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Utah House opens fifth special session, adopts redistricting principles and procedural rules
Summary
The Utah House convened a fifth special session in December 2006, adopted rules carried over from the 2006 general session, appointed committees to notify the senate and governor that the House was organized, and approved redistricting principles calling for four single-member congressional districts with population deviation within ±0.5 percent.
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah House of Representatives convened a fifth special session in December 2006 and quickly organized itself, adopting the same leadership and rules used during the 2006 general session and approving a set of redistricting principles for congressional maps.
Representative Alexander moved that "the House of Representatives continue with the same organization for the fifth special session of the 56th legislature as was constituted during the 2006 general session" with respect to the speakership and party leadership; the motion passed by voice vote, the Speaker announced.
The chief clerk read a gubernatorial proclamation from Governor John M. Huntsman Jr. calling the special session at the State Capitol Complex in Salt Lake City for December 2006 at 10:30 a.m. The proclamation named three purposes: "to reconsider redistricting Utah into 4 congressional districts based upon the February census," to consider amendments to statutes governing uniform fees on boats and recreational vehicles, and "to consider delaying the effective date of the 2006 general session Senate Bill 161, mechanics, lien, and payment amendments." The lieutenant governor subsequently certified the proclamations issued on 11/30/2006 and 12/01/2006.
On routine motions, the House approved maintaining the 2006 House and joint rules for the special session and continued the practice of reading only short titles of bills on the calendar unless a majority requests otherwise. Representative Lockhart also moved under suspension of the rules that "all House and Senate bills and resolutions considered during the 2006 fifth special session be considered read for the second time and placed on the third reading calendars for immediate consideration;" the motion passed by voice vote.
The Speaker appointed members to perform customary notifications: Representative Mike Noel, Representative Mark Walker and Representative Karen Morgan to "wait upon the senate," and Representative Dave Hogue, Representative John Mathis and Representative Lou Sherloft to "wait upon the governor." The Speaker announced the appointments on the floor.
Representative Dave Clark moved adoption of four redistricting principles to guide congressional map drawing. Clark said that districts should be "nearly equal as practicable with a deviation of no greater than a plus or minus 0.5 of a percent," that districts be single-member, that plans create four congressional districts, and that maps use the official population enumeration referenced in the session record. The Speaker ruled that the motion passed.
The House paused its business pending reports back from the committees sent to the Senate and the governor's office. A quorum was present with four excused members announced by the Speaker: Representative Brad Last, Representative Cheryl Allen, Representative Carrie Gibson and Representative Carol Spackman Moss.
The session record shows only procedural motions, appointments and the adoption of redistricting principles during the portion of proceedings captured here; no final votes on substantive bills were recorded in the provided transcript excerpt. The House remained in session awaiting follow-up from the Senate and executive offices.
