Letters: Constitutional amendment with serious consequences; Urge lawmakers to oppose ‘power-grabbing rules’

Constitutional amendment with serious consequences

“Gerrymandering” has been used by legislators in Pennsylvania to draw district lines limiting the power of voters.

All three statewide courts may become gerrymandered. The House of Representatives will reintroduce a constitutional amendment requiring Supreme Court, Superior Court and Commonwealth Court judges to be elected by regional districts, not statewide.

The rationalization of the amendment is to increase the geographic diversity of the courts and encourage election of judges from outside the major metropolitan areas. By requiring one judge per district, the amendment theorizes that all parts of the state will have “representation” on the appellate courts. To most voters this sounds like a great idea. Unfortunately, the proposed amendment would not guarantee that all voters will have equal opportunity to elect their judges. This amendment could become reality with some serious consequences for our system of justice.

The courts have diversity. Of the 29 judges elected and serving on the appellate courts, 15 Republicans and 14 Democrats, nearly two-thirds are women. The rationalization for the amendment does not reflect reality. All may lose their right to seek retention if this proposal becomes law. Some could be removed from office based on where they live.

To appear on the ballot as a constitutional amendment, the proposal must pass again in the 2021-22 session. If approved by Feb. 28, it will appear on the primary election ballot in May 2021.

Voters can and should stop the attempt to gerrymander our courts.

Urge lawmakers to oppose ‘power-grabbing rules’

There are three kinds of people in the world:

• Those who make things happen
• Those who watch things happen, and
• Those who wonder what happened.

No matter which group you are in, you should care about legislative rules.

People striving to make things happen are frustrated because good bills with bipartisan support are routinely killed. People who watch this happen justifiably feel that “the system is rigged” because these rules impede even the best efforts of upstanding legislators. Because the result is a political system that preserves majority party power rather than supporting healthy debate and progress, many others tune out altogether.

If this year is like last, the first to be bills considered will establish rules that prevent our government from working effectively. Under these rules, if a proposed bill appears unfavorable to a few party leaders and committee chairs, it will not be considered, even if it has widespread bipartisan support.

Urge your representatives to adopt new rules based on three simple principles:

• Good bills with broad support deserve a vote.
• Bills with strong bipartisan support should be given a vote in committee, and if voted out of committee they deserve a vote on the House or Senate floor.
• If bills pass the House or Senate with bipartisan support, the other chamber should require a corresponding vote.

Call representatives Benninghoff, Irvin, Corman, Borowicz and Conklin and ask them to oppose power-grabbing rules and to support rules that serve the citizens they represent.

Gerrymandered courts put democracy in danger

The Pennsylvania Republican legislators are poised to pass a second vote to adopt a constitutional amendment that gives them total control over who can and cannot be on the state Supreme Court. By creating “judicial districts” to replace statewide elections, they propose a frightening new form of gerrymandering that threatens the independence of our judiciary. Though they claim it will create “more diversity,” it is a weak argument. The Assembly will effectively manipulate the courts by drawing district lines to favor judges of the majority party and exclude others. Their underhanded objective is to punish and eliminate the Democratic majority on the state Supreme Court. The voters will no longer be able to select all our appellate justices.

In July, the first vote on this judicial districting bill was rushed through with very little explanation, no hearings, or public discussion. As a constitutional amendment, it must pass a second vote before proceeding to voters for approval in May. The GOP hopes nobody pays attention in early January when they slip the bill through in the new legislative session.

Please call your local legislators now. Tell Corman, Benninghoff, Irvin, Borowicz and Conklin to vote no for judicial districts. Tell them to keep their hands off our right to vote for all the statewide appellate justices. Say NO to gerrymandering our courts. Our democracy is in danger.