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Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments on Congressional Districts

It’s a high-stakes day at the Pennsylvania Supreme Court as lawyers make their cases for the justices to pick their clients’ preferred congressional map.

The justices will hear from 13 different parties representing both sides of the aisle in a case that will have a huge impact on political control in Washington.

The court, which has a 5-2 Democratic majority, will make the final call on how to draw the state’s congressional districts. Patricia McCullough, special master and a Commonwealth Court Judge, recommended a map that gave extra deference to the map devised by state Republican lawmakers. She wrote that she chose the map, in part, because it passed the Legislature.

Governor Tom Wolf had previously vetoed the map after it advanced with no Democratic support.

“To adopt the Legislature’s proposed map on this basis would effect a judicial override of the Governor’s veto, in violation of the separation-of-powers doctrine,” wrote one group of voters.

FiveThirtyEight, a website that has a focus on opinion poll analysis and politics, projects that the proposed map keeps nine Republican-leaning districts, shrinks Democratic-leaning districts from six to five and keeps three toss-up districts.

While considering the arguments and making its determination, the Supreme Court could delay the primary election slated for May 17.

Parties Represented

  • Senator Jay Costa
  • Guy Reschenthaler, et al.
  • Carol Ann Carter, et al.
  • Leigh Chapman, et al.
  • Tom Wolf
  • Philip T. Gressman, et al.
  • Joanna McClinton
  • Citizen-Voters
  • Draw the Lines PA
  • Khalif Ali, et al.
  • Senate Republican Intervenors
  • Bryan Cutler, et al.
  • Voters of the Commonwealth of PA

There will be no time limits established for each argument, but counsel for parties may anticipate the duration of each argument being roughly fifteen minutes, including brief remarks in the nature of an introduction and conclusion.

Schedule

5 Responses

  1. Love how this new site ALWAYS manages to make suggestions that paint conservative ideas in a negative light. It’s not ‘high stakes’ if you just look at the fact that the Dictator Wolf and the Communist Democrats continue to roadblock what is right for the people. Try journalism sometime.

    1. Awww.. Butthurt minority republican says What?
      You just can’t imagine that a White Minority Party will not get extra votes in Congress. Too bad! Suck it up, Buttercup! White Rule is OVER.

        1. The Republican Party is not a “conservative.” It is an autocratic, right-wing, reactionary, regressive, Trump worshiping cult. It stands for white supremacy, rich, white straight males only. One party, one branch rule with a President for life. with no taxes, rules or regulations. That is not “conservative.” That is not a democracy. The party with “no legislative agenda for the rest of the 117th Congress, except obstructing Biden and the Democratic Agenda. Tha’t not governing. that’s not compromising. That is OBSTRUCTISM! That is not “conservative.”

  2. The approach to Congressional Redistricting by PA Republicans makes no sense. The solution is easy. Everyone nominate 2 members to a panel and a neutral third party breaks the tie.

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