice.
Thomas C Wharton
This map literally splits Salt Lake City in half with the dividing line going through downtown — on Main Street no less. This isn’t “one Utah,” it’s the complete opposite. It is contempt for the people of Utah.
Gage Hansen
The legislatures abandonment of the nonpartisan maps in favour of this atrociy is gerrymandering at its worst. Dissecting towns and communities to force single party representation is a prime example what ails our country and will be the end of our democracy. Refusal to allow competitive districts is utter cowardice, and shows a disdain for the market of ideas. We can only hope that the committee members have enough personal integrity to vote against this travesty of partisanship and adopt one of the IRC maps; the majority of voters chose the IRC to represent the interest of fairness, and failing to choose one of their maps spits in the face of the people.
Daniel Gibby
I used to be Republican, but this is the sort of thing that drives people away. Learn to have empathy for others and work together for the good of everyone. No one wins when partisan politics divide us until we are all conquered. This map is as dividing as ever. You might think, no it makes it so we won't have division in our legislature because we'll have 4 united Rs, but a letter by your name doesn't determine whether you are right or wrong. Start working together, start reaching out and uniting. Build something for the future and stop tearing others down.
Aaron Masover
Congrats to the gerrymandering committee, you accomplished your goal.
Jacob Paterson
Absolutely unacceptable. This display of partisan gerrymandering isn’t just a spit in the face of all Utahn’s, but clearly displays the inability and unwillingness to represent diverse political views. So much for the “Utah Way”.
Nils R Bergeson
I am neither a Democrat nor a Republican, but seeing this map is very disheartening. I don't care so much whether a map is drawn by a commission or a legislature, but it should be drawn on more truly objective criteria - population and geography. Not party interests. Not political interests. Not urban interests. Not rural interests. Not special interests. Only divide counties if the population is too big for the district size. Divide only the minimum number of times needed. Same with cities. We have objective criteria at our fingertips - where people are and how many live there - and this is all that should be used when determining district maps. It is clear that the commission tried to follow such a criteria, but if the legislature throws it out for this type of a map that is so clearly politically drawn and driven, I will be very disappointed. We should do better in Utah.
William Brimley
The majority of Utahns voted for the non-partisan redistricting commission. The maps they produced where chosen very wisely. They understood that urban and rural voters have very different concerns. Why, did the legislative committee ignore these maps? Why was the states most populous urban county with almost 1/3 of the states population divided into four districts? One word -- GERRYMANDERING.
David Ripplinger
Shame on you for ignoring the independent redistricting commission. Although I shouldn't be surprised. You all have already proven that you'll do anything to stay in power. P.S. I am NOT a democrat or a republican, not that that should matter.
Casey Walrath
This map is a joke, but it's drawn by Republicans who don't believe anybody else should have the right to vote. So fuck them, they won't do the right thing I hope COVID takes them all out.
Landon Troester
I dislike this proposed map because it unreasonably slices and dices the urban and suburban Salt Lake County into all 4 districts. While the drafters argue this ensures that both urban and rural Utah is represented, I don't think this does that more than it "cracks" the urban areas of the state into uncompetitive districts. The Independent Redistricting Commission offers reasonable alternatives that protect the representation of rural Utah while ensuring that 3300 South isn't in the same legislative district as St. George. I'm very disappointed by the legislature and instead would like to see one of the IRC's 3 potential maps approved. They spent months and thousands of hours talking with communities and did so in a non-partisan way, unlike these maps that have been drafted by the dominant party to protect their dominance.
Marcus Hahne
The Salt Lake area needs to be better represented! Don't chop it up and give it to the rural towns.
Dharma Bellamkonda
This map is is a blatant attempt to manipulate Utah's demographics and group voters with entirely disparate interests and needs. It's ludicrously unrepresentative.
Mandy L. Lyons
This makes no sense. We need groupings which represent our different areas and interests rather than splitting and dicing densely populated cities up and pairing them arbitrarily with different rural areas. We need proper representation rather than having whole groups get swallowed up in those of others. Use a map drawn up by the independent commission and stop gambling with our future.
Scott Wilkes
This map is a travesty. The state legislature has disenfranchised the prevailing interests of the highest population area and greatest economic hub in the state, in order to ensure that their party maintains total control of our federal representation. It is morally reprehensible, ethically bankrupt, and sadly just as expected.
Christian Little
This congressional map shows blatant gerrymandering against the people living in the capitol of the state. While Salt Lake County must be split, to split the neighborhoods, schools, and even small LDS stakes in the Millcreek area into three or four districts shows a complete disregard for the shared interests of the people in this area. The UIRC did an excellent job keeping local communities intact. If we must include both major urban and rural areas in each district I propose keeping Provo, Lehi, Salt Lake and Ogden as the major urban areas, with no county being split more than twice. You cannot defend decisions to do otherwise as a non-partisan decision. As a voter and donor I will not support those that push this map forward.
John Andrew Swatsenbarg
Very disappointed! I believed Utah was better than this. The Legislature knows the will of the people. They know most people are tired of the rancor and the venom in politics and they sought out a way to play fair, an independent commission, who easily could have put out a drastically political map, but they knew their mandate. They knew the assignment. Downtown SLC doesn’t have the same issues, problems or priorities as most of the rest of the state. I believe the Utah legislature will shame themselves with what they are doing. The legislature didn’t understand the assignment. #bebest
Lauren Simpson
My zip code only extends two miles at its longest point, but is split into two separate congressional districts on this map. My community deserves the fair representation that comes from keeping neighbors together. Please do your jobs as public servants and reject this partisan political map in favor of one assembled by the Independent Redistricting Commission.
Trevin Herrera
This is an absolutely ridiculous map, don't do this
Nathanael Read
The voters have asked for an independent commission to create a fair, non-gerrymandered map of congressional districts. Splitting the most populous county in the state up four ways is the definition of gerrymandering. Try again, you failed to fulfill your mandate.
Michael berkowitz
Totally absurd that Salt Lake City is divided this way. There’s no way these should be legal districts
Benjamin DeMoux
This map is a joke. Contrary to the lies being told by it's creators, this map does not represent the interest of urban parts of the state, particularly Salt Lake County. Rather it deliberately excludes us by insuring that House Candidates can safely ignore our interests and still get elected. Salt Lake County is the economic and cultural heart of the state and we're sick of being ignored. Sounds like it's time to start gathering signatures again.
Carlyn Ausbeck
I cannot believe that somehow the map is even more screwed up than it used to be. I voted for gerrymandering bill and somehow it all turns out even more screwed up than it used to be. The partisanship on display here is absurd and I am embarrassed to live in this State.
Joseph Clark
The best way for rural voters to be represented in Congress is by having a rural representative who lives in a rural District. And likewise for urban voters. As currently drawn, the legislature is ensuring simple majority rule across the state instead of allowing voters to be represented by individuals who are in tune with the unique needs of the various demographics in our state. Please reconsider the maps proposed by the Independent Redistricting Commission. - Independent voter
Lindsay Adams
I'm a resident of Millcreek and it's clear that this map is an attempt to split our vote. The needs of Millcreek residents will not resonate with much of where we are "districted" just as the needs of rural areas will not resonate with an urban area. This map is gerrymandered to favor the conservative Republican party. The gerrymandering is egregious, blatant, and honestly offensive. While I hope a more fair map will be chosen, it feels like this is a power grab. The question is, do voices matter? Or power? Obviously, this map tells me you only believe in power - not real Democracy.
Laura M Cotter
This is terrible and you know it
Silvia Catten
As a resident of Millcreek, this map makes representation confusing and unfair. In the interest of keeping my city as a single community of interest, splitting it into four districts does not accomplish that. For example, the needs and interests of Congressional District 2 are widely held by the rural communities of southern Utah--their interests and issues are not parallel to urban areas, like Millcreek. Give a voice to the urban areas of our state. This map serves no one.
Julia Kamenetzky
This map is a textbook example of cracking. We all know this is intended to separate the population of Salt Lake County into a small percentage of each district. In other words, all four delegates represent only rural parts of the state and Salt Lake County has zero representation. It is ridiculous that friends, neighbors, and coworkers in my community would all reside in different congressional districts. Use one of the maps from the UIRC. Anything else is unacceptable.
randall polson
This is so disheartening. Why is my city (Salt Lake City) split between 4 different congressional districts? How does this satisfy keeping municipalities together or respect traditional neighborhoods and communities? Why was all the hard work of the independent commission just tossed away?
Laurie Blake
Here is a definition of gerrymandering: Manipulate the boundaries of (an electoral constituency) so as to favor one party or class. If you choose to divide Salt Lake County into 4 districts, and Salt Lake City, Millcreek City, and West Valley City into different districts, you are choosing to "manipulate the boundaries to favor" the Republican party. This is blatant gerrymandering. This is what the Republican party has consistently done and this is why the citizens of Utah passed a citizen's initiative to have an independent commission propose boundaries. I hope that all involved will be honest with themselves and choose integrity over political interests.
Gary Bronson
Why are you ignoring the redistricting commission maps that Utah voters asked for? This is blatant gerrymandering, which Ronald Reagan called "antidemocratic and un-American" and "a national scandal."
Martin Cuma
This is gerrymandering at its best, and a prime example what's wrong with our democracy and politics in general. Committee members, please, have some dignity and adopt one of the IRC maps - that's what the majority of voters voted for and wants.
Barbara Killpack
As a resident of Millard County I don’t understand how I can be better represented by by a urban/rural mixed district. Our needs are obviously different and it’s hard to have a voice when our representatives are more concerned with a concentration of voters in more urban areas. Please take another look at the independent commission’s proposals thank you
Joshua Hortin
This map is based on a very arbitrary and recent opinion that both urban and rural areas should be represented within every single district. This is not a requirement in the US or Utah constitutions, or 2018's Proposition 4. Rather it is a thinly veiled attempt to suppress Utah's political minority, which is absolutely contrary to the idea of the United States, which was originally born out of a lack of representation in England. In this map the Legislative Redistricting Committee attempts to stop 25-35% of Utahns from having even a single voice in Congress by "cracking" the most heavily democrat-leaning section of the state into all 4 districts. These maps were invented with no public input. In contrast, the UIRC has toured the entire state, poured months of public comment and input into their maps, focused on communities of interest when drawing lines, and had an equal mix of majority and minority committee members. While the Legislative Redistricting Committee's maps are politically beneficial for 65-75% of Utah, the UIRC maps are the State's best shot at a fair map for 100% of Utah. Please reject this map and select one of the UIRC maps.
Sam Bishop
This is terrible. Utah is better than this.
Jennifer Heighton
Stop gerrymandering our districts! I voted for impartial commissioners to do this job! I want them to make this decision; not YOU!
Bryce Shelley
If this map is adopted, it seems inevitable that the next decade will see a constitutional amendment pushed through to remove the power of the legislature to draw the redistricting maps. Given the disappointing results of the compromise that made the Redistricting Commission this go-around, I doubt future anti-gerrymandering groups will be willing to compromise. If the comments on this page are any indication of how the vote on that amendment will go, perhaps the legislature might maintain their power better by adopting one of the proposed maps rather than losing complete control of the redistricting process in 2030. And 2040. And 2050…..
Travis DeJong
Utah Republicans have once again shown that they hate democracy and free and fair elections by drawing another rigged congressional map. Of course this is not the least bit surprising. However, it is ultimately the Democrats who are to blame for this rigged maps as US Senate Democrats are refusing to pass a bill that would outlaw partisan gerrymandering. I want all Utah liberals to remember this as they go to vote in the next rigged US House election. So much for democracy.
Brady Russon
Why is Lehi City being split into two districts? This makes no sense.
Thomas Plewe
Wow, I hope any LDS state legislators who vote for this map have read their Book of Mormon and recognize that they are the power-hungry rulers who ignore the voice of the people and bring about societal collapse form their own greed. This is so blatantly gerrymandered, splitting Salt Lake County into 4 different districts AGAIN, that it is hard to fathom. I wouldn't march in the streets for many things, but I would to fight against this blatant partisan power grab.
