Anti-Gerrymander Bill Clears Senate, Despite Hissy Fit by "Good" Government Groups

Those of us following along at home knows that time is of the essence for legislation to end the currently flawed system under which legislative and congressional districts are created. It has to clear both the Senate and House for two years in a row before it can go to the voters. Next year will be too late. FairDistrictPa, the League of Women Voters, Committee of Seventy and other good government groups should be ecstatic that the Senate voted yesterday to approve an anti-gerrymander bill that will call on an independent commission to set these boundaries. Instead, they are furious. They are taking their marbles and going home. In doing so, they have diminished themselves and betray a partisanship they tried to deny.

About two summers ago, on a hot Friday night inside a crowded Bethlehem church, I received an education concerning the fundamental threat to democracy posed by gerrymandering. Thanks to advances in technology, a system has arisen in Pennsylvania in which your legislators pick you, and not the other way around. The change proposed was the creation of an independent election commission, which would establish fair boundaries instead of an incumbent insurance program.

I am proud to say that the Gerrymander Slayers in the Pa Senate have been our own State Senators, Lisa Boscola and Mario Scavello. In the House, the driving force was Bethlehem's Steve Samuelson.

Partisan Republicans were afraid of this reform. Backbenchers Marcia Hahn, Joe Emrick, Ryan MacKenzie and Zach Mako put on their blinders and ran from reform, while GOP apparatchiks adopted the short-sighted view that they could use this to water down Democratic votes.

That thinking changed when a Democratic Supreme Court struck down the unconstitutional gerrymander, and imposed a congressional map of their own when state Republicans refused to act. A light bulb went off in the small minds of at least some of these partisans, who realized they had gone too far and given a Democratic Supreme Court just the excuse it needed to negate decades of gerrymandering.

Worried that Democrats could do what they've been doing, they suddenly developed an interest in correcting a flawed redistricting process.

A Senate Committee decided to endorse the gerrymander bill after watering it down a little. Then on Tuesday, State Sen. Ryan Aument added a new wrinkle - the creation of judicial districts for the election of appellate judges. You'd think the sky has fallen. All the supposed good government groups withdrew their support of the gerrymander bill, and all but two Democrats joined them in voting No on a bill that would finally end the gerrymander.

Boscola, who still voted for the Senate bill, explained that she would have preferred a more "pristine version," but even with these amendments, the bill is a "vast improvement" over the current system

Like Boscola, I would have preferred to see a separate bill to create judicial districts. But I actually like the Aument amendment. Currently, he vast majority of appellate judges are from Pittsburgh (conservative) and Philly (liberal). It is extremely difficult fora qualified judge from he Lehigh Valley to get elected. Sure, it happens, but is rare. Most people will just pull a lever. With judicial districts, voters will have a much better chance to learn about the candidates. They in turn will not have to spend $10 million to be heard. This way of selecting judges is much more democratic than the current statewide system.

The reason these good government groups are so opposed is because it could mean that more conservative judges will be elected. Too bad. The price of democracy is that the people, and not some reform group, makes the call.

It's probably true that some of the inspiration for this legislation is anger at the Supreme Court over its gerrymander decision. That's OK by me because it means that the gerrymander bill will attract more Republican support in the House, where it is badly needed.

The fact that these so-called reform groups are blowin' oil over a measure that will actually allow voters to make informed choices tells me these groups are more partisan than they pretend.

On cue, Democratic State Senate candidate Mark Pinsley - who announced his candidacy before he was even sworn into office in South Whitehall - proclaimed that the "anti-democratic movement is at it again." How? By enabling people to vote for people they actually know. He slams Pat Browne "because when it matters, he gets in line and votes for whatever his party wants, not his constituents." The reality is that Pinsley is standing in line, screaming what his party wants him to scream, while real Democrats like Lisa Boscola are trying to govern.

By the way, Pinsley wants you to send him money so he can end corruption.

Like Fed Ed.

