Press Release
HARRISBURG – Commonwealth Court Judge Patricia McCullough recommended the citizens’ map, drawn by Lehigh Valley resident Amanda Holt, be used as the congressional redistricting map in the upcoming election, Rep. Seth Grove (R-York), who introduced the map in House Bill 2146, said.
“I applaud Judge McCullough for recognizing the non-partisanship of the map and the fact it adheres to all requirements to make a fair map, which treats all candidates equally,” Grove said. “From the start of the transparent map-making process in July, House Republicans took the new approach to not only gather input from Pennsylvanians, but also take into consideration maps they created.”
The result of the process, which was spurred on the House Bill 22 by Rep. Wendi Thomas (R-Bucks), was Holt’s map, which was amended to further include input the committee received during hearings held across the state. The minor adjustments improved the compactness of districts; responded to citizen concerns regarding communities of interest and, in concert with traditional redistricting principles, increased minority representation in Philadelphia. To view the map, and to access an archive of all hearings and meetings regarding congressional redistricting, go to www.PaRedistricting.com.
In her ruling, McCullough wrote that she “recommends that our Supreme Court adopt and implement House Bill 2146 as a matter of state constitutional law as it meets all of the traditional criteria of the Free and Equal Elections Clause, and does so in respects even noted by the governor’s expert, as well as the other considerations noted by the courts, it compares favorably to all of the other maps submitted herein, including the 2018 redistricting map, it was drawn by a non-partisan good government citizen, subjected to the scrutiny of the people and duly amended, it creates a Democratic leaning map which underscores its partisan fairness and, otherwise, is a reflection of the ‘policies and preferences of the state, as expressed in statutory and constitutional provisions or in the reapportionment plans proposed by the state legislature.’”
“Though this was a resounding endorsement, done through legal precedence, it is now up to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to formally adopt the congressional map, which would be used for the next 10 years,” Grove said.
Author: Amaury Abreu