Yannick Van Huele
The proposed map of congressional districts is disappointing but not surprising. There is an inherent conflict of interest in having the legislature draw these maps which is exactly why we voted for Proposition 4 three years ago. I urge our representatives to listen to their constituents, do the right thing, and select one of the maps proposed by the Independent Redistricting Commission. I'd also like to address Senator Sandall's remark about representing both rural and urban parts of the state: First, having both rural and urban constituents does not by itself ensure that the concerns of both are represented, especially in a first-past-the-post/winner-takes-all electoral system. Furthermore, conflicts are often best resolved through open debate and discussion which is best achieved when each side has a strong advocate. And if you worry that several representatives may find it difficult to come together and find a reasonable compromise, what makes you think that a single individual can do so without the open debate and discussion? Second, simultaneous representation of rural and urban residents is already achieved by the US senate. Our US senators already represent the whole of Utah and thus both rural and urban parts of the state. Surely we can afford some diversity in the House of Representatives. Finally, even if you believe that joining rural and urban parts of the state into the same district is beneficial, this goal is not worth the tradeoffs required to achieve it. The criteria for determining new boundaries were clearly laid out in Proposition 4. These included minimizing the division of counties, cities, and towns and preserving traditional neighborhoods and local communities. These criteria were not significantly modified with S.B. 200. In particular, neither Proposition 4 nor S.B. 200 recommend that each district represent both rural and urban parts of the state. The priorities were clearly laid out in Proposition 4 and reiterated in S.B. 200. Please respect the will of the people and use one of the maps designed to reflect our priorities -- namely those proposed by the Independent Redistricting Commission.
Zachary Morin
This is unacceptable. People of Sugarhouse and St. George are nothing alike. This is blatantly trying to weaken the voice of the Salt Lake City citizens on the Federal level. You have better map suggestions at your disposal. USE THEM
Sandy Fishler
I agree with the majority of comments posted against this map. It is wrong to divide the urban cities as proposed and the interests of rural communities would be diluted by mixing in urban interests.
Matthew Hepworth
This is a blatant disregard for the will of the majority of the people. Independent redistricting is the only way for fair representation, and that's why Utah, as a whole, voted for it. Stop defying the will of the people to further serve personal ambitions, Representatives! You're supposed to SERVE the people, not rearrange the people's will to better serve you. This map goes completely counter to everything Utah stands for, including integrity and honesty.
Wally B
Dear UT Legislators. This is undemocratic, immoral, and ridiculous. You know it, we know it. You had a chance to take the high ground and give citizens in SLC a voice in congress, but you blew it. Way to squander your best chance at credibility. You have given me just cause to increase my monetary donation to the D's in 2022. Game on.
Monica J Hall
No matter your political party, how the voting maps are drawn are to ensure a fair election. It would be prudent for the Utah Legislature to adopt the Independent Redistricting Map. The one the voters asked for, the one the voters voted for, the ones the voters addressed in a ballot initiative.
Zak Peters
Comment from a supporter of this map: "This is great! If this can keep the Democrats from holding a congressional seat Utah will be better off for many years." - Mike Wickens. Well you just described why this map is awful...
Jonathan Tyler
Register Republican here: I'm concerned that this is an unfair map to the actual desires and will of the people of Utah. Please redraw them to more accurately reflect the will of the people and to create a more perfect union. Yes, it will mean slightly fewer republicans in office but will ultimately equal correct representation.
Lance Hemmert
I live in Vernal. We absolutely shouldn’t share a Congressional district with Salt Lake City. I don’t care if Democrats get Salt Lake county. I want a representative that’ll focus solely on rural Utah’s issues. I don’t want my voice, or rather my Representative’s voice split between urban and rural points of interest.
Samuel Bowden
I cannot believe how much our representatives have decided to disregard the people they supposedly are representing and only looking at how they can stay in power. By splitting the state like this they clearly want to gerrymander the state so that they retain just enough republican support to stay in power, regardless of the actual group they should be serving and representing. If they cannot use a map from the independent commission, who as others have noted we voted for in the first place and paid to have them do their job well, they should consider if they are really worthy of holding their seats.
Sarah L Woolsey
As a resident of Sugarhouse area, I cannot understand how the map proposed makes sense for the community that I live in and thrive in. the Independent committee has maps that should be considered. The logic behind this map that is clearly designed to divide my community and city is shameful. Please listen to the citizens.
Bryan Haney
As drawn, my oldest daughter will attend high school in a separate congressional district from my youngest daughter attending middle school. The are in the SAME school district, in the SAME city. In a typical morning, I will leave my house in District 1, drop my son off at daycare in District 2, go to work in District 4, and return home via District 3, and never travel more than 15 miles. My wife and I will leave home in District 1, and she will go to work in District 2, and I will go to work in District 4. In 2022, I will see billboards and yard signs for 4 different congressional seats along a 10 mile drive, but only be represented by one of them. These maps are a travesty, were drawn irrespective of existing city or county boundaries, and are non-congruous with major geographic boundaries and features. Literally any of the maps proposed by the Independent Redistricting Commission are better for a majority of voters than this map. This map provides poor representation for a very large number of Utah citizens. The Independent Redistricting Commission invested more time and effort and produced much, much better maps. The legislature shouldn't even consider this map - throw it out.
Ben Jensen
First, urban/rural districts don't work. Land doesn't vote, people do. They are competing interests, and no man can serve two masters. That said, if you insist on moving forward with the ridiculous quest to do urban/rural, there are ways to do it that don't require splitting Salt Lake County four ways. This map is in direct opposition to the will of the people, manifest in Prop 4, and should not even be considered for adoption.
Skylar Christensen
This map is a disgusting example of partisan politicians using their power to choose their voters to insulate them from the will of the citizens of Utah. Anyone in the Utah legislature who cares about the American ideal of government of, for, and by the people ought to be offended to their core by this foul double-usurpation of the right of the people to choose their political representatives. Not only will this gerrymandered map cement the power of the one-party system in Utah, but the legislature will demonstrate its disdain for democracy by ignoring the Utah Independent Redistricting Committee. This map proves that Utah’s politicians care about only one political value, power.
Lucy Bowden
We all voted to have an independent commission redraw these maps. These proposed maps are nothing like the ones that the commission created. And they gave you three options! This kind of blatant disregard for the citizens of Utah is disgusting. Please use the maps that the independent commission created. In addition to being nonpartisan, they had the courtesy to involve Utahns through the entire process, without any of this drawing maps, posting Friday evening and voting Monday morning garbage. Voters choose representatives, not the other way around.
Jason Baxter
This map divides my city across two districts. Appears to have happened to several other communities. Not even consistent with obvious geographic divisions, let alone community divisions. This also divides Salt Lake county across 4 different districts. Mixing rural and urban across every district is not a feasible way to fairly represent the varied interests of our state. I expect my interests in a heavily developed suburb to be very different than the interests of folks in small towns hundreds of miles away dependent on tourism and resource extraction to sustain their local economy. Even if there is interest in rural/urban combination, this could be done by regions closest to each other, rather than splitting from the middle of Salt Lake. Releasing this map so shortly before the official discussion of maps is planned to begin is also problematic. Why wouldn't this map deserve the same level of review and public scrutiny that other suggested maps have had?
Michael Porcelli
This is a terrible-terrible-terrible map! These lines were obviously drawn to maximize a partisan advantage by those in power, not to best represent people in urban and rural communities—it's insulting to even suggest that as truth. Published on a Friday to be rushed through on Monday, I think that says it all. These districts DO NOT benefit the voters—not rural, not urban, nor anyone in between. With this map, representatives cannot actually be held accountable by voters at the ballot box–regardless of political persuasion–and will have little incentive to do their job: represent their constituents. All of their constituents! This shows partisan players picking their voters to give themselves the most uncompetitive races; this is the opposite of democracy and the opposite of what the people wanted and voted for in 2018. Please use one of the maps the bipartisan Independent Redistricting Commission have already recommended—nothing about this map represents any of their work. Tweak it slightly if you must, but this should've been their job from the start. Their impact was wrongly minimized into some farcical procedural committee for appearances only, holding no actual authority. An affront to the voters and to all Utahns!
Dustin Garner
This map is such a bad faith effort - the effect is nothing less than an attempt to steal elections. Absurd GERRYMANDERING. Splitting communities of interest including those of race. The intentions here are clear and its authors and anyone who votes for it should not be considered a believer in the principles of our republic.
David Miller
There was a reason the people of Utah voted by referrendum to have an independent redistricting committee. First the Legislature waters down that request, then they flat out ignore the recommendations of the committee. It is beyond obvious what our "we don't even pretend to be listening" legislature is doing here. Salt Lake county is too large for a single congressional district and has a decided democratic tilt. Our overwhelmingly Republican legislature concludes that Salt Lake is so important that instead of having one representative that represents the bulk of our population center they should have four representatives who they disagree with on the most issues. Even the worst of the maps produced by the UIRC was better than this map. The excuse that nobody is without political bias is thin cover for letting the overtly partisan and "we have a vested interest in making sure that our party has the best chance to hold all the congressional seats - not to mention a vested interest in the boundaries for state legislative districts since we are the ones trying to hold on to our own seats in perpetuity" legislative committee just make their own map rather than ratify the work of the UIRC that the people of Utah asked to do this job. Thanks for nothing.
Allen Barney
The only reason for splitting salt lake county four ways is so that the republican thugs can keep salt lake county from being able to choose their own representative. Can you say “GERRYMANDERING”.
Vickie Hamilton
I am a registered independent. I voted for the non partisan redistricting commission. Again my vote means nothing in this state. The maps that were drawn by the commission were excellent. This one by the legislature is horrible.
Vickie Hamilton
I am a registered independent. I voted for the non partisan redistricting commission. Again my vote means nothing in this state. The maps that were drawn by the commission were excellent. This one by the legislature is horrible.
Kevin Cheney
Ever been to Four Corners in remote, southwestern Utah where you can stand in four different states? Astonishingly, this map comes very close to a Four Corners in the heart of Salt Lake County. Go get a shake at the Iceberg on 3900 S. & 900 E. and find yourself overlooking District 2, District 3, and District 4. Drive 5 minutes up the road to 2100 E., a few blocks shy of Olympus High, and find yourself at District 1. The very definition of gerrymandering. Who can possibly deny that it is a conflict of interest for incumbent legislators, regardless of party, to draw their own maps? Utahns voted for Prop 4 and the UIRC. We expect the transparent, fair, and independent work of the UIRC to be honored. The legislative map fails, intentionally and frustratingly, at keeping cities, counties, and communities of interest whole.
Max Holmes
This map is so incredibly clearly gerrymandered that it is almost surprising (except it isn't because of course the legislature wants to pick their own voters). There is absolutely no reason to split salt lake into four different districts other than to dilute the voice of one of the largest communities with similar interests and needs in salt lake city. It is so annoying to live in a place that doesn't even pretend to allow your voice to mean anything
Isabel Roberts
This map is such a ridiculous farce and can't even pretend to represent the people who live in the state. Splitting up cities and communities with incredibly similar needs is clearly just an attempt for those in power to choose their voters instead of respecting the will of the actual people of Utah who voted to have an independent committee to suggest maps to accurately represent all the people. This is so clearly an attempt to subvert the will of those who live in urban centers and is one of the reasons it is so embarrassing to live in utah.
Cynthia Spigle
This goes completely against what the voters passed in Prop 4. It is a blatant gerrymander meant to protect and expand Republican leadership in Utah. Shame on you!
Henry Ng
I am 100% against this proposed map. The independent redistricting commission did a much better job than this. Elected leaders are much more concerned with their elections than they are about accurate representation. Look at what they did to Salt Lake County. That's not how you keep communities of interest together.
