Changes to proposed Bucks County Senate map
While the proposed LRC Senate map for Bucks County appears to improve on the existing map, I would like to encourage the commission to reconsider the testimony of many citizens, including the president of the League of Women Voters of Bucks County and the former executive director of the Bucks County Planning Commission. These individuals argued for drawing the new district lines in accordance with the county's three distinct regions: Upper Bucks, Central Bucks and Lower Bucks. This would allow for representation that is both in line with the way county plans are drawn and reflective of distinctions in the economic, environmental and social challenges of each region. The proposed LRC Senate map divides both Lower and Central Bucks, leading to less competitive districts, with Democrats "packed" into the 10th Senate district and Republicans safely ensconced in the 6th Senate district. If we are to move beyond the hyper-partisanship of our current era, it is important to create competitive districts wherever possible, while still allowing for cohesion of communities of interest. Let the voters choose their representatives rather than continuing to allow representatives to choose their voters.