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House passes bill allowing lieutenant governor limited authority to resolve census–boundary conflicts
Summary
Senate Bill 3005, which gives the lieutenant governor narrow authority to resolve cases where census block lines conflict with county or city boundaries for district assignment, was read under suspension and passed the House 69-0.
The Utah House on Oct. 17, 2011, passed Senate Bill 3,005, a narrowly drawn measure authorizing the lieutenant governor to make determinations where census block lines conflict with county or municipal boundaries so residents know which district they will vote in. The bill was read for first and second time under suspension of the rules and approved by a recorded vote of 69 yes, 0 no.
Sponsor explanation: On the floor, the sponsor explained the bill grew from a meeting with the lieutenant governor’s office and from staff efforts to identify instances where houses are split by census blocks in ways that do not match intended county or city lines. The sponsor described it as “very, very narrow” authority limited to resolving a small number of cases across multiple maps to reflect legislative intent about where houses lie for voting.
Vote and procedure: Voting on SB 3,005 was opened and later closed; the clerk reported the bill had received 69 yes votes and zero no votes and that it would be signed by the speaker and returned to the Senate for the President’s signature.
Next steps: The bill will be returned to the Senate for further action after the House’s recorded passage.