Rachel Craig
Pretty much the only positive I see about this map is that as a resident of the Avenues in SLC, I would no longer share a district with folks in St. George if this map were to be adopted. I do not say that to speak ill of St. George, its to point out how absolutely ridiculous this map is. If the Legislature is truly adamant about urban-rural split districts, a map reflecting those types of districts could easily be created without splitting SLCo into 4 different districts. There are urban areas in southern Utah that have much more in common with their rural "neighbors" than those who live in SLCo. The Independent Redistricting Committee has created maps that reflect that idea. Additionally, all this map will do is ensure that the majority of our US House members are from the Wasatch Front- similar to our current maps. That's truly unfair to the good Utahns south of Provo who deserve to have a member of Congress from their area of the state every once in a while. Urban-rural split districts in Utah have not often produced rural legislators. Just because a legislator represents a rural area does not mean he or she actually represent rural interests well. Are four safe Republican seats REALLY worth all the ire these maps draw from both urban and rural Utahns, and from both Republicans and Democrats? I had hope that the Legislative Redistricting Committee would listen to Utahns across the state and not continue to carve up SLCo, but clearly that hope was misplaced. This is so disappointing.
Elizabeth Nelson
This is blatant gerrymandering. It's an obvious, pathetic, and sad attempt from Republicans to dilute the Democratic votes in Salt Lake County. Why should my city be split between two districts? How will that help anyone in my area? Why are my friends in West Valley in the same district as my family in St. George? How could that possibly be beneficial to either one? This is gross.
Eric Hobday
Shameful, disgracefully, partisan gerrymandering. Completely ignores the will of the majority of Utahns as expressed by the Prop 4 vote. Makes a mockery of the will of the people and the voter proposition system in Utah.
randall
Why are the maps from the independent commission completely discarded? There is no reason that my city should be separated into 4 separate congressional districts.
Bruce Ensign
The entire premise behind this map is wrong. The idea that each district should be representative of the majority of the entire state is not the correct underlying principle. The four districts should be divided in such a way so the entire delegation represents the political makeup of the state, and should respect distinct communities and logical divisions. This map does neither. In fact, the only thing that this map does is ensure that the entire utah congressional delegation represents about 60% of the population (pew research center). The people of Utah voted to have an independent redistricting commission in order to avoid this kind of blatant power grab. The lack of respect for the people of Utah evident in this map is unacceptable.
Kiersten Honaker
This is blatant gerrymandering. This is not what we voted for in 2018.
Catherine Voutaz
This map, if adopted, leaves ~1M voters in Utah without U.S. congressional representation. Its just a slap in the face to Utah Voters who told the legislature to draw fair maps. It disenfranchises Utah voters who see the UT Legislature as the Republican Party First and Voter Last.
sarah yost
Why is SLC split into multiple districts? I would think a city and geographical area should be in its own district. Gerrymandering for the republicans?
Aaron McCombs
Maps are drawn to dilute the deomocratic voters. We will be leaving this state and taking our educations and earning power with us. I will not sacrifice my health and my childrens while republicans spend tax money to make pollution worse and spray toxic mosquitoe repellant over us all. This state has become a joke.
Andrew Plewe
This is an atrocity of a map. Absolutely terrible. Talk about disenfranchisement. Whoever drew this deserves to burn in Hell and get kicked out any religion they happen to belong to.
Michael Fisher
I'm confused. I thought they used an independent and well-informed group to draw the districts to make it fair. This looks like they drew 4 districts with a little portion of urban and/or Democratic areas to ensure each district is dominated by rural Republican voters. Isn't that what they were trying to avoid? Gerrymandering? It just doesn't seem to reflect what we've been hearing in the news for all these months.
Cissy Rasmussen
I've been a Republican all my life, until last year. I've been comfortable joining my moderate voice with that party until recently. These maps are blatant gerrymandering, and I'm disappointed in the Utah Republican legislators for creating them. Please approve of the maps submitted by the Independent Redistricting Commission. They are far closer to fair and impartial. They do not divide cities and school districts into so many areas that communities of shared interest see their voices diluted. If you are concerned about gerrymandering in Democrat-leaning states, you should be concerned about it here, because this is the same dishonest, unfair kind of work. Show integrity, even if it means losing some of your "safe" areas. We expect better of Utah legislators. We voters expect you to listen to the voice of the people, not suppress it for your own advantage.
David Steven Rabiger
As a registered Republican I find these proposed districts insulting. Utah Legislative Republicans claim to want fair elections, yet continue to minimize the voice of urban and suburban voters by drowning their votes in a sea of rural voters. These districts blatantly ignore the work of the Utah Independent Redistricting Commission and are an insult to voters who approved the creation of the commission. Furthermore, the release of these district maps on a Friday night with only a single day of public comment is completely unacceptable. Apparently Utah Republicans only consider elections in which they are guaranteed to win as "fair". Stop the gerrymandering and give the voters what they asked for. Independently drawn district maps.
Neil S Arnold
Hard to see how this map serves anyone who isn't running as an incumbent congressman. Make the IRC mean something. Use their maps.
Deborah Broughton
These congressional maps are blatantly gerrymandered. We voted for an independent commission to provide fair maps. Salt Lake County should not be in four congressional districts, you've managed to INCREASE the three we have now thus diluting our voting power further. I'm furious. It's ridiculously clear RedistrictUtah cares nothing for the voter's demand to have fair districts.
Carlene Coombs
This map does not work in favor of the people. How do you expect a congress member to properly represent their district when you have, for example, West Valley City, Monticello, and St. George in one district? The people of Utah voted for the UIRC and this completely ignores the work of that committee.
Cooper Springer
You are bad people and should feel ashamed of yourselves for the plan you want to go forward with this. it's very obvious what the intention of these maps are, and thats to make it so that no Democrat can possibly get elected again, even though 30% of people in utah lean that way. Disgusting.
Tyler Anderson
These maps are horrible. I live in West Valley, yet have been placed into the 4th district with many rural areas, while the rest of my city has been placed in the second district. I do not agree with the idea of urban/rural mix districts. I currently live in the 2nd Congressional District, and Rep Stewart has never shown any indication of having any concern for the concerns of Salt Lake County. Clearly, this approach has not resulted in fair representation in the past, and WILL NOT give fair representation in the future. Please avoid any unnecessary division of Salt Lake County in order to dilute the urban vote. PLEASE GIVE US FAIR REPRESENTATION.
Ryan Elkins
This map is horrible. I can't believe anyone could propose this with a straight face. Just say you want to gerrymander the state to ensure that you can continue to put 4 urban Republicans in congress. The big lie here is that you care about rural Utah. This map makes it so no one ever has to consider rural Utah at all. It will ensure we elect 4 people from the Wasatch front off the backs of rural votes. Where do the 4 current reps come from? SLC, SLC, Provo, and Farmington. What great rural representation. Rural Utah should be disgusted by this map as much as anyone.
Mary (JB) Brett
You are going to take care of the gerrymandering by GERRYMANDERING MORE?!!!!! Instead of carving up the Salt Lake area into 3 pieces, now you're carving it up into 4?!!!!!! I am furious. You release these maps on a Friday night and give 3 days including the weekend to give comments? This, and this map, is outrageous and ignores giving 80% of the population along the Wasatch Front even one small voice. You couldn't even throw non-Republicans one small bone, could you? I am so sick and tired of not having my voice represented in this state and I am not alone. I hope you guys get slammed for this travesty of completely ignoring the independent commission's recommendations and your crummy tactics of releasing these maps.
Nate Housley
This map is absurd. There is no reason to carve up Salt Lake County like this except to gerrymander the state in favor of Republican candidates. The given reasoning--to represent rural and urban Utahns in the same district--is dubious. At any rate, it is not worth abusing the redistricting process for such an outcome. Voters have voted in favor of a nonpartisan map, and this is not it.
Mathew Shechter
The Committee Chairs congressional map subverts the will of the people by rejecting the work of the Independent Redistricting Committee which the people voted to create. The map places rural interests ahead of suburban and rural interests, and it places the interests of Salt Lake County residents below those of other Utahns. This map should be rejected by the legislature, and the Legislature should adopt a map prepared by the Independent Redistricting Committee.
J. Grathwohl
Shameful! And yes, I am a Republican.
Ryan Bender
Outrageous gerrymander clearly intending to overrule the will of the voters who chose an independent commission to draw fair maps. Underscores the current Republican disdain for democracy, legitimacy, and the wishes of their constituents. A disgusting farce.
Tena Rohr
This map was not prepared by the independent redistricting committee that we voted on. This is another gerrymandering effort by the people we voted for. We MUST vote for people who will represent us! This map is proof we are not being listened to or represented.
Bryan Kaufman
This map is not inline with the map that was drawn by the independent commission that was voted for by the people of Utah. Please update it to those of the independent commission as that was the will of the voters. If you do not, I hope that Governor Cox vetoes any map not drawn by the committee that was created by the will of Utah voters, and not elected officials trying to keep themselves in power. None of these maps allow for proper representation of Salt Lake County and are trying to dilute any Democrat voice in our state. Rural and Urban Utah do not have the same needs and their voices need to be unique not smashed together artificially.
Allen Sanderson
These maps are the very epitome of GERRYMANDERING. There is absolutely no reason to split Salt Lake County into four districts. Further there is no need to split any other county in to two. At best a portion of Salt Lake County needed to be split into another district. Those drawing the maps have willfully disregarded the will the residents of Utah who voted for an independent redistricting committee. Paul and Sandall reasoning is disgusting.
Barbara Brown
Clear gerrymandering to split SLCo 4 ways. The IRC maps were all preferable. Legislators saying rural & urban have to mix is counter to representing people for their communities of interest. Keep SLCo in 2 districts. Pay attention to your constituents.
Ryan Harmon
These maps are a gerrymandered joke. The comment that we are all one Utah is a slap in the face trying to whitewash this clearly partisan map. This is exactly why the citizens voted for a independent commission that was promptly neutered. There is no reason that major population centers should be lumped in with towns hundreds of miles away with nothing in common. There is no way a representative can serve the interests of both areas effectively. You end up with one sided representation that makes no one happy. Use the maps the commission came up with, not ones designed to dilute the votes of voters you don't like. I'm tired of being punished by the legislature for not having the same mindset as them.
Mark Blatter
As a lifelong member of the GOP, I am frankly disgusted with our legislature. They complain about the commission, then come out with a map to make gerrymandering seem reasonable. I will no longer vote for my own Rep, the honorable Mr Brad Wilson. I will vote for an independent, or hold my nose and vote Dem in the upcoming election.
Sue Robbins
I feel this map demonstrates the concerns of Utah in having a Proposition for an independent commission. Cities are split and communities of interest are divided. All of the standards the Independent Commission followed appear ignored here. Please use their maps and follow the will of the people.
Liz Braithwaite
This map splits neighbors and is a horrible solution to redistricting. It doesn't make sense. The maps proposed by the independent commission were far better at being fair and making sense.
Christopher Bozer
I do not feel as though this map gives fair representation to the people of UT. I do not endorse this map. I hope that Governor Cox and the UT State legislature does not approve this map.
Grace Houston
This map is a slap in the face to Utahns who voted for an independent commission. It's a disgrace compared to the maps that the Independent Redistricting Commission drafted that are fair and aren't gerrymandered to hell and back. I mean - St George and Salt Lake City in the same district? Ridiculous. Utah should be leading the country in leaving behind the disgraceful practice of gerrymandering, not doubling down on it when it's already a red state.
Dylan Riddle
Why can't the entire east side of salt lake county be one unified district? Please keep neighborhoods together.
Alex P
It makes no sense for me to be in the same district as St. George when I live in downtown SLC. This is ridiculous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Chase Charaba
This is a terrible map made just to gerrymander and keep Republicans in power. Don't split up Salt Lake City or Salt Lake County 4 ways! This is terrible and should be illegal. Why doesn't the legislature listen to the referendum we passed? We don't want any gerrymandering in Utah.
