New Pa. Map Shores Up Vulnerable Republicans:

[Freddie Stubbs]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10142616

[JPZenger]

1. What a bloody mess

They concentrated all the minorities and Democrats into a very few districts that are now probably 80% Democratic. They did everything they could to shore up Meehan, Dent and Barletta so they are in congress for life. And they only let the public and the Democratic legislators see the map 18 hours before the Senate vote.

It is a clear violation of the requirements of the PA. Constitution. Unfortunately one of the big hair Orie sisters holds the controlling vote in the State Supreme Court, because not enough Dems showed up for that election.

[Freddie Stubbs]

2. What requirements of the PA Constitution does it violate?

[JPZenger]

4. PA. constitutional requirements

Excerpts from link from League of Women Voters:

http://palwv.org/issues/redistricting.html

"Article II, Section 16 of the PA Constitution says that State House and Senate districts “shall be composed of compact and contiguous territory as nearly equal in population as practicable” and that “ unless absolutely necessary no county, city, incorporated town, borough, township or ward shall be divided in forming either a senatorial or representative district.”

Despite this Constitutional mandate many Pennsylvania House and Senate districts do not meet these standards. Instead, districts are drawn in such a way that incumbents and or candidates of a political party are protected from meaningful electoral competition. By one measurement Pennsylvania is the second most gerrymandered state in the country. Gerrymandering is one of the factors that reduce electoral competition. Until the 2006 primary election when a 2005 pay raise scandal resulted in many incumbent legislators losing their reelection bids, Pennsylvania had one of the highest rates of legislative incumbent reelection in the country. Uncompetitive elections and lack of meaningful choices results in unaccountable government, legislative gridlock and low voter turnout.

Pennsylvania’s 2001 Congressional redistricting map was appealed to the US Supreme Court (Veith v. Jubelirer) and was upheld on a 5-4 split. The appeal was made by a township which was divided into four Congressional districts. One county is now represented by five different members of the U.S. House of Representatives. In this case all nine justices agreed that excessive partisanship in redistricting is unconstitutional but could not define a standard for what is excessive. "

[Freddie Stubbs]

5. That is about State House and Senate districts, not congressional districts

Unfortunately here is no mention of standards for congressional districts in PA's constitution.

[HopeHoops]

3. They rejected the fucked up "horseshoe district" that used to be mostly Dauphin County.