Partisan amendment to ‘gerrymandering’ bill puts redistricting reform in peril
Republicans move to remake court after gerrymandering case
Associated Press | By Marc Levy
After the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s Democratic majority threw out the Republican-drawn map of congressional districts as an unconstitutional gerrymander, Republicans raised talk of impeaching Democratic justices.
Calls for impeachment even came from senior Republican Party officials.
That talk receded, but Republicans have brought forward another plan that could limit the lifespan of the court’s Democratic majority: changing the state’s constitution to elect appellate court judges in districts, rather than in statewide elections.
Pennsylvania Senate double-cross
The Morning Call | By Bill White
My Sunday column will look at the discouraging latest developments in the effort to reform the way election districts are drawn up in Pennsylvania.
In short, Senate Republicans double-crossed everyone at the last minute by amending Senate Bill 22 — which would create an independent citizens redistricting commission — so it includes a provision calling for regional elections of state appellate court judges.
Editorial: Bipartisanship cast aside in redistricting effort
The Reading Eagle | Associated Press
It’s hard to stomach the twists and turns in the effort to change the way Pennsylvania’s congressional and state legislative districts are drawn. The latest development, a last-minute Republican amendment calling for a change in the way state appellate court judges are elected, angered Democrats and led many of redistricting reform’s staunchest advocates to drop their support of legislation they had championed.
Philadelphia Tribune: Senate passes controversial plan
By Stacy M. Brown | Philadelphia Tribune
Philadelphia-area state Sens. Anthony Williams and Vincent Hughes led a chorus of Democrats expressing outrage this week over the Republican-led Senate’s redistricting overhaul, which would include Supreme, Superior and Commonwealth court districts.
Under the bill, which House members were expected to receive Wednesday, state appellate judges would be elected by district, rather than statewide, and a citizens commission would draw the state’s congressional and legislative districts