Lawmakers seek to end gerrymandering

Senate bill 1023 would create independent commission to draw new congressional maps

HARRISBURG » A bipartisan group of Pennsylvania lawmakers is looking to remove politicians from the process of drawing congressional districts in the commonwealth.

State Sen. Tom Killion, R-9th, of Middletown, introduced legislation on Monday designed to end congressional gerrymandering in Pennsylvania.

Senate Bill 1023, which has Democratic and Republican co-sponsors, would establish an 11-member Independent Redistricting Commission to redraw congressional district lines.

“Citizens should pick their legislators, not vice versa,” said Killion. “The current congressional redistricting process in which legislative leaders propose a congressional redistricting plan that is then presented to the General Assembly for approval is irreparably broken.”

The Independent Redistricting Commission would comprise a randomly selected group of voters from both major political parties, independents and third-party members, according to the Carol Milligan, director of the Senate Republican Communications in Harrisburg.

Fair Districts PA, a nonpartisan and statewide coalition, supports the legislation. It works to create a process for redistricting that is transparent, impartial, and fair.

“Anytime maps are drawn to protect a legislator rather than to give voice to a citizen, it is wrong, whether the map looks funny or not. Citizens of Pennsylvania certainly do not think it is a laughing matter,” said Pat Rooney, who is a Fair Districts PA volunteer in Chester County. “Pennsylvania was one of the 13 original states and its constitution was copied by several other states in subsequent years, in admiration.”

“This problem of legislators drawing their own seats was a logical solution hundreds of years ago but does not serve us well now,” she said. “Many other states are looking to Pennsylvania to see how our commonwealth will once again lead in fairness and transparency.”

Rooney said Americans are entitled to modify the U.S. Constitution. “At this time, for this reason, it may revive our trust in government,” she

said.

“I am encouraged that it has the support of Fair Districts PA,” said Wayne Braffman, chairman of the Kennett Area Democrats. “I would applaud any attempt that truly places control of the redistricting process in the hands of the voters in a way that is nonpartisan and provides a clear path to establishing fair and unbiased congressional boundaries.”

He added that Fair Districts PA has Kennett Area Democrats’ ongoing support.

Braffman said, “Gerrymandering leads to political gridlock in both Washington and Harrisburg. It eliminates the incentive for elected officials to negotiate and compromise for the greater good of all the people in the commonwealth.”

And gerrymandering, from Pennsylvania to Oregon, is far from a nonpartisan practice.

“Both parties gerrymander when they have the opportunity,” he said. “It is wrong no matter who does it, and the practice must end. Period.”

Kennett Area Democrats represents the National Democratic Party in Avondale, East Marlborough, Kennett Square and the townships of Kennett, London Britain, New Garden, Newlin, Pennsbury, Pocopson and West Marlborough.

“Although Senator Killion’s bill addresses congressional gerrymandering, the travesty that is the gerrymandered map of state Senate and Representative districts is equally egregious,” Braffman said. “Just look at the 160th House District which crosses two counties and splits one municipality in half.

Prior to releasing the bill, Killion in November issued a memorandum to the legislature to fellow officials at the state House in Harrisburg asking for bipartisan support to ensure transparency in the redistricting process for both congressional and legislative districts, and to set forth clear standards for the commission to follow in drawing district lines.

The commonwealth, known as the birthplace of liberty thanks to the Declaration of Independence being written and proclaimed in Philadelphia 244 years ago, is also home to the infamous 7th Congressional District, which was mockingly referred to as “Goofy Kicking Donald Duck.”

David Thornburgh, president and CEO of the Committee of Seventy described that district, one the State Supreme Court replaced in 2018, as one of the most grotesquely gerrymandered districts in America.

“We support SB 1023,” stated Thornburgh, whose father is Richard Lewis Thornburgh, who served as the 41st governor of Pennsylvania from 1979 to 1987. He then went on to become U.S. Attorney General from 1988 to 1991. “It’s the best legislation now being considered that would make the process of drawing congressional maps more independent and more transparent.”

