just absolutely mind blowing and it should concern the public.

- [Kelton] A somewhat defiant Utah Legislature selected new congressional boundaries during a special session this week.

Some lawmakers were openly frustrated with the process that brought them together, all part of a lawsuit over the state's old congressional maps.

- [Schultz] And this is something that all citizens should be concerned about, because the voice was taken away from their elected officials through a court, through a judge who is unelected.

- [Kelton] I'm PBS Utah's Kelton Wells, and here's a little background about how we got here.

[Music] - [Kelton] In 2018, Utah voters passed the Prop 4 ballot initiative, establishing an Independent Redistricting Commission and setting guidelines for drawing congressiona and state legislative districts.

But the state legislature replaced prop four with substitute legislation.

That then led to a lawsuit from several groups.

Earlier this year, Judg Diana Gibson reinstated Prop 4.

As part of her ruling, Gibson required the Legislature to craft new boundaries.

She also established a tight timeline so the maps could be used fo next year's midterm elections.

The Utah Redistricting Committee had put forward five maps of those options.

Lawmakers selected Map C - that map will now be submitted to the court.

Plaintiffs in the lawsuit also have the opportunity to submit their own proposed boundaries.

- [Katharine] The most disappointing thing about thi is that they continue to whine that they haven't had enough time, that the courts have been so bad to them instead of just sucking it up - I'm sorry - and actually doing what the people of Utah want.

- [Kelton Republicans in the Legislature believe Map C fits all the criteria outlined in Prop 4.

- [Sandall I do believe that the committee did their work.

I think the Legislatur passed a map that is compliant with what the judge asked.

- [Kelton] But Democrats believe the map dilutes the votes of their party and is unfair.

- [Owens] None of the five maps that the expert retained by the committe showed a competitive district.

- [Kelton As part of the special session, lawmakers actually approved a companion bill that outlines three tests the state can use to evaluat the fairness of political maps.

- [Pierucci] I think it's important to have an objective standard to look at and evaluate maps, because if not, we're always going to be ping-ponging in the courts.

- [Kelton] But opponents claim the tests don't fairly evaluate Utah's boundaries.

- [Escamilla] The best available data and scientific and statistical methods were not applied on this map that just passed.

I mean, that is kind of the core problem from the beginning.

- [Kelton] Ultimately, Judge Gibson will make the final decision on a map.

Republican lawmakers vowed to keep fighting the lawsuit all the way to the U.S.

Supreme Court if necessary.

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