Updated: Boscola, Stack To Host News Conference on Redistricting Legislation

State Senator Lisa Boscola and Lt. Governor Mike Stack will host a Press conference to discuss recent activity on the redistricting legislation.

WHEN: Friday, April 13, 2018

WHERE: Bethlehem City Hall 10 East Church Street, Bethlehem, PA 18018,

TIME: 1:45 p.m.

Updated 10:15 am. This event has been postponed.

Gerrymandering Forum at Nazareth High School on Thursday

On Wednesday night, at 7 pm, there will be a presentationon gerrymandering by State Rep. Steve Samuelson and Fair District Pa'sFritz Walker at Nazareth High School. Details are in the flyer above. I'd love to go, but I'll be at summer basketball.

Last year, I presented you with a four-part series called "Gerrymandering: How Our Elections are Really Rigged." (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4). I was motivated by a presentation at Bethlehem's Unitarian Universalist Church attended by over 100 people on a hot August Friday night. The Pennsylvania League of Women Voters teamed up with Fair District Pa to make a compelling case for redistricting reform. The effort never made it to a vote in the land of midnight payraises, but this good government reform is really picking up a lot of steam.

Locally, Lehigh and Northampton Counties, Bethlehem Township, Easton, Whitehall Township and Lower Macungie Township have all adopted resolutions supporting the creation of an independent body to draw district lines. That's infinitely preferable to the the current system, in which politicians choose who will be voting for them.

In some states, Democrats oppose gerrymander reform because they are in control and have no desire to see that change. Here in Pa, the Republican leadership in the House and Senate have been the major stumbling block because they understandably want to protect their majority.

This thinking is short-sighted. Though the state legislature is undeniably Republican, the state Supreme Court is now undeniably Democratic. The Court can stop Republicans from gerrymandering. But there's a danger that a Democratic court could gerrymander, too. Some enlightened Republicans, like State Senators Mario Scavello and Pat Browne, understand that this is a sword that can cut both ways. But there are a number of local Republican State Reps who must be used to dealing with much duller instruments.

These Republicans are Gary Day, Zach Mako, Marcia Hahn, Joe Emrick and Ryan Mackenzie. They all prefer listening to House leaders over the voters.

In January, I bumped into Zach Mako at the elections office. At that time, he promised me he would sponsor this legislation. Is it too much for me to expect him to keep his word?

NorCo Council v. The Gerrymander

Do you think that voters should select their legislators or that they should decide who gets to vote for or against them? Under the current system in Pennsylvania, state legislative leaders get together and slice up districts pretty much to protect incumbents. As a result, Lehigh Valley Congressman Charlie Dent has a district extending from Easton to Dauphin County. Instead of being the Congressman from the Lehigh Valley, he's the Congressman from I-78. In Allentown, one legislative district has been established primarily for people of Latino or Hispanic descent, which dilutes their influence in other districts. This is gerrymandering.

State Senator Lisa Boscola, a Democrat, and State Rep.Dave Parker, a Republican, have introduced legislation to slay the gerrymander. Instead of permitting state legislators to carve up districts to protect each other, this legislation will establish an independent commission to do the redistricting, made up of nonpoliticians. Though it's too late for this to pass in the current legislative session, numerous Lehigh Valley State legislators, both Democrat and Republican, are cosponsors  And at their October 20 meeting, Northampton County Council adopted a resolution urging the state legislature to end gerrymandering. The vote was 8-0,with Matt Dietz being absent.    

"At least we have added our voice for fair and equitable redistricting," said Peg Ferraro, a long-time proponent of redistricting reform. Glenn Geissinger, who has personal experience with a gerrymandered district as a former congressional candidate, said the way redistricting is done is "a system that makes absolutely no sense." Ken Kraft, who cosponsored Ferraro's resolution, noted that Northampton County Council has always done its redistricting fairly. "If we can do it, so can they" he said.

