O'PAKE CONGRESSIONAL REDISTRICTING GOVERNMENT REFORM BILL ADVANCES

          Harrisburg, May 8, 2007 -- Legislation (SB 69) proposed by Senator Michael A. O’Pake to reduce partisanship in congressional redistricting was approved by a Senate committee this morning.
          “Berks County was one of the worst victims of the current process when it was chopped up among four congressional districts after the 2000 census,” the Reading Democrat said. “The process of opening up government demands that we end the practices that put political advantage ahead of the public interest.
          “My proposal would filter out destructive partisanship like we saw in 2001, when Pennsylvania ended up having our congressional districts essentially drawn by the White House because Republicans controlled the legislature and governor’s mansion.”
          The Senate Committee on State Government voted unanimously to send O’Pake’s proposal to the Senate for a vote along with several other reform proposals, including bills to reduce the size of the General Assembly and end lame-duck legislative sessions.
          Pennsylvania now uses two distinct processes for redrawing legislative and congressional seats as required for each decennial census.  State Senate and House districts are handled through a process set forth under the Constitution that takes the redrawing out of the hands of the legislature and places it in the hands of a bi-partisan Legislative Reapportionment Commission.
          "In contrast, congressional boundaries are redrawn using the normal legislative process,” O’Pake said, “which means that the political party in control can gerrymander the state without regard to the people’s interest.”
          “What I am proposing is simply to treat congressional reapportionment the same way, and by the same people, as state legislative districts are drawn. We already have the tools. We just need to put them to work.”
          O’Pake said it is important to consider his proposal now in order for it to be enacted in time for the next reapportionment after the 2010 census.     

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