Pennsylvania Supreme Court issues new election map

Fox News ^ | 19 February 2018 | AP

[napscoordinator]

HARRISBURG, Pa. – Pennsylvania's high court issued a new congressional district map for the state's 2018 elections on its self-imposed deadline Monday, all but ensuring that Democratic prospects will improve in several seats and that Republican lawmakers challenge it in federal court. The map of Pennsylvania's 18 congressional districts is to be in effect for the May 15 primary and substantially overhauls a congressional map widely viewed as among the nation's most gerrymandered. The map was approved in a 4-3 decision. Most significantly, the new map likely gives Democrats a better shot at winning seats in Philadelphia's heavily populated and moderate suburbs, where Republicans had held seats in bizarrely contorted districts, including one labeled "Goofy Kicking Donald Duck."

[napscoordinator]

Wow. It actually looks like a normal map. I think the Supreme Court did a pretty good job. Congratulations Pennsylvania. Now on to many many other states. Maryland would be a good start. I guess North Carolina is getting a go at it. There is no reason that weird shapes should be part of it.

[SJSAMPLE]

Regardless of whether or not they did a good job, was it the court’s job to do?

[FredZarguna]

Except that neither the Pennsylvania Constitution nor the Federal Constitution gives any entity other than the state legislature the authority to draw the map.

So you're approving of lawlessness. Congratulations.

[Red Badger]

[FredZarguna]

No, it wasn’t, and the Democrats on the court should be impeached, convicted, and removed.

[aumrl]

Who the heck are you ?

And where is the court empowered to do this?
The Pennsylvania constitution is deliberately vague on this issue.

[SandRat]

WHAT?? They didn’t just ose T Squares ans Right Angle Drafting Tools?

[OrangeHoof]

The devil is in the details. Where are the “black” neighborhoods? Is it population-weighted? I don’t know enough about Pennsylvania’s geographic landscape to know if it is fair or not but at least it doen’t look crazy gerrymandered. It also seems a bit tilted toward Philadelphia.

[DIRTYSECRET]

Can anyone put up Mel Watt’s N.C. district?

[napscoordinator]

Don’t you think it is important for the Supreme Court to step in when the Legislature screwed up the job? We see that every day. Good grief. The Supreme Court is the only reason we still have a 2nd Amendment with Hellar.

[Buckeye McFrog]

I think the Supreme Court did a pretty good job. Congratulations Pennsylvania.

Don't fall for that. The Court is dominated by activist left-wing hacks. We fell asleep for an off-year election and the unions managed to cram this group down our piehole.

[napscoordinator]

The Supreme Court is looking at a few in the Spring.

[Red Steel]

Here's what it looked like before.

[napscoordinator]

The legislature could not come up with a map. When the lawmakers can’t do their job. The Supreme Court steps in. Happens with many issues.

[pgkdan]

I think the Supreme Court did a pretty good job.

Are you serious? The PA Supreme Court has no more authority to draw that map than I do. That's a responsibility granted solely to legislatures.

[napscoordinator]

Philadelphia went from 3 House seats to 2 house seats so it looks to me they were pretty fair across the board.

[Greetings_Puny_Humans]

Wow. It actually looks like a normal map. I think the Supreme Court did a pretty good job.

I say "bulls***!" This new map hurts Republicans. I don't care how fair or normal it looks.

We're at war here and Republicans need to understand exactly what that means. The ONLY reason the courts intervened here is because Republicans benefited. They will NOT do so in other states.

[4yearlurker]

So it's the court's job to see more Democrats are elected and hold more power in the state? This whole thing stinks. No doubt that POS Wolfe is behind this too.

[Red Steel]

Party by Cong district.

[napscoordinator]

That is embarrassing. If you didn’t know who made that map, everyone would think it was some sort of joke.