Gerrymandering comes with a price. “Ultimately, when politicians draw distorted maps out of the public view, it means that some voters count more than others, and it erodes people’s faith and trust in our local democracy,” he said.

Thornburgh added, “There’s no ‘gold standard’ measure by which gerrymandered states can be compared. Having said that, there’s plenty of room for improvement in the way Pennsylvania draws congressional election maps.”

“Is it any wonder that the state representative who voted twice for those maps was able to win 12 elections — often unopposed — before retiring this year?” Braffman asked, referring to state Rep. Steve Barrar, R-160th, of Upper Chichester.

A representative of the Kennett Township Republicans was unavailable to comment as of press time.

“We are grateful to Sen. Killion for making this courageous step to turn over the process of redistricting to an independent citizens commission that is tasked with being transparent and impartial,” said Chester County’s Rooney of Fair Districts PA. “Legislators were never told to be nonpartisan, and the problem of redistricting became a weapon in their hands, protecting party and incumbents. Both parties do it.”

She said House Bill 22 and Senate Bill 1022, introduced by Killion, match and extend the role of the Independent Citizens Commission, by state constitutional amendment, to state legislative districts.”

“Pennsylvania citizens have been asking for reform on redistricting for at least 30 years,” Rooney said. “Nationally, the first reformers were Republican: Ronald Reagan in 1987 in California thought the body the framers designed to be the most vulnerable and therefore responsive to citizens was the U.S. House of Representatives, which in his mind had become ‘one of the most secure jobs in America.’”

Today, gerrymandering can reduce the power of a vote when districts are politically designed to increase or decrease the influence of one party, sometimes called ‘packing’ or ‘cracking,’ according to Rooney.

“Many possible challengers are reluctant to run against an incumbent in a ‘safe’ district, reducing our choice at the ballot box. When a seat is ‘safe’ for an incumbent, that legislator does not feel the need to respond to the needs of all the citizens, nor to moderate their views to appeal to all the citizens,” she said. “This contributes to polarization and gridlock.”

“It is my hope that either the House or the Senate can move this legislation out of committee so that we can work to implement a more fair redistricting process in Pennsylvania,” said state Rep. Carolyn Comitta, D-156th, of West Chester.

Committa is a co-sponsor of similar legislation in the state House, calling for the creation of an independent redistricting commission to tackle gerrymandering.

“I am proud to support Fair Districts PA which has been a strong advocate for the two bills — one commission solution. They have worked with legislators to introduce bills in both the house (HB22 & HB23) and senate (SB1022 & SB1023) designed to ensure that legislative and congressional districts are drawn fairly.”

As Killion is running for re-election, the senator will face a political opponent on the voting ballot in November.

One man vying to run against him is Democrat Brett Burman. He must first defeat John Kane in a primary race this spring. Kane was unavailable for comment as of press time.

Burman said, “It appears that Sen. Killion, after voting in 2011 for the most gerrymandered congressional map in our state’s history, has finally come around on common sense reform. I doubt the leadership he continues to support will let this bill get very far.”

Still, supporting the end of gerrymandering in Pennsylvania is considered a nonpartisan issue.

“I have always supported comprehensive redistricting reform that insulates the process from political gerrymandering,” Burman added. “Gerrymandering creates safe seats and skews outcomes, empowering machine politicians and depriving voters of the competitive elections required for a robust democracy.”

Thus, with bipartisan support, the legislation is now on a fast track in Harrisburg with an aim to end congressional gerrymandering.

“I’m hopeful we can move this bill and get this done in time for the 2021 congressional reapportionment,” Killion said, noting his legislation has 13 Republican and Democratic co-sponsors “and enjoys broad public support.”

All state House districts and odd-numbered state Senate districts are on the ballot this year. State representatives serve two-year terms; state senators serve four-year terms.