Republicans Hi-Jack Process with Planned Court Gerrymander
“Politicians have chosen the voters by drawing district lines that benefit them for too long. Fortunately, this year the Pennsylvania Supreme Court took extraordinary measures to fix the congressional districts that had been gerrymandered by partisan politicians and power politics. Due to the court’s action, we have fair congressional districts but not a fair process.
“The revised congressional and legislative redistricting process contained in Senate Bill 22 is a sincere effort to create fair and a balanced process. The legislation advances a new procedure that is far superior to the current process for both federal and state legislators.
“Drawing federal and state legislative maps by a citizen’s commission is a large step forward. Plus, there is required citizen input via six required public hearings and the maps must be approved by two-thirds of the legislature. As important, the appeal to the Supreme Court is preserved.
“However, the Republican plan to gerrymander the selection of appellate judges that was added without public scrutiny and zero public input, turns the bipartisan legislative reform on its head. It is a perversion of the reform, and its wrong. It is a huge step backward. Picking courts by region guarantees that politics is re-inserted into the process.
“It’s time to let the citizens draw the legislative lines and let’s keep the courts out of a legislative issue.”
