PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Pennsylvania’s new congressional map moves to the state Senate after getting approval from the state House Wednesday.
Rep. Seth Grove (R-York County), the chair of the State Government Committee, urged his colleagues to approve the map.
“We all have an opportunity to make a vote against gerrymandering, to make a vote against partisan data in our registered congressional redistricting process," he said.
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“For the first time in the history of the commonwealth, we'll be voting on a citizens map, a map designed by a citizen on behalf of the residents of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for our 17 congressional districts.”
He said this congressional redistricting process was the most transparent in state history.
Redistricting advocate Amanda Holt drew the map.
Rep. Scott Conklin (D-Centre County), the ranking Democrat on that committee, said it was amended to get enough Republican votes to get out of committee.
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“We aren't talking about the citizens' map today," he said. "We're talking about the gerrymandered, amended map that you have on the floor, not the citizens' map. The citizens' map could not even pass our committee.”
The map passed the House, mostly on party lines, with two Republicans voting against it: Rep. Todd Stephens of Montgomery County and Rep. Chris Quinn of Delaware County.
It goes to the state Senate, and then Gov. Tom Wolf has to sign off.
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The secretary of state has said the map should be done by January 24 to keep the primary on May 17, but there are already lawsuits asking courts to get involved.
Grove and Republicans have said they won’t move the primary.
There’s also a separate battle over the legislative districts for the state House and Senate which are drawn through a separate process.
