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The Governor’s Reform Commission released a statement and report with recommendations to improve the process of creating legislative district boundaries, completing the work described by Governor Wolf in an executive order last fall “to explore ways Pennsylvania could curb gerrymandering and make redistricting fairer and nonpartisan.”
In the final hours of the 2019 term, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5 to 4 that federal courts lack jurisdiction to decide political gerrymandering cases. That means the door to justice in federal courts is closed.
The Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs and Philadelphia City Council adopt resolutions to end gerrymandering in Pennsylvania through creation of independent citizens commission for legislative and congressional redistricting.
Our nonpartisan solution to end gerrymandering in PA by establishing an independent citizens redistricting commission resonates with voters of all political stripes.
Last week U.S. News & World Report released its third annual list of the best and worst states in America to live in, based on “thousands of data points to measure how well states are performing for their citizens.” Pennsylvania was ranked 41st: down from 30th in 2017 and 38th in 2018, far behind our neighboring states.
On April 3, Senate Bill 22 was reintroduced by Senators Boscola and Folmer and a bipartisan list of cosponsors. The bill includes amendments negotiated among legislators in the late spring of 2018, minus the Aument judicial region amendment.
House Bills 22 and 23, the Two Bills One Commission strategy supported by Fair Districts PA, have been introduced in the PA House. These bills will put a citizens redistricting commission in place in time for the 2021 redistricting. They provide for open hearings and public input, safeguard against partisan influence and fix both redistricting processes - legislative and congressional.
The Governor’s Redistricting Reform Commission has announced nine regional meetings to gather public feedback about the commonwealth’s redistricting process and ideas for a more fair, non-partisan process. The 15-member bipartisan commission was created by executive order in November 2018. David Thornburgh, president and CEO of Committee of Seventy, one of our endorsing organizations, is chair.
This article relates to the 2019 legislative session. For a summary of why procedural rules need to be fixed, click here.
On January 1 the PA House voted for a rules package without allowing time for discussion of proposed changes. Rep. Steve Samuelson offered a motion to postpone the vote to allow lawmakers time to read and assess the rules, but that proposal was quickly voted down.
The new year began with Swearing-In Day in our state capital.