Democracy Republican style
Applying Machiavelli's theory of politics, Utah Republican lawmakers figure the public is happy with the way they drew congressional and legislative boundaries five years ago.
That's based on the fact that the GOP still holds a 3-to-1 majority. Ergo, the public must like how conservative lawmakers gerrymandered their way into a more secure supermajority on Capitol Hill.
"Were there any lawsuits filed?," Lewiston Republican Rep. Craig Buttars asked during debate Monday of a redistricting reform bill sponsored by Rep. Roz McGee, D-Salt Lake City.
"Is there a problem in our state currently with the way that we're redistricting?" Draper Republican Rep. Greg Hughes chimed in, before Republicans killed the reform plan.
How easy it is to forget.
Five years ago, conservative lawmakers did their best to eliminate Democratic and moderate Republican lawmakers from the body, redrawing two Senate and two House districts to force minority lawmakers out. In their contortions, lawmakers even split a condominium complex in half. And their efforts to draw Democrats out of Utah's 2nd Congressional District drew jeers from the Wall Street Journal.
With tacit approval from Senate Democratic leadership, redrawn districts managed to force Democratic Sens. Ron Allen and Millie Peterson into a face-off. Peterson lost that battle. And Patrice Arent left the House, rather than challenge Holladay Democratic Rep. Pat Jones for her seat. In an unintended consequence, Arent defeated Holladay Republican Sen. Steve Poulton. (In a bit of brilliance, Senate Republicans irritated with Poulton decided to take their chances on that one.)
The spoils go to the victor, according to Hughes: "That is the ebb and flow of what we enjoy in a Democratic process."
That "we" would be Republicans.
--Rebecca Walsh
That's based on the fact that the GOP still holds a 3-to-1 majority. Ergo, the public must like how conservative lawmakers gerrymandered their way into a more secure supermajority on Capitol Hill.
"Were there any lawsuits filed?," Lewiston Republican Rep. Craig Buttars asked during debate Monday of a redistricting reform bill sponsored by Rep. Roz McGee, D-Salt Lake City.
"Is there a problem in our state currently with the way that we're redistricting?" Draper Republican Rep. Greg Hughes chimed in, before Republicans killed the reform plan.
How easy it is to forget.
Five years ago, conservative lawmakers did their best to eliminate Democratic and moderate Republican lawmakers from the body, redrawing two Senate and two House districts to force minority lawmakers out. In their contortions, lawmakers even split a condominium complex in half. And their efforts to draw Democrats out of Utah's 2nd Congressional District drew jeers from the Wall Street Journal.
With tacit approval from Senate Democratic leadership, redrawn districts managed to force Democratic Sens. Ron Allen and Millie Peterson into a face-off. Peterson lost that battle. And Patrice Arent left the House, rather than challenge Holladay Democratic Rep. Pat Jones for her seat. In an unintended consequence, Arent defeated Holladay Republican Sen. Steve Poulton. (In a bit of brilliance, Senate Republicans irritated with Poulton decided to take their chances on that one.)
The spoils go to the victor, according to Hughes: "That is the ebb and flow of what we enjoy in a Democratic process."
That "we" would be Republicans.
--Rebecca Walsh
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