Technology made possible an informative presentation at the Vernal Chamber luncheon on Tuesday as members of the Legislative Redistricting Committee remotely joined the group of local business owners. Redistricting in Utah is the process of updating boundaries for congressional, legislative, and state school board districts and with Utah’s population growth booming in urban areas, rural communities are at risk of losing their voice. Committee Chairman Gordon Haight explained that the redistricting criteria considers many things, such as having an area that is geographically based and reasonably compact. Haight gave the example of having district lines that combine Duchesne County and Uintah County for a representative in the House because of the shared values and geography but that creativity will still be needed as greater population will be needed for a Senate district. “We want this to be the people’s map,” shared Haight, as he encouraged all to attend Friday’s public hearing at the Uintah Conference Center at 10am. Attendance will help demonstrate that rural voices matter and deserve representation.
