SLCSPIN, The Senate Site, and others are discussing a recent proposal being bandied around to give Utah a 4th Congressional seat and Washington D.C. a voting seat in Congress. While this proposal would give Utah a seat quicker than waiting for another census, I think it is a big mistake to proceed.
Wannabe Alienated has laid out some very solid arguments against the bill. I think that we as Utahn's need to stand against this. It is folly to push for a nullified 4th seat by giving a seat to a territory (which is unconstitutional) especially when it is highly likely (almost a certainty) that Utah will attain a 4th seat in a few more years after the next census.
Monday, November 20, 2006
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Why do you assume it's unconstitutional? The legal analyses I've seen have persuaded me that it's constitutional, given Congress's plenary authority over the district and prior S.Ct. decisions upholding the definition of D.C. as a "state" for constitutional purposes. (As a Democrat, I don't want the bill to move ahead, but I'm trying to look at it objectively.)
Unconstitutional in that voting powers are granted to the states(not territories. It is bad for (conservative)Utah to take a deal that would bring in a (liberal) DC vote, when it highly likely that Utahs natural popualtion growth would give a seat to Utah without giving DC a vote.
I'll admit I am not familiar with the SCOTUS decisions you are refering to and unconstitutional may have been a little much if what you are referring to is correct.
Nonetheless I think Utah would be better served waiting it out.
Apologies for the typos, I was typing with a baby in my arms.
Please share the legal analysis you have read. One random thought I had, if your right (about the constutionality of giving DC a vote) than should voting powers be given to other territories like Guam and so forth.
Dear Pramahaphil, Thanks for joining in the effort to stop this from going through. I really appreciate it.
Think about it further. Will DC want voting representation in the Senate then too? Will Guam, American Samoa, the US Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico want the same rights then too? What if the territories vote Democratic? What then?
Or, weirder yet, what if the Democrats aborted all of their potential offspring, and there were only Republicans left to vote in the territories and inherit the Earth? What then? Oh, my, we better push now for more stem cell research to keep our precious Democrats alive for as long as possible.
Seriously, Weirder, my political concerns account for only a portion of my objections to this dangerous piece of legislation. If you have time, please do a little more reading on my blog. Rather than exchange "cute" jabs back and forth, I would rather have a substantive debate. Are you willing?
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