Day of Action June 9

Time is running out for a citizens redistricting commission in Pennsylvania. Unless bills are passed before our Legislature recesses for the summer, sometime later this month, there won’t be time to change the PA Constitution before the 2021 redistricting.

House Bills 22 and 23 have languished in the House State Government Committee for over a year, despite promises from Committee Chair Garth Everett to address the issue and assurances from Majority Leader Bryan Cutler that bills with strong support will be given a vote.

Ignoring guidelines banning public gatherings, the House has continued to meet in Harrisburg, with more days in session and more State Government Committee votes than at any time in recent history. That committee passed 20 bills in April, another 20 in May. Some had been introduced just days, sometimes minutes, before the vote, most with just one or two co-sponsors. No expert testimony was invited. No meeting transcripts have been posted on the General Assembly website.

Senate Bills 1022 and 1023 have also been ignored, despite statements of support for an independent citizens redistricting commission from both State Government Committee Chair John DiSanto and Majority Leader Jake Corman. While the Senate has not had most members meeting in Harrisburg, votes continue remotely, with votes on many of the bills passed by the House. Most of those bills were vetoed by Governor Wolf. Multiple votes to overcome vetoes were unsuccessful.

If our legislators can find time to pass bills they know will never make it into law, surely they can find time to vote on bills with overwhelming public support!

Covid-19 disrupted plans for our large rally in Harrisburg on March 23, with 14 buses scheduled from all corners of the state. More recent plans for a smaller rally have been set aside due to the current unrest in every part of our nation.

An in-person rally won’t work this year, but with almost 60,000 supporters on our email list, we can still make a huge impact if we ALL participate.

Many of you were willing to give up a day to rally in Harrisburg. Now we need you to take action from home instead.

DAY OF ACTION: JUNE 9

Look for an email from us on the morning of June 9 with actions to take. Mark your calendars and set aside time for action. Make a sign, put on your FDPA swag, take a photo and prepare to flood social media and key legislative leaders with our voices: Give the bills a vote! We’ll provide lots of options for engagement, so if you have a few minutes or a few hours, watch for that email and take action on June 9. (Not sure if you’re on our email list? Check that, join, or sign our petition here.)

TAKE ACTION NOW!

In the past 3 months we have had 63 letters to the editor, op-eds and news articles published in local newspapers across the state. We need more – and let’s make sure legislators see them.

Write a letter to the editor and submit it by June 9. Find talking points here and submission info here.

Or print some of the recently published letters to the editor and mail to any or all members of the House or Senate State Government Committee – include a personal note in support of reform.

Thanks for joining to say we will NOT wait another decade for fair maps in PA.