RICH RAFFERTY and JAMIE MOGIL from FAIR DISTRICTS Pa, spoke to the club about the current hot button item of Gerrymandering and current legislative proposals for redistricting in Pennsylvania. The practice of gerrymandering has been around since 1812 but has become a significant topic here due to the extreme nature of Pa's 7th Congressional District, which has attracted national attention. They explained the different methods used by politicians to create voting districts that may affect election outcomes for federal and state legislatures. New electronic datelining techniques have led to highly detailed maps of who votes in what manner , and are used extensively in map preparations. Jamie pointed out the negative affects of gerrymandering in holding down the number of candidates in primary elections and reducing competition in general elections, citing that most state legislative elections have major candidates running unopposed.
FAIR DISTRICTS Pa is pushing support for Pa legislation : House Bill 722, and Senate Bill 22, which would change the districting process by creating an independent citizen's redistricting commission, aimed taking the process out of the hands of political operatives.
For further information on how you can get involved contact them at:
or visit their website:
www.FairDistrictsPA.com
Chair- DAVID SHOEMAKER and President -ROBIN PARKER welcome JAMIE MOGIL and RICH RAFFERTY from FAIR DISTRICTS Pa.