Senate Maps Lehigh Valley
THE DISPUTES WITH REDISTRICTING: • There is an improper dilution of minority influence • Lehigh County ends up with two new districts. In addition, Allentown is split into two different senatorial sections. • West Bethlehem has been cut out of a Northampton district and put into a district among Allentown, reducing the minority influence of the Northampton district. • West Bethlehem was put into a district with Allentown • Allentown school district (one of the poorest school districts in PA) will be split because of the 14 precincts that have been removed from Allentown. The Parties Leadership was disproportion when drawing and thinking about the maps. The Republicans have a team of people, and the Democrats just have one person to help draw the maps. Therefore, the parties need to explain why they chopped Allentown into small areas irrelevant to Allentown other than gerrymandering. If the goal is to make a district in the Lehigh Valley that reduces municipal, county, and school District splits, the City of Allentown and the Allentown School District must stay in one District If the goal is to create a district with the strongest VRA argument, the City of Allentown and its diverse population should remain in one District. The goal is for districts to have a diverse urban core with surrounding suburbs. For example, a District must be centered in the City of Allentown with its regional suburbs, and one must be centered in the City of Bethlehem with its regional suburbs. Glenda Mason NAACP Allentown Branch