Dave Alderman
This map is designed to ensure that government of Republicans, by Republicans, for Republicans shall not perish from this State. The Independent Commission maps kept areas with common issues (i.e., rural vs. urban) together. They are much more fair and representative.
Robert Cramer
I strongly reject this proposed map that splits Sal Lake City in to 4 different districts. It's true what the late Tom Hofeller said: “I define redistricting as the only legalized form of vote-stealing left in the United States today.” The legislature is rejecting the will of the people when they voted for an independent commission to draw maps for the redistricting effort. Instead, they are picking their voters by roping in rural Utah and drawing and literally quartering Salt Lake City. UIRC did a phenomenal job detailing their process and making it as fair as possible. I strongly urge that one of their maps be used instead of this blatant gerrymandering.
Sarah Blatter
The whole point of the independent commission was to prevent gerrymandering. When comparing their maps to this, this is obvious gerrymandering. For shame.
Seth Stradling
Given how similar this map is in intent to our current districts, it's dishonest to claim - as Sandall and Ray have - that this reflects the will of Utah voters. We voted to change how redistricting is done. We voted to make it easier to hold our representatives to account by reducing their ability to pick their voters. We voted to make sure that everyone in the state got a voice - not just rural constituencies. Our legislators lie and betray their oaths when they claim to do what voters want, and then push solutions on us that we've already rejected.
Amanda Perez
Use the maps from the UIRC please. As far as I am concerned, nobody who currently sits in a house or senate seat or plans to run in upcoming elections should have anything to do with this process. You don’t get to cherry pick your voters in a free democratic election. This is why the people of UT don’t trust any of you in legislative leadership because you do things like this to break our trust. I vote for you to use the UIRC maps or bust!
Lisa Rawley
The Utah GOP is not the party of Lincoln. They will suppress any ideas that are not in complete agreement with their own, which is exactly the opposite of Lincoln's tactics. He had the confidence to listen to opposing arguments because he was a Statesman. The GOP members are weak politicians who resort to underhanded tactics (such as releasing their map at 10 pm on a Friday night) to preserve their power in the House. Sadly, those of us who are moderate were not surprised that the 87% majority party would throw out the efforts of the redistricting committee. Rob Bishop's resignation was pure theatrics to stir up the base of Utah's GOP. (Heaven forbid one of our 4 congressman may be a Democrat!) It was a blatant tactic called fearmongering, a GOP specialty. The "STEAL OF THE CENTURY" didn't occur in the 2020 presidential election. It has occurred over the past 10 years of Utah's Congressional elections, and will continue to occur for the next 10 years if the weak Republicans in the Utah legislature have their way.
Derek Boman
I disapprove of the legislative maps. Utahns voted for an independent committee for a reason. The map options that group created are far better than this highly political one. I urge lawmakers to reject this map in favor of one from the independent commission. Anything less ignores the will or the people and does not represent the different views of the state's voters.
John Stromness
As a longtime Utah resident, this map is about what I expected. Another attempt to silence my voice by diluting it with voters with whom I have nothing in common and the Utah legislature choosing its own voters to stay in power. But we knew from the start of this charade that the legislature would ignore the IRC recommendations. Business as usual in Utah. Just get used to it!
Nathan Hall
This map is the epitome of gerrymandering to keep the republicans 100% in control. The references to Utah being a rural state and that rural interests must be represented is ridiculous. Representatives represent PEOPLE not Land. Yes, there is a lot of open spaces in the state, but 80% of the population lives along the urban Wasatch Front.....and a significant portion of that population's interests have not been represented in a long time. It's really simple - SL county's population should NOT be split into 4 districts in order to dilute the will of the people. Around 30% of the state votes Democratic. Is it too much to ask that 1 of the 4 representative actually represent this constituency? Voters voted for an independent commission to redraw the maps, not the same political leaders who are not willing to cede a fraction of their absolute power. Please vote this map down and adopt the fairer map put forward by the independent commission - the commission voted on by The People and that puts people over the silly notion that rural land needs more representation.
drake mailes
This proposed map does dilutes the representation of both the rural and urban areas. By splitting the population core 4 ways this inherently dilutes the voice of the rural areas versus the rural areas being grouped together. This is a difficult problem, but I do not feel that those issues facing St. George and southern Utah are similar in nature to those in Layton. I do feel that the map proposed by the Independent board do a better job in providing a cohesive voice for Utah and the unique issues faced by those around the state.
Cam Fowler
This map is an embarrassment. Utah voters made their desire known when the Independent Redistricting council was approved. It’s on the UTLeg to use those maps, instead of further partisanship that this map reflects
Oscar Graff
Convenient for this proposed map to split SLC into 4 separate districts, almost as if this proposed plan ignores the recommendations of an independent council designed to stop gerrymandering. Stop pretending this plan isn't complete gerrymandering and start acting like a true American. If you want to win someone's votes then campaign and work for their trust, don't rig the system. The Utah legislature continues to be two-faced and corrupt, you know what should happen, the question now remains whether or not you will do it.
Heidi Prior
Gerrymandering. This looks nothing like the maps drawn by the independent commission! This map splits communities in SLC in order to water down votes and maintain Republican power. It goes against what voters asked for when they insisted on an independent commission and a non-partisan process.
Brian Gray
The manner in which district three swings down to pick up conservative votes in Provo, splits Park City and includes Moab (two relatively moderate/left leaning areas) is quite clearly proof that this is gerrymandered. If you wanted to legitimately have rural voices considered, then you would have included Moab with other southern Utah localities, which have similar interests in regards to mining and water resources. This map splits the west side of Salt Lake, where a majority of the state's minority population reside, into two districts. Representatives from those districts will not be able to understand the concerns of these groups when their districts are mostly white and rural, and will not advocate on behalf of minority communities. Mr. Sandall's comments that urban Utah owes a lot to rural Utah because we get our food, water and energy from rural Utah is absolutely preposterous. The major crop grown in Utah is hay which is exported. Rural Utah receives water from snowpack, much of which comes from the Wasatch, where major metropolitan areas are located, and which need to divert a lot of water to accommodate rural Utah. And the energy produced is primarily coal, while Salt Lake residents would prefer renewable energy. So essentially, rural Utah grows food we don't eat, diverts our water, and produces energy we don't want. This is appalling. You've absolutely ignored the demands of the people who asked for an independent commission to draw fair boundaries, and you've ignored that commission. entirely.
Zachary Thayne
No! No! No! This map is pure junk! I realize that is nearly impossible to keep all cities and counties together but at least make it look like you tried. The real loser of this map is Millcreek which is split unnecessarily into all four districts. From what I saw, the IRC map splits only 2 counties (Salt Lake and Sanpete) and only 2 cities (West Valley and SLC) while the joke that was presented by Rep. Sandall and Rep. Ray splits 5 counties (including SL 4 ways) and 13 cities/communities. In this state if you have to split a city or county into more than two separate districts, it is gerrymandering. I call on the Legislature to reject this map and adopt the IRC map that doesn't split up nearly as many communities.
Colby Wayment
This committee is a complete waste and this map is blatant gerrymandering. Democrats in this state need to start registering as Republican and mess this party up from within.
Jason A Kerr
Throughout this whole process I have been waiting for the legislature to swoop in at the last minute and create a map designed to neutralize progressive voters by splitting neighborhoods and lumping together wildly different parts of the state. If the legislature does implement this map, they should add a rider to the legislation renaming 3900 S in SLC "Gerrymander Blvd." The only way not to be disappointed in the legislature is to have subterranean expectations.
Ben Peck
Splitting a single county 4 times is ridiculous. The people of SLCO deserve a voice just as much as the rest of the state. This map completely disregards communities of interest and diminishes the quality of representation for all utahns
Adam Fortuna
Adopting this map sends a clear message to every one in Utah: that those who vote for it have decided that amassing power through gerrymandering is more important than listening to their constituents. This ignores the majority of Utahns who have asked for fair maps. This ignores those asking for their communities to not be divided. This map ignores the differences rural and urban communities request from their representatives. Having kept up with the open and honest progress of the UIRC used to draw their districts, it's shocking to see a map that so blatantly ignores any sense of decency or fairness.
Cuauhtemoc Sandoval
I respectfully ask the legislature to trust the work of the independent redistricting commission and adopt one of their maps. The legislative committee's map clearly separates the core urban core of the state, combining these areas with areas of the state with wildly different representational needs. Though the legislative's committee rationale that all districts should have both rural and urban representation, the independent committee's maps still do this by keeping geographically close urban/rural areas together. This isn't great for either urban or rural residents, it's only serving the political needs of incumbent representatives. The market has decided, stop the government overreach on this process!
AARON MCKOWN
According to these maps I will live in one district, my grocery store that is three minutes down the road is in another district, and my 10 minute drive to work will take me into yet another district and my partner's drive to work will take him into another district entirely. If these maps are adopted our daily lives will be divided between all 4 districts. This is not how you represent people. This is how you suppress them to achieve an outcome that solidifies your own power. These maps do not represent a commitment to democracy and reveal that the legislature has no care for the needs of their constituents - they only care about keeping themselves in power.
Marilyn Torres
I live in Downtown Salt Lake City and a 30-minute walk from The Capitol. Downtown SLC needs and concerns regarding infrastructure, light rail/public transportation, and affordable housing are completely different from rural areas like Woodruff, Garden City (Bear Lake), and Coalville just to name a few. In 2018, I voted for the Independent Redistricting because it meant more equal, data-driven congressional maps that more fairly represent all populations, and this map does not achieve any of these goals. This map clearly disenfranchises Salt Lake City voters by splitting the city into four districts and grouping them with extremely rural areas with completely different needs.
Alex Baldwin
This proposed map that the legislature has proposed is completely unacceptable. I believe the maps provided by the Utah Independent Redistricting Commission give all communities fair representation in government. Redistricting is a difficult and unsolvable problem as there are innumerable ways to split up the population. To have as practical as possible impartially drawn maps that consider the different values and lifestyles of communities and then give them proper representation is at the heart of functional government for the people. To have the winners of the last election use this important process to only cement their control over the government in opposition to proper representation is antithetical to our countries founding principles.
Alison G
This map splits my neighborhood into two and yet keeps me with southern Utah 300+ miles away. How is that keeping communities of interest together? This is a disgustingly cynical attempt to divide SLC and, once again, totally ignore the will of the people who clearly voted for independent redistricting.
James Fenn
This map is not what the Prop 4 envisioned. and is not what the citizens voted for. It does not follow the guidelines and is clearly jerrymandering. Once again splitting up Salt Lake City 4 ways. Any of the IRDC maps are better than this. Use the recommendations of the commission which is what Prop 4 intended. Of course you have no accountability because you negotiated having to explain your position from the original intent. Why is there no accountability? Because Republicans are a super majority and want to keep it that way. No belief in real democracy. Shame on you.
Sean Ramsey
Sadly I'm not surprised by the legislator's blatant gerrymandering of the redistricting process. Why even have an impartial committee when this will always be the result. Legislators are there for the people not for their own agendas. You're oppressing the voices of the people of Utah. This is extremely undemocratic, Utah is evolving and so should you.
Kirstin Scott
Clear, shameful gerrymandering! Please uphold your responsibility to democracy by using the maps of the independent redistricting committee!
Dirk Webb
Use the map that the independent district committee came up with. You don't get to chose your voters the voters chose you. Quit trying to subvert democracy!
Alex Gilvarry
This map literally splits my neighborhood in half. The only honest reading here is a blatantly partisan attempt to disenfranchise voters in Salt Lake City. We deserve so much better than this.
John Slater Areno
I cannot fathom how a congressional district in my home of Sugarhouse should include Monticello, Kanab, Cedar City, and St. George. The needs of those cities are not the needs of my neighbors who live blocks away, which are somehow in completely separate districts! Kanab and Cedar City have no right to give input on what is right for Salt Lake City!!
