HARRISBURG, Pa. — Republicans in the State House of Representatives expressed distaste with the Legislative Reapportionment Commission's proposals for new House and Senate district maps on Tuesday.
The boundaries are currently being redrawn to reflect population changes highlighted in the 2020 Census.
State Republicans say changes to district lines are typically modest, but that the new lines have made massive changes in a number of districts across the state.
Representatives continued, saying that the new lines result in several incumbents, a majority Republican, were being drawn into the same district.
"This is drawn deliberately, solely for political partisanship," said House State Government Committee Chair Republican Rep. Seth Grove.
"That small connection right there should not exist in any map produced by either the House, the Senate or the LRC. This map needs to go. They need to redo the entire thing to make sure we do not have unconstitutional districts done for partisan gerrymandering."
Democratic House Leader Rep. Joanna McClinton disagrees, saying that the new maps give a voice to the underrepresented.
"Dramatic population shifts and entrenched underrepresentation demanded a fresh perspective on mapping," said McClinton.
"The preliminary House map is representative of the Commonwealth as it is today and allows for equal participation in the electoral process."
The chair of Fair Districts PA, Carol Kuniholm, says though it may be frustrating for incumbents, the result is more compact districts, with fewer county splits.
The Legislative Reapportionment Commission is made up of four state house and senate leaders, as well as a non-partisan chair.