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Utah House approves resolution asking Census Bureau to review counting that cost state a congressional seat
Summary
The Utah House passed HCR 1, a concurrent resolution asking the Census Bureau and Commerce Department to review counting methods after the state lost a congressional seat; sponsor said roughly 857 additional residents would have secured an extra seat.
The Utah House on the floor approved HCR 1 on a 71–0 vote, sending a concurrent resolution to the Senate that asks the United States Census Bureau and the Commerce secretary to review counting rules after the last census cost Utah an additional congressional seat. Representative Stevens, the sponsor, said the state narrowly missed a seat and wants federal officials to consider counting certain Utah residents who were temporarily abroad.
Stevens said the state lost “that seat to North Carolina” and told colleagues that “857 more individuals would be all that we needed” to secure the extra seat. The resolution directs the House to send a formal statement of Utah’s case to the Census Bureau director, the chief redistricting data officer and the secretary of commerce.
Representative Becker asked whether the Census Bureau had already adopted the changes the resolution seeks. Stevens replied that the Bureau has been testing models to count some resident statuses but had not approved any changes and that state staff have communicated with the Bureau and provided information the agency said would be helpful in making its case.
Supporters said the resolution aims to prevent a repeat of the last reapportionment outcome by encouraging federal review and clearer guidance ahead of the next decennial census. The House waived summation and approved the resolution unanimously; the measure will be transmitted to the Senate for its consideration.