Norco Council, LWV, Take Aim at Gerrymandering

Jeffrey Fox

The Bethlehem Press recently ran a series about gerrymandering and the bipartisan redistricting reform bills sponsored by State Senator Lisa Boscola and State Rep. David Parker. One long-time advocate of this kind of reform is NorCo Council member Peg Ferraro, a Republican. She was in the audience at a recent forum concerning the gerrymander at Unitarian Universalist Church in Bethlehem. She and Democrat Ken Kraft agreed to cosponsor a resolution calling on the state legislature to enact changes in the redistricting process that will prevent legislators from picking their voters.

Resolutions supporting the Boscola-Parker proposal have already been approved in Pittsburgh, Cumberland County, West Hanover Township, ​East Pennsboro Township, Upper Allen Township, Lower Paxton Township, Highspire Borough Council and Capital Region Council of Governments.

Northampton County will consider this resolution, thanks to a request from Slate Belt resident Jeffrey Fox reside. "Northampton County has always been a leader," he said. "You can be a leader in this effort as well by passing a resolution ... that puts the redistricting process back in the hands of the citizens."

In the meantime, the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania has asked all candidates to state whether they support redistricting reform:

Pennsylvania is home to some of the most gerrymandered districts in the US. Unfairly drawn districts disenfranchise voters and make it more difficult for legislators to effectively represent all of their constituents. Would you support redistricting reform through removing elected officials from the process and instituting an independent citizens’ commission to draw the maps, changing where prisoners are counted, and/or implementing stricter methods of statistical verification? Please explain your answer.

Locally, most Lehigh Valley legislatros champion gerrymanding reform. All three state senators who represent the Lehigh Valley are on board, including newly elected Mario Scavello. The only state legislators who have failed to cosponsor gerrymander reform are Joe Emrick, Marcia Hahn, lame duck Julie Harhart, Gary Day and Ryan MacKenzie. Hahn has ignored several emails from at least two people on this topic. That's because she thinks she can pick the voters and not the other way around.

So far she has been right.

Gerrymandering Reform Bill Now Has 25 CoSponsors

Before the gerrymandering reform forum at Bethlehem's Unitarian Universalist Church, there were 21 cosponsors for State Rep. Daveparker's bill to slay the gerrymander. There are now 25, with all the new cosponsors coming from the Lehigh Valley. The latest State Rep to add his name is Pete Schweyer.

Locally, the state representatives who have failed to endorse redistricting reform are Marcia Hahn, Joe Emrick, Julie Harhart, Ryan Mackenzie and Gary Day.

Julie Harhart is poised to retire and is still unwilling to buck the establishment.

Gerrymandering Forum Nets Four New Cosponsors

It was a hot Friday night in August. It's when most people wind down at the end of a hard week. Not exactly the kind of weather or time to encourage political debate. But over 100 people crammed into Unitarian Universalist Church's hot basement to hear perhaps the best political forum I've ever witnessed. It inspired me to produce the four-part series you saw last week. More importantly, it attracted four cosponsors to State Representative Dave Parker's reform bill to establish an independent commission devoid of politicos to draw the boundary lines in legislative and congressional districts.

Two of the cosponsors - Steve Samuelson and Bob Freeman - have supported redistricting reform for sometime. In fact, Samuelson was at the forum. But another two - Mike Schlossberg and Justin Simmons - were totally unexpected.

Kudos to them both.

FairDistrictPa plans to hold additional forums in other parts of the state. I suggested Cumberland or Dauphin County, where many communities have enacted a resolution calling on the state legislature to enact redistricting reform. I would invite State Representatives and State Senators to attend.

To the partisans who argue that they don't want to give up an advantage to the "enemy," that's just dumb thinking. Pennsylvania now has a Democratic Supreme Court, and they can effectively undermine any redistricting plan, for good reason or bad.

Democrats can and most certainly will play the game, too, if given half a chance.

