Statement On LRC Decision To End Prison Gerrymandering Practice

As Pennsylvania redraws its legislative maps, LWVPA applauds the Legislative Reapportionment Commission’s decision to count people at their home communities, instead of where they are imprisoned. This represents an important step forward for fairness and accuracy in Pennsylvania's civic process. We thank the Commission for taking one of many steps needed to end gerrymandering.

We are pleased to share the statement below from Carol Kuniholm, Chair of Fair Districts PA:

The Legislative Reapportionment Commission (LRC) voted 3 to 2 yesterday in favor of a resolution to reallocate prison data to count incarcerated people in their home communities. According to the resolution, introduced by House Minority Leader Joanna McClinton, the LRC will count most individuals in state prisons as residents of their last known address.

People in PA state prisons who did not live in Pennsylvania before incarceration will not be counted at all for redistricting purposes. Excluded from reallocation are those with no known home address or individuals serving life sentences, who will be counted in their places of incarceration.

Representative McClinton and Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa were expected yes votes. Both Republican leaders, House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff and Senate Majority Leader Kim Ward, voted no.

Chairman Mark Nordenberg was the positive tie-breaking vote. Before calling the vote, he described his own deliberative process and his conviction that the commission was designed to be independent of legislative influence. Much of what he said was an encouraging sign that this commission will be conducted more independently than commissions in the past, with far greater transparency and more visible public deliberation.

Fair Districts PA was an active participant in a series of regional forums on this issue this past winter and spring. We submitted joint letters with other organizations, helped publicize a petition that we submitted to the LRC, and supporters gave testimony and submitted dozens of online comments on the LRC comment page. Thank you to all who played an active role in encouraging the LRC to pass this resolution.

This change is an important step toward more equitable representation. Take a moment to celebrate.

And take heart: our voices together can make change possible.