Posted: Thursday, May 9, 2013 5:45 pm | Updated: 8:59 pm, Thu May 9, 2013.
Posted on May 9, 2013
Should Scott Petri run for re-election and win in 2014, his district will look a lot different than it does today.Petri, R-178, will pick up Solebury and New Hope from Rep. Bernie O'Neill, R-29, and all of Upper Makefield, which he currently shares with Rep. Steve Santarsiero, D-31. He'll lose Ivyland and a piece of Warwick to O'Neill, and the eastern slice of Upper Southampton to Rep. Frank Farry, R-142.If it sounds complicated, welcome to the puzzle that is redistricting. It's a once-a-decade process to redraw district maps to equalize representation in the Legislature based on the 2010 census.
"I have mixed feelings," Petri said. "I like the fact that there are no split districts. They're confusing to voters. People wonder, are they represented by Scott? Are they represented by Steve?
"I'm certainly not happy to lose any constituents. After 10 years you develop relationships with many people. You know them, you know their families. On the other hand, I'm very excited to learn about the challenges with Solebury and New Hope Borough. I've got to get to know those folks and have them get to know me. I've got to find out what their issues are," Petri added.
The revised boundaries won the approval Wednesday of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, which ruled 6-0 that the new map is constitutional. The current districts remain in effect through the 2014 election. On Dec. 1 of that year, the districts change.
The court ruled 4-3 last year to reject the map drawn by the Legislative Reapportionment Commission's two Democrats, two Republicans and a former Republican because political considerations had unduly split municipalities and produced strangely shaped districts.
"It's never a good idea for legislators to control redistricting," Santarsiero said. "That's a reform we need to look for in Pennsylvania."
He suggested a nonpartisan commission, but admitted that could also pose risks. "The trick there is, who appoints those commissioners and is it non-partisan?"
"The bottom line," he said, "it shouldn't be the Legislature."
The 29th District was created a decade ago in the last reapportionment. The removal of New Hope and Solebury shrinks its geography. But it makes up for it with the heavily populated northern portion of Warminster, currently represented by Kathy Watson, R-144, and moves that township into one district. It also will receive the rest of Warwick and Ivyland.
"Most of the people knew me already because I had part of Warwick and Warminster," O'Neill said. "Scott and I work together hand-in-hand on problems, so they get to know you. I was a Warminster supervisor, so it's not as difficult for me. Unfortunately, I'm losing a lot of good constituents."
Farry will lose some of Middletown and all of Hulmeville and Penndel to Tina Davis, D-141. Farry will represent all of Lower Southampton, part of which was in the district represented by Rep. Gene DiGirolamo, R-18. DiGirolamo's new district will be made up solely of Bensalem.
Santarsiero's district will get more Democratic as he picks up three of the four wards in Morrisville from Rep. John Galloway, D-140.
"It does become more Democratic, but again, this was the Republican map," he said. "It's ironic that happened in my case. It did not happen because the Democratic Party was pushing that.
"While I'm sad to see Washington Crossing go, I'm excited to work with folks in the Morrisville community. It's a good river town, like Yardley," Santarsiero said.
In Upper Bucks, Haycock will shift from Paul Clymer, R-145, to Marguerite Quinn, R-143.
In Montgomery County, Todd Stephens, R-151, will gain all of Horsham and a portion of Lower Gwynedd, while losing parts of Abington and Ambler.
Tom Murt, R-152, will lose Horsham. Bob Godshall, R-53, will lose part of Towamencin in favor of part of Lower Salford. Madeline Dean, D-153, will share Upper Dublin with Murt and Stephens.
On the Senate side, Bob Mensch, R-24, will have the largest shift, losing portions of Lehigh and Northampton counties and picking up more of Berks, Bucks and Montgomery counties.
The 24th will pick up Bridgeton and Tinicum, currently represented by Chuck McIlhinney, R-10, and will lose East Rockhill. Mensch called his district "more compact."
When the court struck down reapportionment last year, residents mistakenly went to his offices for a variety of services.
"I told my folks, if people come in we'll take care of them," he said. "We're not going to send them somewhere else. The doors are open."
"I have mixed feelings," Petri said. "I like the fact that there are no split districts. They're confusing to voters. People wonder, are they represented by Scott? Are they represented by Steve?
"I'm certainly not happy to lose any constituents. After 10 years you develop relationships with many people. You know them, you know their families. On the other hand, I'm very excited to learn about the challenges with Solebury and New Hope Borough. I've got to get to know those folks and have them get to know me. I've got to find out what their issues are," Petri added.
The revised boundaries won the approval Wednesday of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, which ruled 6-0 that the new map is constitutional. The current districts remain in effect through the 2014 election. On Dec. 1 of that year, the districts change.
The court ruled 4-3 last year to reject the map drawn by the Legislative Reapportionment Commission's two Democrats, two Republicans and a former Republican because political considerations had unduly split municipalities and produced strangely shaped districts.
"It's never a good idea for legislators to control redistricting," Santarsiero said. "That's a reform we need to look for in Pennsylvania."
He suggested a nonpartisan commission, but admitted that could also pose risks. "The trick there is, who appoints those commissioners and is it non-partisan?"
"The bottom line," he said, "it shouldn't be the Legislature."
The 29th District was created a decade ago in the last reapportionment. The removal of New Hope and Solebury shrinks its geography. But it makes up for it with the heavily populated northern portion of Warminster, currently represented by Kathy Watson, R-144, and moves that township into one district. It also will receive the rest of Warwick and Ivyland.
"Most of the people knew me already because I had part of Warwick and Warminster," O'Neill said. "Scott and I work together hand-in-hand on problems, so they get to know you. I was a Warminster supervisor, so it's not as difficult for me. Unfortunately, I'm losing a lot of good constituents."
Farry will lose some of Middletown and all of Hulmeville and Penndel to Tina Davis, D-141. Farry will represent all of Lower Southampton, part of which was in the district represented by Rep. Gene DiGirolamo, R-18. DiGirolamo's new district will be made up solely of Bensalem.
Santarsiero's district will get more Democratic as he picks up three of the four wards in Morrisville from Rep. John Galloway, D-140.
"It does become more Democratic, but again, this was the Republican map," he said. "It's ironic that happened in my case. It did not happen because the Democratic Party was pushing that.
"While I'm sad to see Washington Crossing go, I'm excited to work with folks in the Morrisville community. It's a good river town, like Yardley," Santarsiero said.
In Upper Bucks, Haycock will shift from Paul Clymer, R-145, to Marguerite Quinn, R-143.
In Montgomery County, Todd Stephens, R-151, will gain all of Horsham and a portion of Lower Gwynedd, while losing parts of Abington and Ambler.
Tom Murt, R-152, will lose Horsham. Bob Godshall, R-53, will lose part of Towamencin in favor of part of Lower Salford. Madeline Dean, D-153, will share Upper Dublin with Murt and Stephens.
On the Senate side, Bob Mensch, R-24, will have the largest shift, losing portions of Lehigh and Northampton counties and picking up more of Berks, Bucks and Montgomery counties.
The 24th will pick up Bridgeton and Tinicum, currently represented by Chuck McIlhinney, R-10, and will lose East Rockhill. Mensch called his district "more compact."
When the court struck down reapportionment last year, residents mistakenly went to his offices for a variety of services.
"I told my folks, if people come in we'll take care of them," he said. "We're not going to send them somewhere else. The doors are open."
1 comment:
William Hellmann CPA's big chance to face off against Steve Santarsiero????? Beloved in Morrisville, can Hellmann spread his brand of joy beyond the boundaries of Morrisville?
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