Updated 10:40 am: Make That Five New Cosponsors! - State Rep.Dan McNeill has now signed on to Dave Parker's gerrymander reform bill, bringing the total number of new cosponsors to five since the forum last Friday.

Gerrymandering: How Our Elections Are Really Rigged - Part Four

Blogger's Note: Part One describes the dramatic increase in the use of both technological advances and hybrid SuperPACs with the goal of controlling Congress. Part Two details a bipartisan legislative fix proposed by State Senator Lisa Boscola and State Rep. David Parker. Part Three details the impact the gerrymander has had on government, and suggests what you can do to help achieve legislative reform. This final story tells you where the legislation stands, particularly in the Lehigh Valley delegation. 

State Senator Lisa Boscola is the prime sponsor of a senate bill (SB484) to eliminate gerrymandering in Pennsylvania by establishing an independent citizens' commission to draw the boundary lines for Congressional and state legislative seats every ten years. Republican Dave Parker, a State Representative from Monroe County, has offered a virtually identical bill in the state house (HB 1835).

A week ago, there were few local sponsors to this legislation. But following the gerrymandering forum at Unitarian Universalist Church in Bethlehem, that has changed dramatically.

The House Bill now has 22 cosponsors (10 Republicans and 12 Democrats). Locally, they include Bob Freeman, Mike Schlossberg and Steve Samuelson. Though Schlossberg is relatively new to the state house, both Samuelson and Freeman have been steadfast advocates of redistricting reform.

The Senate Bill has 12 cosponsors. Only two of them are Republican, but one of those two is Pat Browne, who chairs the powerful Appropriations Committee.

Both bills are in their respective state government committees. Boscola stated that a redistricting reform bill was in a government reform committee, but went nowhere because Republican and Democratic leaders used proxies from absent members to kill the bill.

According to Common Cause's Barry Kauffman, Pennsylvania is considered by academics to be "one of the most reform-averse states in the nation." It took him 17 years to get an open records law enacted. "If they see citizens want to lead, they will follow," he said.

Boscola stated that the only real way to effect this change is by both targeting leaders and insisting that your legislator cosponsor the bill.

"Don't just ask a Senator or a Representative, 'Are you for this?' A lot of the time, they're gonna' say Yes. If they say Yes, then say to them, "Cosponsor that bill. I want to know that you're really supportive.'" ... They'll say Yes because they know this bill isn't coming up for a vote. So they can hide. But once you put your name on a bill, you're not hiding anymore. You're supportive, because you're on the record."

Gerrymandering: How Our Elections Are Really Rigged - Part Two

State Sen. Lisa Boscola

Blogger's Note: This is a continuation of a series on gerrymandering in Pennsylvania. Yesterday's story was an explanation of the problem. Today's entry is a review of bipartisan legislation aimed at ending the practice. Tomorrow, Common Cause's Barry Kauffman has some suggestions on what you can do. On Friday, I'll let you where some other local legislators stand on this issue.  

Democrat Lisa Boscola is without question very popular in her state senatorial district. Her constituents may actually love her. The leaders in the state house and senate? Not so much. "I swear, if there was a bridge you could build to New Jersey, they'd put me there," she only half-jokes.  That bridge might be under construction right now. Boscola is the prime sponsor of a senate bill (SB484) that would eliminate gerrymandering in Pennsylvania by establishing an independent citizens' commission to draw the boundary lines for Congressional and state legislative seats every ten years. A companion bill in the state house (HB 1835) has been offered by State Representative Dave Parker, a Republican from Monroe County.

Both Boscola and Parker were among the panelists at Friday's crowded gerrymandering conference at the Unitarian Universalist Church.

State Rep.David Parker

Boscola has first-hand experience with gerrymandering. As a victim. When she was a State Representative, she and two other Democrats rebelled against party leaders to support then Governor Tom Ridge, a Republican, on some matters. Party leaders retaliated by gerrymandering the defectors out of a job, and were aiming at her. Boscola survived only because she ran for the state senate, and won. "They couldn't get me," she laughs.

