Push for fair redistricting faces many hurdles

According to a Franklin & Marshall College poll, nearly two-thirds of Pennsylvanians want redistricting reform. They want the heavily skewed political process to be made independent, favor neither major political party and operate transparently. Like most concepts in the political realm, pronouncing an ideal goal and getting there are poles apart. Such is the case with redistricting.

First, let me explain what redistricting is. After every decennial census, such as the one coming up in 2020, state legislative and congressional districts are realigned to reflect population shifts. The number of legislators doesn’t change, so that means that areas with fewer people than in 2010 — the last time the census was conducted — will need to be included with adjoining areas to form an “ideal” district that satisfies the principle of “one person, one vote.”

An “ideal” district is the number that’s derived by dividing the total population of Pennsylvania by the number of legislators — 203 in the state House of Representatives and 50 in the state Senate. Currently, an ideal Pennsylvania House district is 62,573, while in the Senate it is 254,048.

It’s up to a legislative commission to convene after each census to revise the districts to conform to the new population figures. So, once Pennsylvania’s official population is certified by the U.S. Census Bureau, this work can begin.

The criticism is that this commission leans toward the party in power. After the 2010 census, this was the Republicans, which have an overwhelming majority in both houses of the General Assembly. Democrats were equally guilty when they controlled the Legislature.

Carbon County is an almost perfect example of a self-contained legislative district. With its estimated 2017 population of 63,853, Carbon might easily wind up becoming whole again. Right now, the entire county, minus the borough of Summit Hill, makes up the 122nd District represented by Republican Doyle Heffley.

Summit Hill was part of the district until the redistricting following the 2010 census. Now, it is part of Republican Jerry Knowles’ 124th District, which is made up largely of parts of Schuylkill and Berks counties.

Aside from this redistricting, an equally important process must occur after the census to rearrange the state’s congressional districts. Pennsylvania has 18 members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Predictions are for that number to decrease to 17 after the 2020 numbers are in. The lost seat will likely go to a state whose population is growing much faster than ours. Florida, Texas and California come to mind.

The U.S. Senate is not affected, because each state, regardless of size, gets two senators.

After a contentious court battle last year, the state Supreme Court ruled that the congressional map drawn by legislators following the 2010 count was unconstitutional, and a new map was created that resulted in the election of nine Republicans and nine Democrats in 2018.

Two important things to keep in mind: The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in June that federal courts lack jurisdiction to decide on political gerrymandering and left the redistricting process in the hands of the states. Additionally, Gov. Tom Wolf’s appointed reform commission released a report with recommendations on how to improve the process of establishing legislative districts.

One of the major groups at the forefront to bring about redistricting reform is Fair Districts PA, which has been lobbying counties and municipalities for resolutions of support.

Carol Kuniholm, the organization’s chair, said that Pennsylvania has been one of the most gerrymandered states in the nation. The way things are now in Pennsylvania is that state legislative districts are drawn by a political commission made up of appointees by the majority and minority leaders of the Senate and House, with the four of them appointing a fifth member, who becomes the commission’s chair. If they can’t agree on an appointee, the state Supreme Court will make the pick. Congressional boundaries are chosen by the General Assembly and are subject to gubernatorial veto.

Fair Districts PA’s goal is to create an 11-member commission in charge of both legislative and congressional redistricting. This would include four Republicans, four Democrats and three politically unaffiliated members.

State Sen. Lisa Boscola, D-Lehigh and Northampton, is one of the leaders of the legislative efforts to get this measure lined up to go to the voters as a constitutional amendment. This is not an easy process, because it requires passage in consecutive legislative sessions before it can get on the ballot, and it must be done by 2022.

So far, Fair Districts PA has been able to secure resolutions of support from these local governments: the Carbon County Commissioners and the boroughs of Summit Hill and Bowmanstown and Lower Towamensing Township, Chestnuthill and Eldred townships in Monroe, and Lowhill, Lynn and Weisenberg townships in Lehigh.

By Bruce Frassinelli | tneditor@tnonline.com