Payson–Dixon line or Payson–Dixie line is an unofficial political boundary sometimes referred to in Utah politics. It refers to the area south of Payson, Utah, down to St. George, Utah which carries the nickname of Utah's Dixie. It is a pun on the well known Mason–Dixon line, an unofficial delineation of where the American south begins.
Use and history
The origin of the term is unknown, but an early use appears in 1988 in St. George's newspaper, The Spectrum.[1] It was used regularly in 1993, with Utah State representative Met Johnson [R-UT-74][2] using the term in opinion pieces and other settings expressing his concern of the growing divide.[3] Its use throughout 1993 particularly surrounded a special legislative session held in St. George instead of Salt Lake, which cost Utah taxpayers. (The session was meant to be a one-time event, to focus on rural issues, and became a fairly regular tradition).[4]
Politics
It was used frequently in 2018 and 2019 by Utah (then Lt.) Governor Spencer Cox in keynotes,[5][6] tweets,[7][8] podcasts,[9][10] and other public situations to advocate for Southern Utah. Being from the area himself, he used it in the context of his then role as Lt. Governor, as well as his 2020 gubernatorial campaign, in which he used it throughout his tour of the 248 incorporated cities in Utah, especially those in the rural south. He continued use of the term as governor, as recently as his 2021 State of the State speech to argue for his budget proposal, saying "In Utah, it shouldn’t matter what side of I-15 you were born on – or in my case, on what side of the Payson–Dixon line you happen to live – every child in this state deserves a great education from a high-quality, well-compensated teacher."[11] Cox has continued using it to encourage representation of the second half of the state, including in Primary for Celeste Maloy[12]
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