Mark Henderson
These maps are an outrage. I fully expected this behavior from our legislature. You got fair maps from the independent committee. Use them! That isn't a request! Those are your options, you don't get to select your voters! You know that even proposing these maps is immoral, and corrupt! Use the independent committee's maps!
Gary Travis Roberts
This map is meant to gerrymander. Please have more respect for our electorate. This is a clear attempt to pit rural vs urban. There is a better way to make the map better represent like vs like. Poor voters in Salt Lake won't get anyone who represents them.
Jordan B
This proposed map is ridiculous. How will we in SLC have representation if we are lumped in with rural areas? This is a blatant attempt to silence the voice of SLC residents. This is clear gerrymandering.
Heather Hoyt
This map doesn't make sense. Splitting up communities is not good representation. We don't need districts that have both urban and rural areas. We need districts that represent people. Salt Lake does not need to be divided four ways.
Matt Isom
The proposed maps by Utah Legislatures is not fair and very gerrymandered. Please use the maps the independent commission presented that the voters of Utah asked for in the referendum. This is very disappointing and frustrating that the legislature continues to disenfranchise Utahns by not actually listening to them.
Nicholas Adams
Gerrymandering is not good for the state. I prefer the non-partisan map that the voters asked for.
Dustin Sherwin Daley
These maps are egregious, blatantly attempting to gerrymander Utah as much as possible to keep control of your power. People in Kanab and Millard have very different needs than people in Salt Lake. Claiming you're doing them a favor and claiming "we get food and water" from these areas is a joke. Unless humans started eating alfalfa, most Utahns food is coming from out of state. Continued voter suppression, continuing to ignore the people's votes like this and other ballot initiatives, the GOP and the stranglehold our legislatures have on this state is sickening. Adopt the Independent Commission's maps, they are at least not blatantly gerrymandered.
Jacob Braithwaite
This map feels extremely poorly put together when compared with the independent redistricting committee maps. It does not appear to take anything into account except attempting to force a portion of the most urban and most rural areas to be included in each district. There does not appear to be any attempt to make sure that relevant boundaries (such as cities or neighborhoods) are accounted for in any way. Additionally the statement made by Sen. Sandall that the committee "believe[s] both urban and rural interests should be represented in Washington, D.C., by the entire federal delegation" leads to two potential outcomes: either one set of interests is truly represented and the other is largely ignored, or the representative tries to appease everyone and only half (or less) of the district is actually happy with their representation at any given time (for example see the approval/disapproval of Senators Romney and Lee). I wholeheartedly agree that the delegation from Utah should represent urban and rural interests, but forcing each delegate to constantly choose between sometimes drastically different viewpoints is unfair to them and the people they represent when Utah has enough delegates available to represent all views. Even when one party has a majority, it doesn't mean the other does not deserve to be represented or heard. I think everyone would prefer to feel like their voice isn't going to be diluted by a large population who lives hundreds of miles from them in a community quite different from their own, which admittedly can't be done perfectly, but it can certainly be done better than this.
Michael S Hughes
How is including my part of Salt Lake City, Liberty Wells, with voters from Idapah fair representation? In 2018 a majority of voters in Utah requested that district boundaries be drawn to minimize splitting communities. Instead the legislature proposed map seems to maximize splitting of Salt Lake city and county. Regardless of whether this was intentional partisanship or not, this appears like blatant gerrymander and willful disregard for the interests of the majority of Utahns. The legislature did the easy thing by attempting to retain existing seats and representatives as much as possible. I can understand the appeal of this. It is not, however, the right thing to do nor is it the courageous thing to do. The right thing to do, the admittedly hard thing to do, is to respect the will of the majority of voters in Utah and implement one of the UIRC drawn maps that have drawn praise from across the country. Please reconsider the proposed legislature map and rely on the good work done by the UIRC.
Bill Black
This map is another example of: (1) legislators choosing their voters, instead of the other way around; (2) overriding the will of the people who voted for an independent process; and (3) dividing neighborhoods and communities against themselves. Choose one of the maps drawn independently! Neighborhoods and communities need not be split as Ray's map proposes.
Anne Thomsen
Salt Lake County should span no more than two districts. What is wrong with the people of Utah that we keep voting the same power-seeking, people-ignoring state legislators into office? If you want your voice heard start by voting out the idiots. Hopefully this map will be a wake-up call, but we need to remember this for a full year until the elections next November.
MARY JANE WOODHEAD
This is yet another effort by the legislature to disenfranchise Salt Lake City voters. The State of Utah is about 35 percent progressive and Democratic, yet the legislature once again draws maps that make sure we have no representation in the House of Representatives. And there is no one to advocate for the needs and interests of those of us who live in urban parts of the Wasatch Front. Every district has a rural majority. Every district has a white majority. And every district has an LDS majority. Power corrupts and this is proof.
Paul D Cisneros
I strongly disagree with the proposed maps. A congressional district covering the contiguous Wasatch Front is the only ethic/moral solution. The idea of combining rural and urban districts is a poor one.
Kimberly Felix
This is ridiculous. Leave it to Utah leaders to disregard any independent input and go for the gerrymandered power grab. My interests may be different than someone living in rural Utah--and that's OK! And that's also why it should also be OK for us to have different representatives to speak for us.
Nicholas Daley
Salt Lake being split four ways? This is NOT what we voted for. And to release the map on a Friday afternoon?!? You're not even TRYING to hide how corrupt you are. Salt Lake County should NOT be split four ways. That's blatant gerrymandering. I'm so disgusted right now. You should all be ashamed of yourselves. We voted for an independent redistricting committee. And you watered down their power and then completely ignored them. You're all so gross.
John Anderson
What a complete slap in the face to Utah's voters. We wanted an independent redistricting committee to attempt to limit the influence of party politics. This is the exact opposite!
Capitol Hill
No what the fuck is this? People living a block from the Capitol are in a different district from the Capitol. Blatant gerrymandering--this is why we passed the damn ballot initiative in the first place!
Jared Tran
This map is a complete abomination and a complete joke. I don't know what delusional reality the authors of this map live in but I have nothing in common with the interest of people in rural Utah and none of my food and water come from those sources. I don't know when's the last time Rep. Ray and Sen. Sandall step foot in a grocery store but this absolutely does not take in the interest of all Utahns and actually spits in the face of a sizable portion of them. Adopt one of the commission maps which actually make sense. Imagine if Denver and Portland were split this way, it would be blatant gerrymander.
Joseph Bennion Miller
Speaking to local interests alone, this map is horribly destructive to communities of interest within my newly-proposed District 3. Provo, the county seat, should not be cut off from the rest of Utah county, especially its highest-growth corridor west of I-15. Lehi and Springville should not be cut in half, nor should Saratoga Springs and Spanish Fork be cut off from their like-minded neighbors. Utah County has voted overwhelmingly conservative for years, only to be cut-off and partially connected to Park City? Not to mention disrupting the western edge of Utah's largest Native American reservation, the Uintah-Ouray Reservation, and separating it from the Navajo and White Mesa reservations in Southeastern Utah. Splitting the Native population centers of Utah into different Congressional districts is harmful to our communities and overall district cohesion. Looking to Salt Lake County, the legislature's argument that this map preserves any communities is laughable. It cuts cities, neighborhoods, and even city blocks off from each other into all four districts. Most of the county won't even receive a plurality of representation in 3/4 of the congressional districts that have been anchored on large cities outside the county (Ogden metro, St. George metro, and Provo/Orem core). The best-represented part of Salt Lake County, District 4, is still outnumbered by fast-growing Utah County and Juab/Sanpete. St. George specifically requested to not be grouped with any part of Salt Lake City, and got an a nearly-identical map with Southeastern Utah tacked-on. This map is truly a disaster for any Utahn wanting community cohesion or even just adequate county representation.
Russell Barth
Why even have the independent commission if you're just going to ignore their proposals? This is blatant gerrymandering. I'm an Independent. Was a republican until last year, and this is the type of thing that is driving me and many of my fellow conservatives away from the GOP!
Jack Rasmuson
This map is deeply offensive to the people of Utah.
Shawn Scott
This map seems to be the perfect way to raise the middle finger to the citizens of this state that CLEARLY expressed a lack of trust that you could accurately represent their interests. Honestly I find myself asking if it would be possible to make a map that more unequivocally benefits the Republican Party interests at the expense of all others. As an unaffiliated voter, your blatant disregard for what the citizens of this state wanted to get from the appointment of the Independent Redistricting Commission angers and frustrates me. At every turn you seem to meet our worst expectations and continuously chisel away at public trust of our government institutions. Absolutely despicable.
David Johnson
The Senate exists to represent statewide interests and to protect a diversity of state types. Congress is to represent people in a manner roughly representative of actual demographics. To do otherwise is deeply unconstitutional and really, immoral. Rise above your petty, power-hungry instincts and do something good for America.
Susan Olson
Dividing Salt Lake City into two districts and Salt Lake County into four is a blatant attempt to reduce the political voice of urban and/or Democratic voters. I challenge you to make public the total number of public comments you received in all your hearings around the state, and of that total how many comments endorsed the idea of having ALL districts combine urban and rural voters? The Independent Redistricting Commission reported that many rural voters also did not like being linked with urban interests. You have made a mockery of "community of interests." That the IRC's Congressional maps, drawn without using political data, were more favorable to Democratic voters is logical since the total of such voters and their geographic concentration justifies at least one Democrat-leaning district among four.
Tanya Smith
This is ridiculous! This is the gerrymandering Utah VOTERS voted against by voting to have the independent redistricting commission. This map is politicians picking their constituents, instead of voters being able to fairly choose their politicians. Shame on the Legislators who "designed" this ridiculous map. My neighborhood in Salt Lake is divided up, and my urban family is thrown in with ranchers, farmers and rural voters who have entirely different needs than those of us in urban areas. The Independent Commission came up with much better ways of dividing the districts so that urban and rural needs would have better representation. I am thoroughly disgusted by what the Republican legislature has presented, and I am a registered Republican. These boundaries in no way "best represent the diverse interests of the people we were elected to represent", they best represent certain politicians trying to keep their power, instead of trying to represent their constituents.
Landon P Shumway
Shameless and blatant Gerrymandering! Does our wildly lopsided and unrepresentative legislature truly have so little shame and so much lust for power?
Carl Fisher
This is a totally arbitrary and hurtful way to divide up communities. If elected leaders actually worked to lead and unite on issues rather than picking sides and being intentionally divisive, as depicted on these maps, we’d be much better off. Work to understand communities, stop dividing. Multiple perspectives are healthy.
Christopher Stout
I can climb on my roof and see all four congressional districts...
Travis M Clemens
Restore faith in government and reject this partisan gerrymander. Choose one of the maps from the independent committee. Prove that democracy is more important to you than 1 competitive Congressional seat.
JL
Spending so much money on an independent redistricting process seems pretty senseless when the legislature had its mind made up on a terrible map like this that disregards overwhelming public input. The public voted for Prop 4, the overwhelming comments by the public on this map and at every hearing have been negative towards the legislature and positive toward the redistricting committee. Listen.
Victoria Piper
Under the proposed map, my neighbors (six doors away) are in a different Congressional district, then three blocks to the east the boundaries shift again and then yet again, so we can stop pretending that there was any attempt to balance shared interests during legislative redistricting. Our energy would be better spent amending the Utah Constitution to reflect the needs and will of it’s citizens, without compromise or empty agreements.
Brian Ray Roadifer
This map does not have a fair balance between rural and urban and splitting Salt Lake County between the 4 districts does not help at all with representation. You should adopt the independent commissions SH2 map as that does a better job of balancing urban and rural communities.
Ashley Bond
This map is terrible. It is exactly what we were trying to get rid of when WE THE VOTERS voted to have an INDEPENDENT COMMISSION draw these maps. Please DO NOT APPROVE this map. Utah can do better, and the representatives should listen to the voters.
Philip Howland
Clearly not what we voted for in passing the IRC proposition. This map puts the needs of national parties over your constituents.
