Carol Kuniholm, is Chairwoman of Fair Districts PA, created Four years ago by other Good-Government Groups in Pennsylvania to End Partisanship in Drawing of the State's Legislative and Congressional Maps. Some Supporters of Redistricting Reform have spent 30 years asking for Redress of an Unfair Redistricting Process and an increasingly Intransigent Legislature.
CLICK HERE for their Reforms.
More recently, they have attempted every Lawful Avenue of Request, Petitioning their Representatives in Harrisburg in every way they know: Billboards, Calls, Emails, Letters, Meetings, Op-Eds, Petitions, Postcards, Radio Ads, and Resolutions of Support. All have been met with Silence, or with Empty Statements of Support by those who could Schedule a Vote or easily move Reforms Forward.
Many Members of the General Assembly, from Both Sides of the Aisle, Applaud and Affirm their Efforts. They know that the Current System puts far too much Power in the Hands of just a Few Leaders, allowing Men Elected by a Tiny Fraction of the State's Voters to: Draw District Lines, Set the Legislative Agenda, and Lock-Out any Voice of Dissent. Those who hold the Levers of Power have Ignored or Blocked All Petitions.
In the past month, 70 Members of the Fair Districts PA Team, sent Letters Signed by Hundreds of Constituents to the Republicans who Run the Senate, Joe Scarnati (R-25th District) and Jake Corman (R-24th District), and Chairman John DiSanto (R-15th District) of the Senate's State Government Committee, with No Response.
They have asked the New Speaker of the House, Bryan Cutler (R-100th District), and Chairman Garth Everett (R-84th District) of that Chamber's State Government Committee for a Vote on Bills. But have received No Assistance and No Acknowledgement of the Pressing Deadline, which has now Passed, for Enacting Reforms.
Dozens have contacted Legislators only to be told: "I'll let you know if I have questions. I see no reason to meet." Dozens have Met with Legislators who say "this is a Democrat bill" or "you're a Democrat group", both Statements are Untrue, as if that Negates the Request or Absolves them of the need to Consider its Merits.
And most of have been told the following don't matter:
- Our Number of Cosponsors, the Most of any Bills in this or the Last Session.
- The Local Resolutions Supporting them, Representing more than 70% of the Population.
- Their more than 100,00 Petition Signers.
- The Polling consistently showing more than Two-Thirds of Voters Support a Citizens Commission to take the Place of the Legislature in Drawing Election District Boundaries.
Unless Pennsylvania's Legislators Return this Summer, it is now too Late to Amend the State Constitution and Institute an Independent Commission for Legislative Redistricting in time for 2021.
But there are Other Possible Remedies:
- Strong Guardrails on the Current Redistricting Processes.
- Immediate Attention to Legislative Rules that put Far too Much Power in the Hands of Too Few Leaders.
NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker
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