A Government commission… words that rarely instill much confidence.
Gerrymandering remains a structural problem. Pa is among the worse offenders. That’s almost universally acknowledged. The question is, do partisans accept it as an end to justify means when their party is in power OR do they acknowledge something as being fundamentally wrong even when it benefits them. Our state legislature has failed time and time again to take any action to address this.
The latest on stalled reform is that the Governor has convened a commission “that will review non-partisan redistricting processes in other states that reduce gerrymandering, provide opportunities for public comment at community meetings and online, and make recommendations to the governor and legislature for a non-partisan redistrict process in Pennsylvania.”
So at first glance, I’m thinking Ok, here comes some more lip service. More studying. More exploring. I really feel with this issue the more complicated we make it the further we get from a truly fair solution. The goal is create clear and measurable standards (based on the impartial objectives outlined in the constitution) by which citizens may hold those drawing the maps accountable. This is not rocket science. Equal vote, equal voice.
I’ll say I’m happy to see local Amanda Holt as one of 15 people appointed to the commission. Amanda is a Lehigh County Commissioner and an expert on this topic. She single-handedly challenged ridiculous maps through the courts. As a concerned citizen Amanda drew measurably better (from 55 to 23 municipal splits) maps than the legislature produced. She maintains a website with a ton of information.