Josh Kitterman
This map should be thrown out. It is an obvious attempt at gerrymandering Salt Lake County. Splitting the county into four districts is completely unnecessary. It should be split into two at the most if necessary. Utah voted to have an independent redistricting committee create fair maps with fair representation. Why are you disregarding the people of Utah? Listen to the voters and use the independent maps.
DonaldPolster
How are my interests aligned with those of residents in Tooele, Cedar City, St. George, Ticaboo, Kanab, Monticello, etc.?
Chris Kirk
I am absolutely disgusted by this map!! Whenever I think the Utah legislator can't sink any lower I'm constantly proven wrong. This is a clear example of gerrymandering at its finest! There should be NO reason to have SL County divided up into 4 districts. What concerns do residents of SLC have in common verses those in Vernal, Manti, St. George have in common? NOTHING! Please trash this map and go back to those proposed by the independent commission. At least those maps were not drawn with the sole purpose to disenfranchise voters and to keep a certain political party in complete power.
Clay Dean-Perry
This is a joke and will end up in court. How much money does Utah need to spend on frivolous lawsuits and this junk to support the GOP.
Jacob Richardson
It is disappointing to see the City of Millcreek, with a population of ~62k, split into four different districts. Please reconsider the IRC's maps, or at least try to group similar communities together. The majority of Utahns wanted the IRC to have input in this process, and it seems that their maps and suggestions have fallen on deaf ears.
Matthew Tracy
Utah Republicans have once again demonstrated with their actions they are committed to the twin principles of corruption and racism and little else. The proposed congressional map makes this point in as direct a manner as I have ever seen. The UIRC conducted a fair and impartial process--that must be respected. Unfortunately Republican like Scott Sandall and Representative Ray have demonstrated with their actions that they have been bargaining in bad faith all along. Both have also demonstrated with their actions the depths of their own racism. Both me clearly believe their humanity and the humanity of people who look like them matters more than the humanity of people who don't look like them. Sandall's laughable claims that the map attempts to evenly balance the interests of rural and urban Utah is a transparent attempt to use coded racist language. Racism has been declared a sin by leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and it is disappointing to see two of the most prominent legislative leaders in our State go against these teachings. Looking at these maps, its obvious to me why it took an independent Justice Department investigation to reveal the depths of Utah's race problem in Davis County. Obviously the same problem exists throughout our State.
Laura T
This is blatant gerrymandering. The interests of the proposed districts are not aligned, this makes no sense besides your thinly veiled attempt to suppress the votes of people living in Salt Lake County.
JOHN DAVIS
Smells like gerrymandering to me Utah, but hey who are we kidding? It's not about what's best for the people but what's best for the party. Obviously my concerns as a voter are the same as someone living in Banding, a 5 1/2 hour drive away.
Mason Diedrich
I want to know why Salt Lake County was split into 4 pieces. Anyone with even a casual idea of Utah demographics could see that you are trying to split apart the liberal-leaning segments of this state. The current districts are bad enough, but you have managed to make it worse. If your argument is that each district should have portions of rural and urban, please show me where, in the mission statement of this committee, where that is stated. Our representatives should reflect the makeup of our state's citizens, not the desired makeup of the ruling party.
Isaac Robinson
This map shamelessly gerrymanders Salt Lake City out of existence. The people voted for an independent redistricting commission and this flies in the face of that initiative.
Brian Wyrowski
Utah votes to set up UIRC in 2018, in 2021 their map is instantly rejected. Sen. Scott Sandall asserted "no one is immune" to political bias whenever "we put a line on a map." (KSL article). Agreed everybody has bias, but tell me who has less bias... two GOP representatives or a bipartisan group composed of seven commissioners – appointed by both Democratic and Republican party leaders – with the chair appointed by Utah’s governor. Also, the UIRC, to avoid conflicts of interest, Commissioners cannot be lobbyists, elected officials, political party leaders, or executive appointees. Now tell me you have less bias than that... I look forward to voting against you in future elections as you have very plainly demonstrated you do not care what the voters of Utah decide.
DonaldPolster
There are households within 2 miles of each other that will be in four different districts. This clearly goes against the philosophy of maintaining "communities of interest" when drawing congressional districts. Frankly, this map is an absolute joke.
Brian Mullin
I'm not sure why the members of the Utah House of Representatives don't understand that our congressmen and women are supposed to represent the interest of their district, not the state. There's no need to have an even split of urban and rural population in each district. When they do this, our representatives can't truly advocate for their district when they have to balance rural and urban needs when the priorities of the two are often very different.
Paul Combe Wright
I thought the Independent Commission's work was fair, balanced, and representative of the diversity of Utah, in terms of geography, rural vs. urban, and keeping communities of interest together, among other things. The Utah Legislature Redistricting Committee's proposal is the exact opposite. Dividing Salt Lake County among each of the four congressional districts? I thought that it was a joke when I first read about it. I cannot believe that experienced legislators who are tasked with producing defensible maps actually released this horrible example of a miscarriage of justice. Talk about allowing legislators to pick their voters, rather than allowing the voters to pick them!!!!! Non-Republican voters compose up to (and sometimes a little more) than a quarter of the state's population. The disenfranchisement of non-Republicans is quite brazen. I would have expected this map to come out of states famous for gerrymandering, and expected much better from Utah. Is this an example of the vaunted "Utah Way" that is often used to described diverse groups coming together to develop a balanced and fair compromise? Does the "Utah Way" now incorporate partisan hacks adopting excessively unfair gerrymandered districts? This plan smacks of the work of other states, which proponents of the "Utah Way" in other legislative matters describe as Utah being an example for the nation. Take this congressional map proposal from the Committee and trash it! You don't have to start drawing the map from scratch. The Independent Commission did great work -- why doesn't the Committee simply start with one of the Commission's maps -- or all three of them, and debate which one is best. Please, legislators, trash the proposed Committee map!!!!! You can do so much better for our state!!!!!
Robert Perry
This map is stupid and the legislature knows it. That's why it was quietly released at 10 pm on a Friday night and only allowing the weekend for the public to comment on it before the cowardly legislature will, undoubtedly, ratify it and pat themselves on the back for ignoring the people's wishes yet again. The Utah legislature has embraced California tactics with it's politics and redistricting strategy.
Alessandro Rigolon
This is a disgrace by epic proportion. Salt Lake County deserves representation and not be split into four districts to dilute the more diverse and Democratic-leaning populations. Specifically, this is a racist map because it seeks to dilute the minority populations living in the County. It also splits a neighborhood into four districts. You can literally walk a few blocks and you've crossed all four districts. What about the independent commission and the fair maps it drew based on people's feedback? Are you throwing those in the trash, and we those, all the money spent to draw them? I'm sick and tired of this lack of respect and representation. Utah politicians need to serve all residents, not just the GOP majority. This map is an insult to democracy and decency.
Jon Bertrand
This map is unacceptable. Given the clearly superior UIRC map using this map will send a clear, anti-democratic message. Please do not accept this map. Use the UIRC map.
Tameron Williams
This map isn't about bridging urban/rural divides or keeping communities together. You can see at every dividing line a choice to keep people apart and ensure they have little to no voice in the process of government. I don't know why I expected more than this.
Hayes Foster
Yall didn't even try to hide the blatant disregard for the majority opinion in any of the redistricting process lmfao.
Angela Price
Ahhh Gerrymandering at its finest. I wouldn't expect any less
Bryant Collard
Although I fully expected a map like this it still makes me physically ill to look at it, realizing that it will be adopted regardless what the people of Utah want. I am so tired of the distain our legislature holds for the people they claim to represent while having no intention of doing so.
Lindsey Sharp
This map proves that the only intention of the Utah Legislature Redistricting Committee is to silence the collective voice of the voters in Salt Lake County at the Federal level.
Ramsey Boehner
I think this is a power grab and not at all what we want in Utah. Voters should choose their elected officials not the other way around. We need to hold them accountable. Lets use the independent re-districting committees map as it will reflect Utah and its people, Republican and Democratic
Diane McNeill
Proposition 4 was passed by the people to set up the independent redistricting commission to prevent blatant gerrymandering such as this. Counties and cities should be kept together as much as possible so that their interests can be properly represented. There is no justification for creating districts in this manner other than the political advantage of the dominant party.
Cody Bailey
I commend your amazing congressional map for the state of Utah. You have followed the true purpose of redistricting - to ensure your political dominance while maintaining a façade of true popular representation. You have shown impeccable agility in cracking the Democratic voters of Salt Lake County, successfully preventing a Democratic candidate from winning in the state in the next 10 years. Additionally, your comments to the Utah public about how your maps represent the rural citizens of the state are a model for how to hide a political power grab and simultaneously play to your base. Overall, I encourage the legislature to resist the public criticism of this map in order to maintain your political dominance, and I have the utmost faith that you will do so. I wish you the best of luck. Party over people always, "Elbridge Gerry" (a Salt Lake County high schooler) P.S. Your obvious gerrymander is antithetical to the "Utah way" on which you have campaigned. Furthermore, your actions teach my generation to live by the model of "might makes right", a far cry from your party's claim to hold the moral high ground.
Camille Sorensen
Throw this map out and use the one drawn by the independent committee. This is basically the same map as the 2010 that voters specifically stated is not acceptable.
Tyrell Aagard
This map is terrible, not fair ton Utahns, and despite the public comments of the Chairs, it will disenfranchise rural areas at the expense of the Wasatch Front. This map all but ensures that all four Congressmembers come from the Wasatch Front. The map would mean St. George and Blanding are represented by someone from Salt Lake or Davis County, that the folks in Moab and Vernal are represented by someone from Provo, etc. The "pinwheel" cut up Salt Lake County into four pieces of an obvious and blatant gerrymander designed solely to ensure that this county of 1.2 million people doesn't get a voice. This map makes it clear that the Chairs are more concerned that 1 of 435 members of the US House isn't a Democrat, at the expense of ensuring proper representation of Utahns and our needs and desires. Further, the fact that this map was drawn behind closed doors with no public input whatsoever, makes it quite plain that the horse and pony show the Legislative Committee has carried out is nothing more than a sham. You are spitting in the face of Utahns with this proposal, and worse, you know this and you don't care.
Lee J Whiting
The voters spoke in 2018 to establish more fair, deliberate and balanced re-districting. Use the maps provided by the Independent Redistricting Commission! I live near the 3900 S. corridor between Millcreek and Holladay. It is laughable that there are 3 districts within 1/2 mile of my home. That is a travesty! My neighbors in Millcreek and Salt Lake City have far more in common with my interests ( Clean air, water, transportation, public services, development, school districts...) you will never persuade me that having 4 Urban/Rural US Representatives balances any of that out. How unfair. No matter how much lipstick you put on this map it is still a pig.
Tavin Forsythe-Barker
I echo many of the comments that have already been made about this map. It shows a blatant disregard for the wishes of Utah voters that we so clearly expressed when we passed the ballot referendum in 2018 creating the independent redistricting commission. It quiet frankly feels like a slap to the face of the public. instead of trying to create an equitable map, the Legislature has chosen to dilute and disenfranchise the voices of those that live in Salt Lake County, the most populous county and one of the most diverse in the State. The legislature claims to serve the people, but this map clearly shows that they have no interest in doing so. I'd ask that Legislature to please accept one of the more trusted maps that the Independent Commission put forward, but why bother, you wouldn't listen anyway.
Matthew Blank
This map disregards updating maps for new population growth and communities and serves to protect incumbents and dilute urban voices. Please implement a map from the independent redistricting committee instead.
jacob bolewski
As a member of the majority of Utahans that voted for Prop 4, this map is disappointing, frustrating but unfortunately not surprising. Yet another example of increasing polarization and American democracy in decline. We have many successful systems in our government that are technocratic but overseen by elected representatives. The voters asked for this arrangement. Please consider the independent commissions maps which score better on nearly every algorithmic fairness / compactness metric.
