Changes coming with redistricting plan

PA House Districts Map by davesredistricting.org

PA Senate Districts
Map by davesredistricting.org

A new Pennsylvania House of Representatives and Pennsylvania Senate map was approved Friday, Feb. 4, by the 2021 Pennsylvania Legislative Reapportionment Commission.

Changes to the districts places all of Susquehanna County squarely in the 111th House district – a seat currently held by Rep. Jonathan Fritz and completely in the PA Senate’s 20th District – a seat currently held by Sen. Lisa Baker.

On the House side, the 110th district, which covered several municipalities in the western portion of the county, now includes Wyoming County and the eastern half of Bradford County. Rep. Tina Pickett is the current representative of the 110th.

On the Senate side, the 23rd district now stops at the Susquehanna County border. Sen. Gene Yaw currently holds the seat.

The Commission’s approved map, however, is likely to face challenges in court as Republican leaders have expressed concern with the state House plan.  

PA House Districts
Map by davesredistricting.org

The Commission has filed the Final Plan with the Secretary of the Commonwealth, and the Final Plan is available on the Commission’s website. In accordance with Pennsylvania Constitution, Article II, Section 17(d), any aggrieved person may file an appeal directly to the Supreme Court within 30 days after the filing.

After the Commission’s decision on Friday, Sen. Baker issued a statement: “I have very much enjoyed the opportunity and responsibility of serving the people and communities of the 20th Senatorial District, as it has been constituted for the past decade.  I am fully committed to providing the same level of accessible and energetic representation over the remaining months of this legislative session.  Unfortunately, a new census invariably means the lines shift for every district, in order to comply with constitutional standards.  No legislator gets to draw a preferred district, despite some claims to the contrary.  I am disappointed I will no longer have the opportunity to serve all of Wayne County or the Mountain Top region of Luzerne County.  However, I am grateful for the many friendships and longstanding relationships that will continue to influence my service now and in the future.

“Every legislator must abide by the map negotiated and approved by the five-member commission.  I am familiar with the new communities added to the 20th District and I look forward to establishing working relationships with the taxpayers, officials, and community leaders in these new areas.”

On Monday, Commonwealth Court Justice Patricia McCullough selected a plan the Republican state lawmakers drew which was then vetoed by Gov. Tom Wolf. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court will decide the final map.

Oral arguments over the map will be heard on Feb. 18.

Speaker of the House Bryan Cutler (R-Lancaster) and House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff (R-Centre/Mifflin) issued the following statement after Commonwealth Court Judge Patricia McCullough selected the congressional map passed by the Pennsylvania House and Senate in January:

“The Congressional map selected by Judge McCullough today is the product of months of work, over a dozen public hearings, and was created by a citizen map-drawer in a submission made through a publicly accessible website. In short, the selection of the congressional map that passed the House and the Senate was the only logical choice since it is the only map that was developed in a historically open and transparent process.

“This map prioritizes the Constitutional obligations of creating Congressional districts in a non-partisan way using only data sets that were necessary to create compact and contiguous districts that promote communities of interest and respect Pennsylvania’s natural geography.

“The selection of this map is also a recognition that the General Assembly is the only lawmaking body to take official legislative action on congressional redistricting, which is one of the most basic, constitutionally mandated functions of state government.

“We will continue to monitor the judicial process as it progresses with the anticipation that the selection of this map will continue to receive the appropriate deference.”

 

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