Shapiro, Richards Appeal State Redistricting Plan to Supreme Court

Montgomery County Commissioners Josh Shapiro and Leslie Richards, along with six other public officials and Montgomery County residents, filed an appeal with the Pennsylvania Supreme Court today contesting the latest reapportionment plan from the state legislature.

The appeal is the second filed against the 2011 Reapportionment Plan, after the Supreme Court sent back an initial plan in January 2012. At that time, the court ruled that the redistricting plan did not adhere to the state constitution's requirements for compact districts. Many Democratic leaders hailed that decision, stating that the proposal gerrymandered districts in favor of Republican political interests.

A second plan was then presented by the bipartisan Reapportionment Commission and passed by a 4-1 vote on June 8, 2012. The five-member commission comprises Sen. Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi; Sen. Democratic Leader Jay Costa; State House Majority Leader Mike Turzai; State House Democratic Leader Frank Dermody; and chairman Stephen McEwen, Jr.

The state legislature goes through a redistricting process every 10 years.

In a press release, Shapiro said that the new proposal still splits districts for political reasons.

"These splits were clearly designed to give Republicans an advantage at the polls—not to comply with a constitutional directive," Shapiro said. "This overt gerrymandering should again be struck down by the high court."

Shapiro said he is particularly concerned about district lines in Montgomery County.

"Based on our population, Montgomery County should be apportioned three whole Senate seats, and a portion of a fourth," Shapiro said. "Instead, the plan splits our county into six state Senate districts—none of which is wholly contained within Montgomery County."

State Sen. Daylin Leach, Lower Merion Treasurer Samuel Adenbaum (of Bala Cynwyd), Upper Dublin Commissioner Ira Tackel, Chairman of the Montgomery County Democratic Committee Marcel Groen, and Bala Cynwyd residents Harvey Glickman and David Dormont also joined in on the appeal.

According to the appeal, Leach testified before the reapportionment commission that he believed there was "blatant partisan gerrymandering," in the plan, which he believes "did damage to the many communities across the state."

Erik Arneson, spokesperson for Sen. Pileggi, told Patch that the currently proposed plan improves Montgomerys County's Senate districts.

"Under the existing plan, approved in 2001-02, Montgomery County is divided into eight Senate districts. The Commission's previous plan, remanded by the Supreme Court, split Montgomery County into seven Senate districts," Arneson said. "The revised final plan...splits Montgomery County into just six Senate districts. Clearly, the commission has taken the Court's direction to reduce the number of split political subdivisions very seriously."

Patch has reached out to a number of officials involved with the appeal and will be updating this story shortly.