Events

Drawing the line on gerrymandering!

Tuesday, August 20th, 2019 | 7:00pm-9:00pm
Mountville, PA

Venue Information

Mountville Area Community Center Auditorium
120 College Ave
Mountville, PA

Local Group Affiliation

Event Description

By definition, gerrymandering means to manipulate the boundaries of an electoral constituency so as to favor one party or class. (www.lexico.com) In high school I was taught the word as derogatory, something no longer practiced. Now, it’s common place!

Fair Districts PA wants to eliminate the ability to manipulate the electorate and provide a fair and responsible means of drawing election districts.

Program: Tony Crocamo will present an explanation of the process now, a more equitable process, and how to achieve it. Tony is a locally respected speaker and a member of Fair Districts PA.

Fair Districts PA is a nonpartisan, statewide coalition of organizations and individuals working to create a process for redistricting that is transparent, impartial, and fair.

The key change needed:

Appoint an impartial, independent citizens commission to redraw our district voting lines rather than allow legislators with a vested interest to control the process.

What it will take:

Fix Congressional redistricting:

Congressional redistricting is currently done as a simple statute, passed in both houses then signed by the Governor. To change who and how district lines are drawn requires changes to the Pennsylvania Election Code-simple statute that could be passed by both houses then signed into law by the governor. This could be done in one legislative session.

Fix State legislative redistricting (for state house and senate elections):

Because the PA Constitution requires legislative redistricting to be done by a five-member commission controlled by legislative leaders, switching to an independent commission means passing a constitutional amendment. Here’s what it will take to do that:

Both the PA House and Senate must approve the same fair-districts amendment during a single session

Both the PA House and Senate must approve it again in the next session

Citizens must then ratify the amendment in a ballot referendum

This program is free and open to the public but please register so we can plan appropriately for the group. See you there!

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Contact

Devon Miller