Advocates — and their dogs — rally in Bellefonte to ‘hound’ lawmakers about redistricting reform
As Pennsylvania begins its redistricting process, advocates are still calling for reform; some are even “hounding” legislators for transparency and fairness.
Joined by their dogs, Fair Districts Centre County members gathered for a rally Thursday where they marched to the offices of Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman, R-Benner Township, and House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff, R-Bellefonte, to demand change to the state’s redistricting process, which occurs every 10 years.
Pennsylvania is considered one of the most gerrymandered states, meaning electoral boundaries have been manipulated. A more than 200-year-old issue, gerrymandering has been contested at the local, state and national levels for years, and it’s been done by Republicans and Democrats.
Gerrymandered maps are easier to draw now that technology and data let politicians select who they want in their district, but advocates for change say a process that prioritizes the voters, as opposed to politicians, would make governing more effective. Following the release of the most recent U.S. Census data, Pennsylvania is set to lose one of its seats in the U.S. House.
“The time is now. Voters know this is a bad thing,” Debbie Trudeau, a Fair Districts Centre County member, said. “It poisons the process, and it leads to the kind of ineffective government that we have right now, where we’re so polarized. Our goal is to end the polarization. We feel like this is the root of the problem. There are a lot of other things that can improve government in Pennsylvania, but if we change this one thing, a lot will flow from it.”
The Legislative Reapportionment Commission, a five-member panel, spearheads the state redistricting process and draws maps to reflect population changes as measured by the U.S. Census. Benninghoff, Senate Majority Leader Kim Ward, R-Hempfield, House Minority Leader Joanna McClinton, D-Philadelphia, and Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa, D-Forest Hills, will serve on this year’s commission, as well as a citizen who will be appointed chair.
Interviews for chair were conducted earlier this week. The constitution requires that the chair be a Pennsylvania citizen who does not hold a paid elected office. If floor leaders cannot reach an agreement on the chair, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court will make the appointment no later than May 30.
“We want a process that no matter which way you look at it, it is fair to both sides, and it involves citizen input so that before things are etched in stone, we get to see what the preliminary maps are like,” Trudeau added.
In 2018, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that the 2011 congressional district map — drawn by Republicans and signed into law in 2011 by then Republican Gov. Tom Corbett — violated the state constitution, so the court redrew the map and issued a new one. With this change, Centre County was redrawn into the 15th and 12th districts, with the majority of the area falling into the 15th, but much of State College and the southeastern part of the county reside in the 12th District, which includes Clinton, Mifflin and Juniata counties.
Through a spokesperson, Benninghoff told Spotlight PA that he was looking for an LRC candidate who could be “a neutral arbiter who shares our commitment to a fair, open and legal redistricting process.” In previous years, Corman has voted in favor of bills that aimed to prevent gerrymandering but stated compromise was needed for legislation to pass in the House.
On Wednesday, Rep. Scott Conklin, D-Rush Township, voiced support for House Bill 22, legislation that would allow for more input from Pennsylvanians and create a user-friendly website for redistricting input. The bill is under consideration in the House State Government Committee.
“Our residents are beyond tired of partisan politics, especially in the redistricting process, and I am happy to join Fair District PA’s efforts to move this legislation forward,” Conklin said in a statement. “The redistricting process should be fair and open with more participation and accountability.”
This story was originally published April 29, 2021 at 4:11 PM.
