Considerations in the Redistricting of the PA Legi
The Legislative Reapportionment Commission's House map works to correct decades of entrenched gerrymandering that systematically over-favored and over-represented Republicans in Pennsylvania. It’s created a dramatic improvement over the previous map by merely leveling the playing field.... and yet, further improvements could be made. The map still skews >3% in the favor of Republicans and still falls short in keeping communities of interest together and increasing Latinx representation. The Latinx community has fueled population growth in our state yet their representation is suppressed by these maps. Over 1 million Pennsylvanians are of Latinx descent, 12% of our population, yet state government fails to represent them. While the LRC map is a huge, positive step forward, it still falls short in keeping communities of interest together and increasing Latinx representation... we can and must do a better job of representing PA's diverse community. Characterization of these proposed maps as “extreme partisan gerrymander” by some Republican legislators is itself a partisan sham - a proper redistricting map isn’t a partisan gerrymander because there’s an increase in districts that may vote Democratic. We are seeking a balance of power here. As a life-long PA resident, I am embarrassment to hear legislators fighting against more accurate, more representative Pennsylvania elections - please respect the democratic process. As a Pennsylvania voter, I expect my elected officials to honor and protect the right of Pennsylvanians to exercise their right to vote. I ask all legislators to find ways to protect communities of interest and accurately represent minority populations in both the Senate and House maps. Thank you for considering my comments. Sincerely, Keith Adams Nazareth, PA District 138