Panel approves data for drawing Assembly, Congress district maps

HARRISBURG (AP) » The fiveperson commission redrawing Pennsylvania General Assembly district lines gave its approval on Monday to adjusted and validated census-based data they will use to craft preliminary maps over the coming months.

“Even though we have 90 days to develop a preliminary plan under the provisions of the state constitution, we’re all hopeful that we can get it done much sooner than that. That will be our goal,” said former University of Pittsburgh chancellor Mark Nordenberg, who chairs the Legislative Reapportionment Commission.

It voted 4-1 to certify census data that shifts just under 27,000 state prison inmates back to their home districts for the maps that will be used for state legislative elections during the coming decade.

The “no” vote was cast by House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff, R-Centre. Although Benninghoff did not say why at the meeting, an aide later said it was because he believes the prisoner reallocation is on shaky legal ground and that dealing with what he considers extraneous issues is causing delays that could affect next spring’s primary.

The panel, which consists of Nordenberg and the Democratic and Republican floor leaders of the House and Senate, also voted 4-1 to certify data without the prisoners’ reallocation to the General Assembly for its use in drawing congressional district maps, giving state lawmakers a choice of which to use.

Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa, D-Allegheny, voted no, saying he does not consider it to be appropriate to provide two sets of maps.

“I too, sir, have a concern as to whether or not that would bring additional legal challenges as well,” Costa said.

Nordenberg said there are states that use different types of data for congressional and state legislative maps.

“I feel as if we could not indirectly impose our choice on the Legislature as it sets out to draw the congressional maps,” Nordenberg said. “And so we are leaving them with a choice by providing them with both data sets.”