In addition to being a victim, Boscola has witnessed legislators abandon their principles very quickly when their job security is threatened by party leaders. Though everyone wants to see property tax reform, she watched in amazement as the infamous SB76 property tax relief bill was struck down by just one vote in late 2015.  "If you really represent your district, you should do what you think is right," she argues. But she watched as leaders pulled one Senator aside and sent him home for the day. Another switched his vote when threatened.

Unlike most, Boscola has publicly expressed her disgust for our current redistricting system, right from the Senate floor.

"[O]ur current system has become a tainted, corrupt, disingenuous mess. Gerrymandered and distorted district boundaries have become the rule rather than the exception. If you do not believe me, take a look at the map of some of our State's congressional districts. There is a so-called 1-81 district [Lou Barletta] that stretches from Adams County in the south all of the way to the northern tier in northeastern Pennsylvania. Then there is the 1-78 district [Charlie Dent], which snakes its way through the Easton line all the way to the Harrisburg suburbs. Do not even get me started on the 6th Congressional District.

"Mr. President, we should be embarrassed and ashamed. The blame for this politically polluted system lies squarely at the feet of politicians who have the power to choose their own constituencies. It should not work that way, and all of us know it. Our current system has harmed everything from fairness of our elections to the level of cooperation and compromise between lawmakers." 

The Boscola-Parker bills

Instead of the inherent conflict of interest that exists when politicians are allowed to choose their voters, instead of the other way around, the Boscola-Parker bills establish an 11-person commission to draw the boundaries. It will consist of four members of the largest party, four members of the second largest party and three members who are registered as independent or with another party. Elected officials, staffers, lobbyists and state party officials are ineligible. No politics.

New maps require a super-majority of seven votes and there must be at least one vote from each of the three groups. The newly drawn districts must meet a standard test of compactness, and no district may be drawn to favor a political party or, for that matter, anyone else.

This proposal is based on how redistricting is done in Iowa (since1980), Arizona (2010) and California (2010).

A proposal for a citizens' commission in Illinois has been blocked by its state supreme court, along party lines. But the United States Supreme Court upheld an independent commission in Arizona. Legislators had contended they had the power, but Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg countered "that the people themselves are the originating source of all powers of government."

The Iowa system, which consists mostly of compact rectangles, has never been challenged. "I see a pathway to Republican control. I can also see a pathway to Democrat control," says their Republican House Speaker. 

Boscola also said that a citizens’ commission to end gerrymandering should be part of any attempt to downsize the state legislature. 

"If you're going to downsize the legislature, you better do something about redistricting and how the citizens redistrict because if the leaders get to decide which House and Senate members get to stay, who do you think they are going to want to stay? The leader is going to be able to pick which ones stay. Not the people.

When the legislature voted to reduce its size (it must vote again), Boscola offered an amendment to provide for a citizen redistricting commission, but she said the Senate was able to sidestep it without a vote. 

Gerrymandering: How Our Elections Are Really Rigged - Part One

The original gerrymander

Do any of you know what gerrymandering is? Put in its simplest form, it's a process by which our legislators pick the voters instead of the other way around. It takes place every ten years, after the census. Though it's almost unnoticed, it is probably the biggest danger to our representative democracy. It's a rigged system, designed to provide job security for legislators who toe the line while punishing any who dare rebel. The fox is in the henhouse, as politicians themselves decide on new districts. They can extend their stay as long as they want. It has resulted in a Pennsylvania State legislature that is completely unresponsive to voters. And it's getting worse.  

On Friday night, at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Bethlehem, a large group of nearly 100 people attended a gerrymandering panel discussion that included Pa LWV Board member Carol Kuniholm, State Sen. Lisa Boscola (Dem.), State Rep. David Parker (Rep.) and Common CausePA's Barry Kauffman. Boscola and Parker have teamed up with bi-partisan legislation to fix a broken system, but they will be the first to tell you nothing is going to happen unless voters themselves get involved and start pressuring their own legislators. In addition, leaders like House Democrat Frank Dermody and Republican Speaker Mike Turzai, who have been unwilling to act, need to be targeted.

