Rep. Burgess Owens, R-Utah, speaks during a panel discussion at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Florida, on Feb. 27, 2021. (Octavio Jones/Reuters)
The plaintiffs said the redistricting plan had "never been introduced, debated, or voted upon by a single member of the Utah House or Senate."
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"Map 1 was instead drafted by attorneys and expert witnesses for the League of Women Voters and Mormon Women for Ethical Government, private activist organizations that possess no lawmaking power under either the United States or Utah Constitutions," the lawsuit reads in part.
The plaintiffs are asking the court to convene a three-judge panel, invalidate "Map 1," and permanently block its implementation, a move that would prevent its use in the 2026 elections.
Flags fly at the Utah State Capitol in Salt Lake City on Jan. 18, 2026. (Sydney Schaefer/AP)
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"We filed this federal lawsuit not because it was easy but because it was necessary. We seek no special treatment. We ask only that the U.S. Constitution be followed, that the Legislature be allowed to fulfill its lawful role under the federal Constitution and that Utahns retain their right to choose representatives through a process that is legitimate and accountable," they added. "That is not radical. It is foundational. And it is worth defending."
Ashley Carnahan is a writer at Fox News Digital.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/two-house-republicans-sue-block-utah-congressional-map-favors-democrats