Harrisburg, Pa. − February 13, 2018 − Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa fully supports Governor Wolf’s decision to reject the maps presented to him last week by just two Republican members.
“A proposal that makes districts slightly more compact but no more fair or representative fails to meet the requirements set forth by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court,” said Senator Costa. “This is unfortunately yet another gerrymandered overreach that cannot be used. I’m glad that Governor Wolf agrees and has rejected the proposal.”
Governor Wolf’s administration hired an expert to review the proposed map by the Republican leadership, and found it “extremely, and unnecessarily, partisan.”
Professor Dunchin, the statistical expert, found that there was no more than a .1 percent chance that any plan drafted to comply with the state Supreme Court’s order could have been as favorable to Republicans as they one they shared with the Governor last Friday night.
“We could have had an open, bipartisan process and debate in the creation of a new map through legislation,” said Senator Costa. “Unfortunately, that was not what the Republican leaders wanted and now we will use our limited time before the February 15th deadline to find another solution.”
The original decision in this case by the state Supreme Court indicated that if the legislature failed to produce a plan that the Governor agreed to, that it would initiate its own map creation and distribute a completed product by Monday, February 19.
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