Previewing New PA House and Senate Maps
Zoom forum to examine proposed maps for new PA House and Senate Districts. FDPA mappers and experts looked at changes in the maps, considered some key metrics, and answered questions about minority representation and incumbent protection.
FDPA Mapping Experts Michael Waxenberg, Michael Skros and Anne Hanna.
John Nagle, Professor of Physics at Carnegie Mellon University and an expert on mapping,
Dinos Gonatas, also an expert in mapping and statistical analysis of mapping performance and adherence to criteria.
TIME HACKS:
00:00 Kuniholm introduction
00:32 Michael Waxenberg, FDPA mapper: Analysis of PA Senate Maps
12:58 Michael Skros, FDPA mapper: Analysis of PA House Maps
26:50 John Nagle, Carnegie Mellon professor emeritus & LACRA mapping judge: partisan bias analysis
38:50 Carol Kuniholm, FDPA Chair: population imbalances between regions of the state
40:33 Dinos Gonatas, predictive analyst & LACRA mapping judge: overall metrics
49:30 Carol Kuniholm: on tradeoffs in minority representation
1:03:26 …on which legislators face runoffs, who is retiring and what districts have no incumbents
1:07:00 …on HB 2207 a proposed “citizen” reapportionment commission and why it is a very bad idea designed to give even more control of mapping to legislators.
1:10:05 …on Congressional map update
1:13:14 Anne Hanna, mapper: map changes in and around Philadelphia
1:19:54 Carol Kuniholm conclusions.
BACKGROUND: For over six years, Fair Districts PA has worked with civic and government reform groups to call for true reform….the creation of an independent citizens’ commission for redistricting to take the process out of the hands of self-interested politicians.
Those same politicians stonewalled all efforts and kept control for the latest redistricting cycle. Now, after months of citizen input and political maneuvering, they have generated new draft maps for Congress (17 seats), the PA House (203) and Senate (50).
Legislative maps were drawn by the five-member Legislative Reapportionment Commission (LRC), a once-every-ten-year body. Per the PA Constitution, its members include the Majority and Minority leaders of each chamber (or their designees). Those four then select a 5th individual to serve as Chair. In many cases, the four cannot agree and (as happened this year) the choice is made by the PA Supreme Court. Their choice was Mark Nordenberg, a widely respected legal expert with extensive experience and former head of the University of Pittsburgh Law School.
After a series of fall hearings with submissions by nearly 6,000 Pennsylvanians, the LRC produced a preliminary set of legislative maps in January, and after further public and legislative feedback, offered its final drafts for House and Senate which were then approved by the body on a 4-1 vote. There is a 30-day time window during which parties can file objections to their proposals with the PA Supreme Court. Once those are resolved, the maps become law. Neither the Legislature nor the Governor have a say in the decision.
Congressional Maps are drawn by the political leadership of the Legislature. After a series of public hearings they introduced their chosen map. Governor Wolf established his own mapping advisory committee including mapping experts and encouraged public submission of comments and maps. After reviewing the Legislative draft, he vetoed it on grounds it did not meet standards for transparency, fairness, and protecting the rights of minorities.
The PA Commonwealth Court of PA then heard from witnesses opposing or supporting not only the vetoed Legislative draft, but other proposals from interested citizen groups.
While that process was taking place, the PA Supreme Court stepped in and said that in the interests of time, because it would ultimately be hearing the matter anyway on likely appeal from the Commonwealth court, it would step in and take up the issue. However, it also asked the Commonwealth Court judge hearing initial arguments to continue her work as a Master for the Supreme Court and make a recommendation to them on a proposed choice.
After further review, the Commonwealth Court judge said her selection was the Legislative draft vetoed by the Governor.
The Supreme Court set February 14 as deadline for the receipt of briefs by interested parties and February 18th for formal arguments. Because candidates for legislative and Congressional seats cannot begin gathering petitions for Spring primary elections until all map lines are finalized, the PA Supreme Court also halted any petition gathering until it has reached a decision. Not yet determined is whether the May date for primaries may have to be pushed back and/or shortened because of overall delays in the process.