Pa. judge begins review to pick new congressional district maps

HARRISBURG — A Pennsylvania judge on Thursday launched a review of competing proposals to redraw the boundaries of the state’s congressional districts, the morning after Democratic Gov. TomWolf vetoed a plan sent to him by Republican lawmakers.

Commonwealth Court Judge Patricia McCullough warned the parties the hearing could go into the weekend, reflecting the pressure to draw boundaries for 17 congressional districts in time for theMay 17 primary election.

With gridlock in the statehouse, Judge McCullough has to consider at least a dozen different proposed maps that must account for demographic over the past decade in the politically divided state.

Complicating the matter is Pennsylvania’s loss of a congressional seat because the

state grew more slowly than the rest of the country since 2010, according to U.S. census findings.

The hearing began with brief arguments from parties backing their own proposals, including Mr. Wolf, Democratic and Republican lawmakersand others.

Mr. Wolf on Wednesday

evening announced he vetoed the plan that passed the Republican-controlled Legislature with every Democratic lawmaker opposing it. In his veto message, he argued that the legislation “fails the test of fundamentalfairness.”

Judge McCullough, an elected Republican judge, could pick a plan or recommend one, but any decisionshe makes is highly likely to be appealed to the state Supreme Court, where a 5-2 Democratic majority currently

RobertTucker, a lawyer for House Republican leaders, told Judge McCullough the mappassed by the Legislature was fair to both parties. Judge McCullough should defer to the General Assembly, Mr. Tuckersaid.

“This court need not and should not turn this into a beauty contest of selecting the prettiest map,” Mr. Tucker said, saying “fair is in the eye of the beholder and determined by how you define ‘fair.’”

The Senate Democrats’ lawyer, Marco Attisano, described the vetoed map as the product of a failed legislative process.

“They’re asking you to promote the Legislature over the executive branch in the normal legislative process,” Mr. Attisanosaid.

Tyger Williams/Philadelphia Inquirer Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf's veto of the Legislature's newly drawn congressional districts has forced the decision into Commonwealth Court.