Today's focus is the problem of gerrymandering itself, as laid out by Kuniholm. Tomorrow, I'll get into the bi-partisan legislative fix proposed by Boscola and Parker. Thursday, I'll tell you what wizened reformer Barry Kauffman thinks about the problem. Friday, I'll finish with what our local legislators are doing, or more accurately, not doing.

Over 100 people crowded into a hot church basement

Every time there's a poll of Pennsylvania voters, the issue that bothers them the most is school district funding. Most people think the state should contribute more, and less money should be coming out of their pockets in the form of increased property taxes. They want a fairer way to fund schools, and one that keeps seniors on fixed incomes in their homes. And of course, there has been a rash of bills over the years to change the way schools are funded.  Lisa Boscola herself has for years been a champion of property tax reform. But it always fails. It will continue to fail, too. That's because legislators no longer serve you. 

Though gerrymandering has existed since the 1800's, there was a big change in the 2012 election cycle. "Something went crazy," says Kuniholm. 

First, a new mapping technology called Maptitude provides locations of candidates and incumbents, census information, economic information and precinct-by-precinct reports of election results in previous elections. It's just the thing to have to draw a district so that a preferred candidate wins.         

Second, technology and computing power has made for a vast increase in data mining capabilities over the past ten years that Kuniholm calls the "difference between a horse and buggy and a rocket ship."

The third big change is money. In the wake of Citizens United, hybrid Super PACs have provided a huge infusion of undisclosed outside money that is then used to win elections. It can't be traced. 

Both parties have these hybrid SuperPACs.

RedMap2010

Pa. League of Women Voters Carol Kuniholm

For Republicans, it is RedMap2010, which dumped $30 million into state races to affect the redistricting, with the ultimate goal being control of the US Congress through reapportionment.  

Republicans admit this. They were able to buy Pennsylvania for just a little under $1 million in 2010, despite having fewer votes than Democrats. Here's what they themselves say:

"[T]he RSLC [Republican State leadership Committee] spent nearly $1 million in Pennsylvania House races in 2010 – an expenditure that helped provide the GOP with majorities in both chambers of the state legislature. Combined with former Republican Attorney General Tom Corbett’s victory in the gubernatorial race, Republicans took control of the state legislative and congressional redistricting process. The impact of this investment at the state level in 2010 is evident when examining the results of the 2012 election: Pennsylvanians reelected a Democratic U.S. Senator by nearly nine points and reelected President Obama by more than five points, but at the same time they added to the Republican ranks in the State House and returned a 13-5 Republican majority to the U.S. House." 

Things went so well that Republicans are raising $125 million for the 2020 redistricting, four times what they spent in 2010. 

By winning control of the state legislature, they were able to insure a nearly three to one advantage in Congress, despite having less numbers 

Advantage 2020

Before you get too upset at those evil Republicans, I have to tell you Democrats are now doing the same thing with a hybrid SuperPAC called Advantage 2020. They are focused on Pennsylvania, and have the 6th Pa. Congressional District featured on their homepage. This SuperPAC blasts the gerrymandering done by the GOP, but that's precisely what they want to do, too. 

Kuniholm failed to say how much money Democrats intend to raise, but it has to be substantial. 

The money spent by both parties has nothing to do with you. It is all about flipping districts to win control of the state legislature and, ultimately, Congress. He who controls the state legislature, controls redistricting. He who controls redistricting controls Congress. 

International groups on both sides contribute to these SuperPACS, so far all we know, China are Russia could be buying the Democrat or Republican Party

Focus is Winning and Control, Not Effective Governance 

This enhanced gerrymandering has resulted in a significant change in state government. The focus is winning and control instead of effective governance. Legislators who rebel and want to work for the common good end up being targeted or ignored.  

