After a pandemic-related delay, the Census Bureau finally released the data Utah lawmakers will use to redraw the state’s political boundaries in the once-a-decade redistricting process.
On this episode, we bring you an on-the-record conversation between The Salt Lake Tribune Editorial Board and Rep. Paul Ray, R-Clearfield and Sen. Scott Sandall, R-Tremonton, the chairs of the Legislature’s Redistricting Committee.
Ray says he’s eager to get down to business, but he understands no matter what the final maps look like, not everybody will be happy.
“Our job is to look at the data, put it together, and do what we feel is the best move for Utah. There’s always going to be a contingent of people that claim something is gerrymandered. There’s nothing we can do about that,” Ray says.
They discuss their approach to drawing the state’s new political maps, how the public can get involved, and whether Utah’s districts are drawn to favor Republicans over Democrats.