Keith Phinney
It is disappointing (and, alas, somewhat to be expected) to see the party in power in the legislature disregard the maps of the independent redistricting committee. Splitting SL County into 4 districts is gerrymandering and the "we need representatives who represent both urban and rural Utah" explanation is simply putting a "spin" on that. I continue to come to the conclusion that those in government ARE the problem and we should have more decisions made by a jury like selection process of random citizens. Keeping cities and counties together should be a non negotiable in the redistricting process.
Fiona Van Leeuwen
This is not a fair map. Splitting up the highly populated Salt Lake County makes this blatant gerrymandering. Salt Lake deserves a collective voice in congress.
Aaron Hansen
There is zero reason to have my area in the same district as SLC. This is a blatant attempt to overrule the people of Utah. According to Rex Shipp a majority of 50.3% means that it is not a majority and should be ignored. That shows true contempt for the citizens of Utah. All parties in Utah voted for the legislature tp be out of the process because we knew that the legislature would ignore the will of the people and act like a dictatorship. I have attached a map of where the districts come together that shows that the entire point is to dilute the Democratic vote. The pin drop is St. Mark's Hospital
Nicole Hays
This map is blatant gerrymandering & a disregard of what the citizens of Utah want. We voted for an independent redistricting that listened to our concerns. This map is the opposite of what the people of Utah have asked for.
Steve Hiatt
My Utah House District is in two Congressional Districts. You split Salt Lake City right down Main Street! If I walk across the street, I am in a different District. I didn't expect the Legislature to draw up a competitive district. But I had at least hoped they would find a way to keep my city in one district. This is obviously a message from the Utah Legislature that they don't care about the will of the people. They want us all to know they are in charge.
Jim Butler
Unbelievable! My family all lives close together (5 minutes apart) in the Millcreek and Sugar House areas, but in this map, we would live in three different Congressional districts. This type of gerrymandering does not serve any Utah community of voters, but only a single political party.
Scott Talbot
This map splits up Davis County for no reason and groups Bountiful and Centerville with St George. That makes zero sense. Use one of the maps from the IRC.
Carolyn Martinez-Ross
It is patently absurd that my home would be located in one district, our zoned elementary school (to which we can easily walk) is in another, and my parents' home less than 10 minutes away by car would be represented by yet a third member of Congress. In no way do these divisions within Salt Lake County reflect anything but a deep and abiding desire by Utah's GOP to disenfranchise voters in more liberal neighborhoods, regardless of the actual needs of these constituents for representation that will understand and advocate for our unique urban and suburban needs.
Ernest Anthony Perkins
This map is blatantly gerrymandered and an affront to the people of Utah who voted for non-partisan maps. Choosing this map would show the legislature's contempt for their constituents and desire to maintain power at all costs. Reject this map and put forward one of the ones from the Independent Commission instead. All of them are massive improvements over this abomination.
Andrew Rodriguez
The congressional maps presented by the legislature committee appear to be the worst option for our state. Even though I’m a registered republican, I think it would totally be fair to allow one guaranteed spot for Democrats in Utah in the United States House of Representatives, especially given that one third of the state are democrats. I think it would be wildly absurd to deny them their representation. (Plus wasn’t this country built on the policy of “no taxation without representation?”) I think it would be our constitutional duty to ensure the democrats in our state have their representation. I know we’d gain a lot more from the diversity in this state as opposed to the blatant gerrymandering being done in this state. The committee also stated that they tried to make them according to the will of the people, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. The people voted for the independent redistricting committee and to not even use one of their maps for a proposed map seems to completely ignore the will of the people. It also seems completely unjust to divide Salt Lake county in FOUR different Congressional districts. If I were to live at 3900 S 900 E I’d be in the same district as St. George & Moab, my neighbor directly across the street would be in the same district as Manti, the neighbor directly across from them would be with Vernal, and the house a couple blocks down would be with Logan. With that said, that seems completely illogical and unethical.
Jackson lewis
This map is disgraceful. Salt lake county should have its own seat to elect who the majority of the county wants to represent it. St George, Carbon County, Provo, Davis County, and all the other places you’ve packed into all the salt lake county seats should not pick our representative. Everybody gets screwed with this map.
Paul Ward
This map is an embarrassment and a blatant example of legislators electing their constituents. I can walk through each of the four districts within 10 minutes of leaving my front door--how does that keep communities of interest together, and to suggest someone in Millcreek has commonly shared interests with someone in Delta is preposterous. This, and your raw, naked, disregard for the will of the voters in creating the Independent commission, again shows the true colors of the GOP. Shame on you!
Joshua Fairbanks
In principle the Independent Commission was the ideal redistricting process. Though imperfect, the congressional maps proposed but the Independent Commission are among the best thought-out, fair, and representative ones suggested for the next 10 years. Urban Utah is already overwhelmingly underrepresented on both the state and federal level. It's disappointing to see the majority party in the legislature embrace a map which so brazenly wrestles partisan advantage to eliminate the voice and needs of the areas where most Utahns live. Even given Rob Bishop's publicity stunt to smear the independent commission, it remains a vital tool that Utah must employ. It's disappointing to see the legislature ignore it. I will push for independent commissions for redistricting to be employed in any state I live in because I believe that the voice of people matters.
ERIC SIG ROBERT OLSEN
This map is designed to silence the voters.
Natalie Athalye
I, like many of the users here, expected these maps to be biased. I expected too little, they are biased in a way that invalidates all of the defenses one might have for them. communities of interest? What do Brigham City residents and North Salt Lake residents share in interest? What do People from Holden and Folks from Millcreek want in the common interest? Urban and rural divides? Well, the redistricting commission put forth several maps that considered that, and they were ignored. Partisan bias? Well, these maps are so clearly on one side it isn't even funny. It is a sad state of government that our politicians are doing this and a sadder state yet where they are going to get away with it.
Eric Perry
This is clearly gerrymandered. The people voted for an independent commission. Use the IRC maps
Zak Peters
I wish I could say I didn't expect this... This new map is even more blatant than the last attempt at gerrymandering. Now we have Salt Lake County portioned between 4 districts instead of 3. To be fair, the last district map did allow democrats a semblance of representation in district 4, so the republicans really had to step it up this time.
Jaimie Caldwell
The Utah Republican Super Majority again show that they cannot get past themselves. Dividing up the democratic enclave proves that Gerrymandering is at the top of their agenda. Too bad that you do not feel beholden to represent the people who vote for you in a fair and unbiased manner. Some day the shoe will be on the other foot and you will cry fowl but you yourselves have set this precedent.
Josh Christensen
Saying this map represents "the interests of all Utahns" is incredibly disingenuous. The statement released with this map seems to claim that both urban and rural voters are represented, but if that's the case, why is every single district a mixture of Salt Lake County and rural Utah? The maps consistently group voters with vastly different legislative priorities. The interests of those in urban SLC are obviously different from those in rural Utah, so why are the represented by the same person? Every single rural Utahn will have a representative that's nominally obligated to also represent citizens of Salt Lake County. Is that what rural Utahns want? Is that what citizens of Salt Lake County want? Utahns voted for an independent redistricting commission. Nearly every map produced by the IRC more appropriately groups voters with common interests. Use them.
NANCI WISSLER
Politicians choosing their constituents. I can walk to all four districts from my home in less than 10 minutes. Leave Salt Lake County alone and divvy up Utah and Davis counties. That will still give you 3 out of 4 representatives and give others and actual voice.
Jeff Johnson
Embarrassing! Blatant Gerrymandering! Redistricting is supposed to keep communities together but the pizza-pie shaped carving up of SL County is the exact opposite of keeping communities together - and clearly only has one purpose (to divide and dilute non-republican voters) Did the Utah Legislature even consider for a split-second the maps prepared by the Independent Redistricting Commission? Apparently not.
Noah Syroid
This proposed map is hopelessly gerrymandered, especially where I live (my community will be represented by 4 different congress members? How would that work, how would it be remotely possible represent the interests of the community? ). It is partisan, anti-democratic and will not represent Utah's needs. It will leverage the voice of special interests above all other voices. In summary this map is perfectly designed for politicians to pick their voters. VOTERS SHOULD PICK THEIR POLITICIANS. Please follow the recommendations of the Independent Redistricting Commission. As per the commission: "all maps were drawn in a transparent process that the public could view. All draft maps were made available for public comment, with commissioners working diligently to make suggested changes. Finally, no partisan data or incumbent data was used or at all available. The maps have scored all A’s on political neutrality on Princeton Gerrymandering’s website."
Tyler Waterhouse
We just spend a few million dollars on an independent redistricting committee to draw maps. The voters asked for that. We did not ask for you to completely ignore their recommendations. What do Vernal and Sandy have in common? The interests of those two areas could not be more different. This idea that each congressional district should represent people from all aspects of the state is Republican speak for gerrymandering. The Wasatch Front, specifically, the Salt Lake Valley should not be split in 4 districts. The interests of those in the most urban area of the state should be heard not split across 4 districts. What a load of partisan crap this is. Do your jobs and represent the people not yourselves!
Disgusted Voter
Is anyone surprised, though?
Thomas G. McNeill
Proposition 4 was passed by the people to set up the independent redistricting commission to prevent blatant gerrymandering such as this. Counties and cities should be kept together as much as possible so that their interests can be properly represented. There is no justification for creating districts in this manner other than the political advantage of the dominant party.
Marcus Cazier
This is not representation, this is gerrymandering. Our state and nation are stronger when we work together, and weaker when we marginalize people we may not agree with.
George Hogelin
If you can't dazzle them with brillance, baffle them with BS! Rural vs urban? Then carve up Davis and Utah county also!!!!!!!
Carina Alleman
This map is terrible. There is no reason why all reps need to represent both rural and urban Utah. No reason to split SL County into all four districts. No reason to put Provo with Vernal and Park City. No reason--expect to ensure there is always a Republican majority in each district that will suppress the voice of the non-R voters. Rural Utah is not what supplies urban Utah with its water and energy. This would be laughable if it weren't so blatantly obvious that it's only to keep the current people in power and suppress the progressive voters in our state. Don't do this.
Matt Adolphson
Disgusting. To divide Salt Lake County into 4 separate districts flies in the face of every principle of fairness the Independent Re-districting Committee outlined in the effort to take partisan / politically driven motives out of the re-districting process. Let's not pretend this is designed to do anything other than dilute the voice of Utah's largest, non-republican voting block. Shameful.
Mike Leany
I expected to see gerrymandering, especially after former Rep. Bishop's silly outburst, but this is beyond ridiculous. Can someone please explain to me how the interests of those of us in Logan relate to the interests of those living in downtown Salt Lake City? As a Republican who lives in a more rural part of the state, I have the same complaint as those living in Salt Lake. Please do not dilute our vote by splitting us up between all four districts! I'm far more interested in having everybody fairly represented than I am in electing more people from my own party (which, I might add, has done a pretty poor job over the last several years).
Adam Nelson
This is so obvious!! This is the definition of gerrymandering. Slicing up the democratic center of salt lake city into 4 pieces. Shame on you! I'm sick and tired of this partisan politics garbage. Let the people be represented fairly. We choose our representatives, the representatives don't choose their voters!!
Paul Cox
This map is an obvious gerrymander and power grab. I does not represent communities and will silence the vote and voice from anyone living in the Salt Lake Valley. The divisions make no sense from any lens other than trying to maintain power for current seat holders. This map is for the politicians not the people. Ignoring the UIRC is absurdly un-democratic and un-American. Please let go of your egos and let the peoples voice be heard. UIRC was passed through direct ballot initiative, it is what the people want.
Kendell Fowler
Splitting SL county into all 4 districts is blatent gerrymandering and a travesty to democracy - this map should be thrown out of consideration
Justin Giles
Sadly this is once again extremely gerrymandered in favor of one party. Splitting Salt Lake County four different ways, right on the east side of the valley containing the majority of the Democrat voter base, is just sad and disheartening (which is exactly what the republican party wants). Continuing to disenfranchise any voter base that doesn't vote for your party, nationwide and locally. It's too bad when a people pass a bill, Prop 4, only for the super majority to go behind the peoples back and gut the bill so that your party maintains absolute power in the state.
