PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Republicans in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives are proposing a constitutional amendment that would change how legislative maps are drawn.
Democratic legislators are calling it a blatant power grab.
Legislative and congressional maps are redrawn every 10 years based on the U.S. Census.
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The state legislature is in charge of drawing congressional maps, but legislative maps for the Pennsylvania Senate and House are drawn by the five-person Legislative Reapportionment Commission. That group consists of four party leaders, two from the House and two from the Senate, and a chairman.
“You literally have politicians picking the maps," said State Government Committee Chair Seth Grove (R-York County).
He said the proposed constitutional amendment would fix the current system by replacing the current commission with an 11-person panel.
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“There aren't state politicians who have a vested interest in what those maps look like, creating these maps," Grove said. "It is citizens."
State Government Committee Minority Chair Scott Conklin (D-Centre County) said calling it a “citizens' map” sounds good, but he argues the commission would simply be stacked by the party in power.
“Let's look at doing a true citizens' commission," Conklin suggested. "One that the citizens are involved in, not the politicians."
A constitutional amendment has to pass both the House and Senate in two separate sessions. Then it would go on the ballot for voters to decide.
While Republicans say they had the fairest way to do things, Democrats pushed back, saying low turnout in off-year primaries means these amendments are passing with approval from about 11% of voters.
