U.S. Supreme Court Denies Stay Request in Pennsylvania Congressional Map Challenge

U.S. Supreme Court Denies Stay Request in Pennsylvania Congressional Map Challenge

By EditorMar 10, 2022
Pennsylvania's new congressional map was adopted by the State Supreme Court in February -after the governor vetoed the legislature's map - but a new lawsuit is looking to federal courts to allow the state's congressional representatives to be elected at large in the upcoming 2022 election. On March 7, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected an emergency stay order request that would have accomplished this quickly. Instead, the matter is before a three-judge court whose decision may be appealed directly to the U.S. Supreme Court. The crux of the challenge is that the State Supreme Court does not have the authority…
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Parties Debate Timeliness of Lawsuit in PA Congressional Map Challenge

By EditorAug 08, 2021
A group of voters in Pennsylvania started the 2020 litigation cycle early by suing in Pennsylvania state court over the state's congressional map. The lawsuit presumes that the state legislature will not have enough time to enact a congressional map given its history of gridlock and a severely shortened mapmaking schedule due to late census redistricting data. It is asking the court to take jurisdiction now to avoid delays in redrawing congressional districts. The case is Carter v. Degraffenreid. Read the complaint here. The lawsuit was filed in April of 2021. This is an update on the status of the…
Case Updates, Casedocs, LAW, Redistricting, Redistricting Litigation, , , ,
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Watch: Pennsylvania Redistricting Reform Town Hall Discusses Anti-Gerrymandering Legislation

Watch: Pennsylvania Redistricting Reform Town Hall Discusses Anti-Gerrymandering Legislation

By Michelle DavisSep 03, 2020
Interested in Pennsylvania redistricting reform? Watch this recent town hall organized by reform group Fair Districts PA to discuss the Legislative and Congressional Redistricting Act (LACRA), which has been introduced in both houses of the state legislature. Participants include members of the Princeton Gerrymandering Project team who give insight into mapping criteria and metrics. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzsoZ9AnAXk
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Supreme Court Declines to Hear Pennsylvania Republican’s Congressional Map Appeal

Supreme Court Declines to Hear Pennsylvania Republican’s Congressional Map Appeal

By Michelle DavisNov 01, 2018
On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court denied certiorari to Republican lawmakers in the Pennsylvania legislature after a January ruling by the Pa. State Supreme Court invalidating the congressional map enacted by the body in 2011.  (more…)
LAW, NEWS, Partisan Gerrymandering, POLICY and PRACTICE, Redistricting, Redistricting Gerrymanders, Redistricting Litigation, State Laws, , , , , , ,
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ABC News Takes a Deeper Look at Pennsylvania’s New Congressional Map

ABC News Takes a Deeper Look at Pennsylvania’s New Congressional Map

By EditorMar 12, 2018
  Pennsylvania - The state's new congressional map drawn by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court may look more esthetically pleasing to most, but it has serious political implications.  Watch ABC News sum up what the new map does to the partisan balance in Pennsylvania.
Redistricting, Redistricting Gerrymanders, , , , ,
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State Supreme Court Redraws Pennsylvania Congressional Map

State Supreme Court Redraws Pennsylvania Congressional Map

By EditorFeb 22, 2018
  Pennsylvania - This January, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled the state's congressional map was an unconstitutional gerrymander.  The plaintiffs had alleged the map is an eggregious partisan gerrymander executed by Republican state lawmakers that allowed Republicans to win 72% of the state's congressional delegation with just 50% of the vote.   Here is the new map that court quickly adopted after the PA. state legislature failed to meet its deadline to agree and enact a replacement map.  Read more at NBCnews, Washington Post, and New York Times.    
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Redistricting Weekly Update : Atlases and Mathematicians in the Fray

Redistricting Weekly Update : Atlases and Mathematicians in the Fray

By EditorJan 29, 2018
  The FiveThirtyEight Blog Releases the Atlas of Redistricting, The Maps are Impressive but Unusable  FiveThirtyEight takes a comprehensive look at the mapping possibilities for every congressional district in the nation.  None of the maps would pass legal muster though.  At best, the Atlas of Redistricting is a rough thought experiment that can give us a good idea of what different redistricting priorities produce on a map - - just in very very broad brushstrokes.  read more. Pennsylvania Republicans appeal congressional map partisan gerrymander decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.  In a long-shot bid, Republicans appeal the state supreme court's decision…
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Highlights from State Supreme Court Oral Argument in Pennsylvania Congressional Map Challenge

Highlights from State Supreme Court Oral Argument in Pennsylvania Congressional Map Challenge

By EditorJan 18, 2018
Pennsylvania - On Wednesday, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court heard oral arguments in one of the challenges to the state's 2011 congressional map.  The case, League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania (LWV) v. Pennsylvania General Assembly, alleges the map is an eggregious partisan gerrymander executed by Republican state lawmakers that allowed Republicans to win 72% of the state's congressional delegation with just 50% of the vote.  Here are the highlights from the oral arument, which lasted just over 2 hours: (more…)
Redistricting, Redistricting Gerrymanders, State Laws, , , , ,
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In Malapportionment Claims, Its All About Timing and Context

In Malapportionment Claims, Its All About Timing and Context

By EditorApr 16, 2013
The 2010 census brought good news to Latinos in Pennsylvania. Significant gains where made the Latino population in the Philadelphia area and other regions of the state. This would mean increased representation in the state legislature. Imagine the disappointment when the state elections were held in 2012 under the 2001 reapportionment map. The Legislative Reapportionment Commission had convened and drawn a new state legislative map in 2011, but the state Supreme Court found it constitutionally lacking. With no redistricted map in place, the court allowed the 2001 map to be used for the 2012 state elections.   Some Latino groups…
Equal Protection, Redistricting, Redistricting Criteria, Redistricting Litigation, Strategy and Politics,
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