The results are in, and it is clear our readers are hungry for change in the reapportionment process.
A vast majority, 82% of the 806 votes cast in the poll called for the process to be tied to the Congressional redistricting by a citizen panel. 12% of votes wanted the system to remain the same
What is the better way to redraw Pennsylvania’s state Senate and House districts?
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6 Responses
Times be a changin’
Fair Districts PA (www.fairdistrictspa.com), a nonpartisan statewide coalition of individuals and organizations working to ensure fair districts and fair elections, is seeing a tremendous increase in suport for its grassroots movement. Informational events are drawing overflow crowds around the state. Free and fair elections are the foundation of our democracy. Unless the redistricting power is assigned to an independent citizens commision, partisan politicians will continue picking their voters instead of voters picking their politicians.
The next census results will determine whether we lose one or two Congressional seats, and how much Democrats might want to challenge the Republican-dominated legislature’s reapportionment. Nevertheless, 2020 and beyond are still a world away in politics, and likely a very different one as well.
For PA state Senate and House seats, we’ll have to see how much change members of our legislature want in their lives. What is most likely is that they will prefer the option to keep the current districts as they are, with necessary adjustments for population changes per census results, all done in the rich political climate of Harrisburg. Redrawn districts, whether by computer or citizen panel, would threaten too many sitting members of both houses.
For anyone interested, a Google search will come up with some computer redraws of PA state Senate and House boundaries. Whether existing civil divisions are respected or not in the algorithms used, practically everyone stands to have a very different district than the one they have now.
Except Dems control the court after 2015.
elections have consequences snowflakes. You lost the court you lost the map.
Let’s see how fast the GOP PA Legislature moves….to drag its feet, no matter the overwhelming public sentiment for change.