For my Pennsylvania Kossacks, the good news is Keystone State Democrats have a great opportunity to take back control:
Pennsylvania’s next state-level redistricting is four years away, but the hands have already been dealt. A durable majority on the Pa. Supreme Court gives Democrats the trump card: the tie-breaking vote on the panel that draws state House and Senate maps.
For the first time since 1990 Democrats will have the advantage during the redraw, which for state House and Senate districts is called reapportionment instead of redistricting.
At the same time, Republicans have the ability to change the process. Amendments to the Pennsylvania state constitution can pass on a party-line vote in the legislature and aren’t subject to a governor’s veto – just a voter referendum.
Control of the once-per-decade map drawing is a boon for whichever party holds the tie-breaking vote. But Democrats couldn’t have asked for a better time. An amendment to shrink the state House from 203 members down to 151 is making incumbents nervous – especially Republicans – at the prospect of unprecedented change.
The shrink-the-legislature issue has been a conservative talking point for years and the proposed amendment passed both chambers in 2016 with near-universal GOP support. It’s expected to come up – and pass – again this session. Pending a ballot referendum, it will take effect to coincide with the 2020 census and the start of the map-making process in 2021.
“A lot of my colleagues assumed this would not pass the Senate,” when they voted for it last session, said one Republican state Representative. “Now that it has, they’re coming to terms with what it would mean for reapportionment. I don’t know if it will see the light of day again.”
“What are they thinking?” asked a Democratic lawmaker.
And Common Cause PA is pushing to make this a reality:
Democracy means we are all equal at the ballot box.
But when a few party insiders gerrymander Pennsylvania into uncompetitive, manipulated districts with the sole purpose to protect entrenched incumbents, our votes matter less and it starts to corrupt our democracy.
The good news is Pennsylvania's newest Republican state senator just introduced legislation to combat gerrymandering as part of an important reform package.
Please send a message to your state senator to vote to end gerrymandering in Pennsylvania!
This isn't a partisan issue -- we have bipartisan support in the fight to end shameless gerrymandering. Citizens of all different political opinions agree that voters should choose politicians -- and not the other way around.
Our grassroots movement to end the worst sort of gerrymandering in Pennsylvania transcends party labels - it's a struggle between "me-first" politicians on both sides of the aisle and bold reformers fighting for a people-powered Pennsylvania.
Tell your legislators it's time to pick a side!
Together, we can build the democracy that respects our voices and represents everyone.
Thanks for all you do,
Ken Myers, Board Chair
and the team at Common Cause Pennsylvania
P.S. If you want to get more involved or volunteer for this campaign or others like it, drop us a line at grassroots@commoncause.org and we’ll plug you into our efforts to make sure everyone’s voice is heard in our democracy.
Click here to contact your State Senator.
Until then, let’s also make sure to keep our state blue next year by getting involved with the PA Democratic Party mobilize and helping Governor Tom Wolf (D. PA) & U.S. Senator Bob Casey, Jr. (D. PA) win next year. Click below to get involved with their re-election campaigns:
Pennsylvania Democratic Party
Tom Wolf
Bob Casey