Derik Flanary
This is a blatant disregard for the established standards of redistricting. This map is just embarrassing to our state.
Sarah Duensing
The UT Legislature has a long history of blatantly disregarding ballot initiatives, and ignoring the desire for an independent redistricting is on brand. This is an EXTREMELY partisan attempt to keep Republicans in power and silence Utahans. Their reasoning for drawing the map this way doesn't even make sense. First, Sen. Scott Sandall said that the map represents both urban and rural interests, when it only represents rural interest. Utah's population is 90.6% urban, making us the 9th more urban state in the U.S. If anything, three of the four districts should be completely urban to represent the population, but the legislature refuses to even give us one. Second, Sen. Sandall claims that rural Utah "is the reason there is food, water and energy in urban areas of the state." This is also false. Utah's main crop is hay, which humans do not eat, and a large amount of that hay is exported out of the state and even out of the country. Additionally, he claims that our water comes from rural Utah as well which is simply not true. Most of Utah's water comes from precipitation, rain and snowfall in the mountains I can see out of my URBAN window in Sandy. The other two main water sources are the Great Basin and Upper Colorado watersheds, and that is not our water either, we share these watersheds with other states like Wyoming, Colorado, and Nevada. To claim that urban Utahans only have water because of rural areas is a huge stretch. Just say that you have power and you're willing to cheat to keep it. This is not okay and the people who drew this map should resign in disgrace.
Kirk Earl
The Utah Legislature clearly doesn't understand what "communities of interest" are. Rural Utahns will be completely ignored under this map as they continue to be represented exclusively by congressmen living on the Wasatch Front, and Salt Lake County will have no one in congress to represent its priorities. It would be far more coherent to have one rural district, two suburban districts, and one urban district. It is obvious that this map was drawn exclusively for partisan purposes, and I would at least respect the legislators more if they admitted to what they were doing.
Brandon Bean
This map is laughable. I attended both your meetings and the independent commission's meetings. I've urged you to adopt their map and can tell from this map you didn't listen to the people. This will make it harder for the people in Utah to feel represented (both rural and urban Utah). Please reconsider before presenting this map. The people who spoke in 2018 wanted independently drawn maps for this very reason. It is clear that you have a conflict of interest and are not interested in giving the people of Utah a voice.
William Shiflett
This is a terrible map. The maps proposed by the independent redistricting committee were not great but light years ahead of this proposal. The Legislature is determined to dilute Salt Lake City the the detriment of the rest of Salt Lake County residents and communities in other parts of our state. This proposal is just ridiculous and proof that our Legislators just don't care about being fair. Instead of governing and representation they simply want to retain control and power over all districts in Utah.
Susan Atkin
Besides equal populations, on every other account, THIS MAP FAILS! Proposition 4 was designed to establish standards for the redistricting process in the following order of priority: (a) adhering to federal law and achieving equal population between districts; FAIL (b) minimizing divisions of municipalities and counties across multiple districts; FAIL (c) making districts geographically compact; FAIL (d) making districts that are contiguous and allow for ease of transport throughout the district; FAIL (e) preserving traditional neighborhoods and local communities of interest; FAIL (f) following natural and geographic boundaries, barriers, and features; and (g) maximizing the agreement of boundaries between different types of districts
Pat Renfranz
This map proposal fully violates the will of Utah voters. It is blatant gerrymandering. The Independent Redistricting Commission, which was established by popular vote and which comprises diverse political viewpoints, proposed multiple maps. There was sincere and large amount of public input on those maps. This one countermands the voters of Utah by denying the fair nature of those maps altogether. How convenient for the ruling party of Utah to divide urban Salt Lake County, where I live, into multiple federal congressional districts. Appalling and shameful. It makes me sick.
Benjamin Wood
This is the textbook definition of gerrymandering, it goes beyond my most pessimistic expectations for this committee. Shame on you.
Lee Brinton
This is soooo cynical. A daring move to disregard the clearly expressed wishes of the majority of Utahns through a hours and hours of open hearings across the state conducted by minded people trying to do what is right for the most people. This isn't fair! You know this is wrong.
Emily Johnson
Rep. Ray's proposed maps are an outrage. Disingenuously ignoring the recommendations of the Independent Committee and carefully calculated to silence so many Utah voices. Every opportunity for public comment on this process identified this kind of outcome as unacceptable.
Emerson Fry
This is blatant Gerrymandering and needs to stop. A district that splits up Murray but includes Levan is ridiculous.
Maria Kiguthi
To disenfranchise a county by splitting it up is NOT the way to win over voters. If you are truly concerned about rural residents getting a voice then you shouldn't lump them in with the urban areas. This causes the Congress person to have to divide attention between the issues for rural residents and urban residents resulting in no one getting representation. Stop the gerrymandering.
Patrick Dylan Zwick
This is a shameful gerrymander that blatantly disregards what a majority voted for with the independent commission. Our legislature doesn't care about the people of Utah, they care about their own corrupt power.
Scott Holmstrom
This is shameful and ignores the will of the voters and the independent redistricting committee. Even ignoring the blatant politicking here, communities should not be split up like this. I will have colleagues at my workplace from literally 4 different congressional districts despite all of us living within 15 miles of each other in the same urban area. This makes no sense at all except as a means to dilute potential democratic votes.
Dustin Garner
Salt Lake City cannot be split up in this way. This is exactly what you were asked not to do through every public input available. NO.
Dustin Garner
Absolutely shameless gerrymandering and blatant disregard for the will of the people of Utah. Mr. Sandal and Mr. Ray, you have failed, despite being given every opportunity to do right by your state. This map must be dismissed as a partisan sham. I've seen so many well-researched maps created with transparency and actual interest in public input. This is spitting in the face of Utah voters. Shame on you.
Jacob Gates
I believe this map unfairly represents Utah as a whole. This looks like a classically "Cracked" gerrymandered map that seeks to keep seats safely under control and not representative of Utahns. I think this is a disgrace to the redistricting committee.
Daniel C Friend
There is no description for this map other than the most shameless partisan gerrymander in the history of Utah. This map is everything the people of Utah told you NOT to do. How dare you disregard their will? This is how republics fail. The congressional delegation of each state should be REPRESENTATIVE of the population of that state. This map is not. It silences a third of Utah voters. And on a side note, what did poor Springville to do deserve this horribly tortured line? A reasonable boundary is far more important than a 0 population deviation.
Mikkel Davis
This is a pretty terrible design. The only thing I see is anti-democracy. What better way to gain power than to divide the people. Do your job. Give us actual representation. Thanks.
Stuart Hepworth
There is no justification for this atrocity of a map other than the grotesque "might makes right" politics I called out on October 19th. Senator Sandall seemed to be offended by my comments there that the legislature might continue our state's disgusting tradition of gerrymandering the minority party out of any representation. I knew why he was offended then and this map only confirms it: he didn't like being called out for what he was about to do. Sandall and Ray's statement about this map said that it was adopted for the purpose of putting urban and rural areas together. Hogwash. The map of mine the independent commission sent in did that, and did that better than this map does. It also did that while splitting fewer counties and half as many cities. Why then did the committee go with this map? Because my map would have meant that 35% of voters would have gotten 25% of the seats, and this map means that 0% of them do. This map has an efficiency gap of 27.94% in favor of the GOP. I've drawn hundreds of maps in my free time across all 50 states in the past year, and never have I seen an efficiency gap that high. This map was drawn with surgical precision to deny Utah democrats a voice in Washington. That was its sole purpose. Every member of the legislature who drafted this monstrosity and any member who votes for it must be voted out of office.
Jason Petersen
I would consider myself someone who would like to see less divide and more fairness in politics. This map accomplishes neither of those things. I hope we don’t adopt this. It doesn’t represent anyone well.
Steven Lakeland
From what I see here this map is really partisan driven. The Governor, legislature, and others always talk about the Utah way when it comes to politics. The approach this map seems to take is a very toxic partisan, and divisive approach. It divides communities far more than necessary and does not accurately or adequately represent the citizens of the state in a way that is anywhere near fair. These boundaries cannot be considered fair. I would ask that something more in line with what the Independent commission submitted be adopted. This isn’t the Utah way. This is the clearly partisan political way. Thank you for your time and consideration in my comment. Let’s do better than this map.
Alex Nelson
This will not represent Utahns and will not be accurate depiction of what Utahns want. This is going against the voters and is only being done so that one party can have total control. This is not cool and the worst.
Ryan King
Redistricting committee! I am a moderate GOP voter that resides in Utah County and I find this map to be what many would consider a gerrymander. I am so sick and tired of the partisan bickering at the national level and one of the big contributing factors to that is the idea of "safe" districts for one party. I want to see more districts that don't simply split up cities and communities in order to draw maps that favor one political party. In this case it is the party that I support, but regardless I do not want to see gerrymandered maps that favor the GOP. In no sane world should SLC be split up into 4 sections. Also, the voters wanted an independent redistricting committee. The legislature overruled the will of the people. Let's not get drunk on power and instead draw maps that are fair and balanced.
David Keaton
This is a map that truly puts into perspective just how unrepresentative the legislature is of its citizens. There is no reason outside of partisan politics that Salt Lake County should be divided into 4. Throw this map in the trash.
Stacy Baily
This map serves no one well. Draw and adopt maps that serve our citizens and not your partisan gerrymandering wars. This is a terrible map. The maps from the commission better represent the citizens and I hope this disgraceful display of self serving politicians agendas is not actually considered.
Geoff Allen
I thought the previous map, that split Salt Lake County into 3 districts, was rough. But this map is somehow worse. It is fundamentally undemocratic to, for blatantly partisan reasons, split the population of the largest metro area in the state into four districts. I live in South Salt Lake, and my district under this proposal would encompass St George, Cedar City, and Monticello. No other county in the state is divided more than twice. No other metro area is divided more than twice. So why is Salt Lake divided in this way? There are other, substantially better options - including any of the 3 proposed by the UIRC. You know, the organization approved by popular referendum to make proposals?
Jake Tyler
Why is Salt Lake County divided into all four districts? Why is my city divided in half into two different districts? My congressional district under this plan would include most of Utah County's population, which has very different needs than the needs of those living in the fraction of Salt Lake County where I live and I worry my voice will not get heard by my representative.
Benjamin Greene
I understand the desire to have an urban/rural mix of representation in each district, but let me be frank - this map is a disgrace. The current congressional map splits Salt Lake County between three districts and yet here it's divided into all four for no reason. Additionally, you split Salt Lake City itself which is nonsensical and unnecessary. The great people of Utah wanted an independent commission to draw their maps to prevent things like this from happening. However, it has been so obvious that the end goal here was to completely ignore the commission and scam Utahns out of fair representation. If you want to draw a better map that achieves the goal of urban/rural mixed representation, then look at public submission SH2. It only splits Salt Lake County once, while achieving mixed representation.
Cameron Carter
This map unfairly divides Murray (my city) into 2 districts. Further, there is no reason Salt Lake County should be divided into 4 pieces. This is a blatantly gerrymander and disregards hundreds of thousands of voters who want independent, fair maps. Please use the IRC maps.
Salar Ahmed
Saying this map is fair is like saying oil mixes with water. This map would be an insult to Utahns and the promises you made to them. Shame on any lawmaker that supports this map!
Charles Bonkowsky
This proposed map splits Salt Lake City down the middle. I would be in a different Congressional district than my neighbors one block over. Splitting the city into two districts, and the county into four districts, is absolutely unacceptable for ensuring proper representation at the federal level. The maps created by the independent comission do a much better job at keeping communities together.
Michael Witting
The voters asked for nonpartisan redistricting. This is a blatant gerrymander with SL County divided between all four districts. Please use the IRC maps.