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Opponents Take to Twitter over SB 22 Yea Vote

A proposed state constitutional amendment creating an independent commission to oversee redistricting passed the state Senate today by a vote of 33 to 16.

The bill, which has been in the works for more than a year, went through revisions as late as yesterday. Its final version included a controversial amendment from Sen. Ryan Aument (R-Lancaster) that, in addition to legislative districts, would create districts for the state’s Commonwealth, Superior and Supreme courts.

A subsequent vote to revert to an older version of the bill without the judicial districts failed by the same vote margin.

The bill now goes to the House for consideration, but not before opponents got the chance to air their grievances online:

 

From Sen. Jake Corman (R-Centre) opponent Ezra Nanes:

 

From Rep. Alexander Charlton (R-Delaware) opponent Jennifer O’Mara

 

From Sen. Jay Costa (D-Allegheny):

 

And the Pa. Senate Dems weighed in, too:

 

Republicans have defended the bill in its final form as measures that should be advanced at the same time. At a Tuesday press conference, Aument denied the judicial districts amendment was partisan. He said creating judicial districts, which would also be overseen by the same independent commission, would make voters feel more represented and give them a greater stake in elections.

Opponents, including Sen. Costa, described the new amendment as a hijacking of the original bill designed to retaliate against judges with whom state Republicans disagreed.

For her part, Sen. Lisa Boscola (D-Northampton), the bill’s prime sponsor, said the process required a lot of “give and take” but she is ultimately satisfied with the outcome. Should voters approve the measure, politicians will be out of the business of legislative boundaries, she said.

“It is truly a historic day for the chamber.  In most other states where redistricting reform took place it was through petition and referendum, something not available to the voters of Pennsylvania.  Today, we took steps to diminish our influence over the way in which we draw all our legislative district boundaries and turn it over to an independent commission,” she said.

 

4 Responses

  1. If the GOP wanted true judicial reform they would try and implement merit-based judges. This is nothing but a gimmick and retaliation for the PA Supreme Court’s decision. A shame, because the bill was originally good for the people of PA.

  2. Dontcha just love all the hysterical twittering? Quite a contrast to all the fawning left-wing approval of the Supreme Court’s intrusion into a constitutional process.

    1. Dishonest pigs!!!! Cowards, crooks, slime Republicans. Sneaking things into bills in the last minute. I can’t write what’s on my mind. They know they can’t win fairly.

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