Republican lawmakers expressed outrage that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court struck down the state’s congressional map Monday, handing a major victory to Democrats who alleged the 18 districts were unconstitutionally gerrymandered to benefit the GOP.
“Today’s ruling by the state Supreme Court is a partisan action showing a distinct lack of respect for the constitution and the legislative process,” Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati and Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman said in a statement issued after the ruling. “The Pennsylvania Supreme court has overstepped its legal authority and set up an impossible deadline that will only introduce chaos in the upcoming congressional election.”
Scarnati and Corman said they will file an application with the U.S. Supreme Court this week asking for a stay on the state court ruling.
For his part, Lt. Gov. Mike Stack, a Democrat, was happy with the ruling.
“Today’s Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling is a victory for all of us who want to restore both the rights of Pennsylvania voters, and the integrity of our redistricting process,” he said.
Stack mentioned how, unlike related redistricting challenges regarding the U.S. Constitutional provisions, this decision was restricted to “unique provisions” of Pennsylvania.
“This decision affirms our contention that the current districts were stretched and contorted to achieve maximum political advantage for (Republicans) in violation of the constitution,” he said. “The (court’s) conclusion that the current congressional map ‘clearly, plainly and palpably’ violates our state constitution was supported by the overwhelming evidence presented in this case.”
U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, a Republican, called the ruling “a power grab of breathtaking audacity and overreach” in which the court gave itself “the authority to redraw the commonwealth’s congressional districts, if the Pennsylvania General Assembly does not develop and Gov. (Tom) Wolf does not approve a new statewide congressional map in a matter of weeks.”
Toomey said he believes that the proper role of judges is to enforce laws, not legislate political beliefs, and he believes that is what was done in this decision.
Renee Gamela, spokeswoman for U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson, whose 5th Congressional District covers by far the most land mass in the state, said the court “moved with a hasty ruling that will only serve to cause a great deal of uncertainty for Pennsylvania’s voters. The Congressman stands on his record and looks forward to continuing to represent his constituents as this is worked out in the courts.”
