Home / General / Democracy in Pennsylvania

Democracy in Pennsylvania

/
/
/
2805 Views

This is big news:

In brief order handed down on Monday, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court held that that state’s gerrymandered congressional maps violate the state constitution. That state’s map is so aggressively gerrymandered that Republicans won 13 of the state’s 18 congressional districts in 2012, despite the fact that Democrats won a majority of the popular vote — and Republicans have held those districts ever since.

Significantly, the court’s order specifies that the struck down the state’s congressional maps on the “sole basis” that it “plainly and palpably violates the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.” The Pennsylvania Supreme Court is the final arbiter of questions of state constitutional law, so the court’s reliance on Pennsylvania’s constitution should prevent this case from being appealed to the Supreme Court of the United States, which has a Republican majority.

Under the state supreme court’s order, the state legislature must submit new maps to the governor by February 9, and the governor has until February 15 to approve the maps and submit them to the court for review. If these deadlines are not met, “this Court shall proceed expeditiously to adopt a plan based on the evidentiary record developed in the Commonwealth Court.”

The point about the ruling being based on the state constitution is particularly important — the Roberts Court won’t be able to overturn it or stop it from going into effect. And a plan that would produce even a few more seats from a majority of Democratic voters would be a big deal in 2018.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Linkedin
This div height required for enabling the sticky sidebar
Ad Clicks : Ad Views : Ad Clicks : Ad Views : Ad Clicks : Ad Views : Ad Clicks : Ad Views : Ad Clicks : Ad Views : Ad Clicks : Ad Views : Ad Clicks : Ad Views : Ad Clicks : Ad Views : Ad Clicks : Ad Views : Ad Clicks : Ad Views : Ad Clicks : Ad Views : Ad Clicks : Ad Views : Ad Clicks : Ad Views : Ad Clicks : Ad Views : Ad Clicks : Ad Views : Ad Clicks : Ad Views :