Post by Logan on Mar 21, 2017 12:05:26 GMT -6
Move afoot to change how Pennsylvania draws political boundaries
Speeches about how political boundaries are drawn don’t typically inspire rapt audiences. But when some of those attending Suzanne Broughton’s presentation at the Mt. Lebanon Public Library left after 15 minutes Thursday night, it wasn’t due to boredom. It was because the crowd was larger than fire codes permitted.
“There is a growing head of steam” about legislative redistricting, said Ms. Broughton, a longtime activist with the League of Women Voters. “Some of that comes from the 2016 election, and some is a matter of people waking up to the fact that this is not representative democracy.”
Concerns about gerrymandering, the carving up of legislative districts into shapes to benefit a political party, are not new. But increased public attention is being encouraged by Fair Districts PA, a project of the league and government-reform group Common Cause.
Fair Districts has been arranging talks like Ms. Broughton’s across the state. It’s also launched a website, www.fairdistrictspa.com, complete with a tongue-in-cheek video testimonial by “Jerry Mandering,” whose “No. 1 priority” is his houseplant — and removing competition for his legislative seat.
Read more: www.post-gazette.com/early-returns/erstate/2017/03/18/redistricting-pennsylvania-problems-gerrymandering-congress/stories/201703180078
Speeches about how political boundaries are drawn don’t typically inspire rapt audiences. But when some of those attending Suzanne Broughton’s presentation at the Mt. Lebanon Public Library left after 15 minutes Thursday night, it wasn’t due to boredom. It was because the crowd was larger than fire codes permitted.
“There is a growing head of steam” about legislative redistricting, said Ms. Broughton, a longtime activist with the League of Women Voters. “Some of that comes from the 2016 election, and some is a matter of people waking up to the fact that this is not representative democracy.”
Concerns about gerrymandering, the carving up of legislative districts into shapes to benefit a political party, are not new. But increased public attention is being encouraged by Fair Districts PA, a project of the league and government-reform group Common Cause.
Fair Districts has been arranging talks like Ms. Broughton’s across the state. It’s also launched a website, www.fairdistrictspa.com, complete with a tongue-in-cheek video testimonial by “Jerry Mandering,” whose “No. 1 priority” is his houseplant — and removing competition for his legislative seat.
Read more: www.post-gazette.com/early-returns/erstate/2017/03/18/redistricting-pennsylvania-problems-gerrymandering-congress/stories/201703180078