The political agenda is no longer what is right for the people, but is instead held hostage to outside moneyed influence. "That money that's pouring in is much more than what is being raised locally by the legislators," said Kuniholm. "There's a lot of research that shows that once that outside money comes into an election, the loyalty of those who are elected has shifted. They are no longer loyal to the constituents, who did not put them in office. They are loyal to the outside interests that put them in office."

At the same time, the extremes within the party of a safe district become the norm, leading to disaffection by everyone else. So nationally, 43% of Americans refuse to declare themselves with either party. In Pa, only 13% are independent, but that is only because primaries are closed.

"There's basically no effective choice," noted Kuniholm. To drive that point home, she said that 86% of our state incumbents had no primary challengers this year. For the general, 57% have no opposition.

"How do you vote them out if nobody's running against them?" she asked.

Coming Up: On Wednesday, I will bring you a bi-partisan legislative fix proposed by Senator Boscola and Representative Parker. On Thursday, I’ll tell you what Barry Kauffman thinks you can do. Friday, I'll report where LV legislators stand (or hide). 

Samuelson Seeks End to Gerrymandering

HARRISBURG, May 7 – State Rep. Steve Samuelson, D-Northampton/Lehigh, today introduced new redistricting reform legislation that would create a more fair and open process for legislative reapportionment.

House Bill 2420, which was developed with the assistance of the Pennsylvania League of Women Voters and Common Cause of Pennsylvania, is co-sponsored by 90 state representatives, 50 Democrats and 40 Republicans.

Of the Lehigh Valley's ten state house members, sponsors include Karen Beyer, Jenn Mann, Joe Brennan, Steve Samuelson, Bob Freeman, Rich Grucela, Craig Dally, Julie Harhart and Carl Mantz. Only Doug Reichley's name is missing

“Our goal is to take the politics out of the redistricting process,” Samuelson said. “Changing the way districts are drawn in Pennsylvania to an open and nonpartisan process is a long-term reform that has lasting impact on our democracy. Our current process could be described as gerrymandering. We need fundamental change. We need to open up the process and put redistricting in the hands of a non-partisan entity.”

Under this bill, Samuelson said transparency and openness will be the hallmarks of the redistricting process with data available online and opportunities for public input.

“Under our current method of redistricting, townships are traded, districts take on unimaginable shapes and communities are split up,” Samuelson said. “Politics is at the center of the current process and the people need to take it back.”

The bill would require that redistricting of Pennsylvania’s Legislative and Congressional Districts be conducted by the Legislative Reference Bureau. The preliminary plan developed by the LRB would be open for public comment at a series of five public hearings around the state. The hearings would be conducted by a bipartisan redistricting commission, the function of which is advisory only. Based upon the public input that is received, the LRB would develop a revised plan, which would go to the General Assembly for a vote. If the revised plan is rejected by either the House or the Senate, the LRB would develop a final plan and re-submit it to the legislature for a vote. The plans would not be amendable by the legislature.

“The Legislative Reference Bureau has a reputation for fairness and nonpartisanship,” Samuelson said. “The proposed three-step process would provide for meaningful public input, and also guarantees that the ultimate redistricting plan will be the work product of a nonpartisan body rather than party leaders in the House and Senate.”

Samuelson said this reform movement has been gaining strength over the years, and that this new legislation combines the best of the past several proposals put before the House.

“In 2002, a similar bill had 25 co-sponsors,” Samuelson said. “In 2006, another bill had 38 co-sponsors. We have 90 co-sponsors on this bill. It is time this legislation moves forward, and I’m confident it has the momentum to do so.

“The League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania has made redistricting reform its top legislative priority, and I am encouraged by grassroots interest in changing the system,” Samuelson said. “A forum last Saturday in Monroe County drew 75 citizens for a discussion of redistricting reform.”

House Bill 2420 has been referred to the House State Government Committee.