Politics & Government
Redrawing Pennsylvania: Redistricting to Result in Loss of House Seat
County commissioners from across Western Pennsylvania speak at the meeting in Cranberry Township.
Officials from across Western Pennsylvania gathered Thursday in Cranberry for a to receive testimony and collect public input on realignment based on U.S. Census data.
Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, R-Cranberry, who is House State Government Committee majority chairman, and Senate State Government Chairman Sen. Chuck McIhinney, R-Bucks, hosted the two-hour hearing at the township’s . Joining them was a panel of state House and Senate government committee members.
Redistricting is a state legislative process in which the boundaries of congressional and legislative districts are redrawn every 10 years based on growth to meet the constitutional requirement of one person, one vote.
Find out what's happening in Sewickleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Because of the latest census figures -- which showed Pennsylvania not experiencing as much growth as other states across the country -- the state must eliminate one congressional district, which will bring its total number of seats to 18. Pennsylvania also lost two congressional seats in the 1990s.
On Thursday, county commissioners from across Western Pennsylvania who spoke at the meeting, including those from Crawford, Armstrong and Indiana counties, made it clear they’d prefer that the redistricting process not require the carving up of their municipalities or counties. Others asked the committee to take into account communities with similar population and socioeconomic conditions when creating the new districts.
Find out what's happening in Sewickleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Tom Porter, of Armstrong County, noted that the residents in his rural county would prefer a rural representative who reflects the community.
“I just want you to use your common sense,” he told panel members.
On representation by the U.S. House, Butler County Commissioner James Kennedy, said officials would prefer the county to be wholly contained within the 3rd Congressional District, which Mike Kelly, R-Butler, represents.
The county now is divided between the 3rd and the 4th District, which Jason Altmire, D-McCandless, represents.
Kelly said residents would have less confusion and a better connection to their legislator with only one representative. While Kelly said both congressmen have done a good job, he’d prefer Kelly, a Butler County native and a former Butler City councilman, as the county’s sole representative.
“It is really important that the public knows and has an association with that representative,” he said.
A statement from Butler County Commissioners presented to the panel concurred. “While the commissioners enjoy a productive relationship with its multiple congressional and state legislators, we feel the districts are too fragmented to efficiently serve the needs of Butler County’s people,” the statement read.
Kennedy said commissioners also would prefer one state Senate district instead of the current four. The county also has five state House districts, but Kennedy said commissioners would like to change that to no more than three districts.
With Butler County’s population at 184,694, Kelly noted that it is one of the fastest growing counties in the state. showed Sewickley grew in population. As for counties, Butler and Washington were the only counties in Western Pennsylvania with an uptick in population.
Other speakers included Dr. Michael McDonald, an associate professor at George Mason University, and Dr. Jennifer Nicoll Victor, as assistant professor of political science at the University of Pittsburgh. Both emphasized the importance of transparency and fairness as the new districts are drawn to avoid redistricting based on politics.
In Pennsylvania, the General Assembly legislates congressional redistricting, and the governor must approve it. Metcalfe and McIhinney said legislators have not begun the process of drawing the new map lines. The final results should be unveiled to the public at another hearing by year-end, Metcalfe said.
He said the turnout at the hearings, which were not conducted during the last congressional redistricting process, pleased him.
“I thought today was very productive,” he said.
The joint committee will conduct a hearing Tuesday in Harrisburg. The first hearing was May 12 in Philadelphia. Residents wishing to give their input on redistricting may call Metcalfe’s Harrisburg office at 717-783-1707.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.