Joe.My.God. LGBT News
Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. Mike Stack just announced on Twitter that the state Supreme Court has ruled 4-3 that the state’s US House district maps are unconstitutional, giving the state legislature under a month to redraw the maps.
The Times weighed in on the pending ruling last week:
If Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court rules that the state’s congressional map must be redrawn, Democrats’ opportunities could improve a lot before the midterms. It’s clear that the current one was drawn to the advantage of Republicans. Democrats won only five of the state’s 18 congressional districts in 2012, the year it took effect, even though they won the House statewide popular vote by 1.5 percentage points.
That’s partly because Democrats tend to “waste” votes in heavily Democratic urban areas, like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. But the cartoon-moose-shaped Seventh District, running from Philadelphia city limits to Amish country, is routinely listed among the nation’s most gerrymandered. It’s represented by the Republican Patrick Meehan, who faces a competitive re-election contest in a district that just barely voted for Hillary Clinton.
On this nonpartisan map, the Seventh would become a Democratic stronghold. The map here relies on standard nonpartisan redistricting criteria, like compactness and representing communities of interest. Democrats would make more incremental gains in several other congressional districts where Republicans have taken more subtle steps to reinforce their position.
The PA Supreme Court just ruled by a 4-3 vote that PA’s Congressional Maps are unconstitutional. They are giving the GA until February 19 to draw the new districts.
— Lt. Gov. Mike Stack (@LtGovStack) January 22, 2018
BREAKING: Pennsylvania Supreme Court throws out state’s congressional map, ruling that gerrymandering violates constitution.
— The Associated Press (@AP) January 22, 2018
A huge loss for the Republicans: the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has ordered a new congressional map in one of the country’s most gerrymandered states.
It’s a state case, so SCOTUS appeal is unlikely.
It’s likely to cost the GOP a seat, and undermine their position in others— Nate Cohn (@Nate_Cohn) January 22, 2018
BREAKING: The Pennsylvania Supreme Court just struck another blow against partisan gerrymandering. They held the maps Republicans drew in 2011 violate the state’s constitution and they’ve ordered new maps drawn for the 2018 elections.
— NDRC (@DemRedistrict) January 22, 2018
WE WON! The PA Supreme Court just held that PA’s congressional districts violate the PA constitution and ordered a new map for 2018!
— Daniel Jacobson (@Dan_F_Jacobson) January 22, 2018
They have also appointed a special master to help fashion the new districts if the GA cannot pass a map that meets sane redistricting criteria.
— Lt. Gov. Mike Stack (@LtGovStack) January 22, 2018