Ferlo gets North Hills under new map
Both seats were proposed to be moved in the preliminary plan approved in April, though the final map redraws the district currently represented by Democratic Sen. Jim Ferlo of Highland Park to now include much of the Republican-heavy North Hills.
Democrats protested that change and others in the Republican-drawn map, arguing that the updates mean that former GOP Sen. Jane Orie's district is being moved in name only.
"At the end of the day all we're doing is substituting the number" of the district being moved with that of Mr. Ferlo's district, said Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa, D-Forest Hills. "We have plan that's going to perpetuate Republican dominance in the state Legislature."
Those new maps are the state Legislative Reapportionment Commission's second attempt to craft new districts to reflect population changes in the 2010 census.
The boundaries approved last fall were rejected in January by the state Supreme Court, which said the plan divided too many localities in its attempt to create districts of equal population. The new maps likely will face judicial review again before taking effect.
The revisions will not affect the fall general election, which will take place under the current legislative boundaries.
The plan passed the five-member commission this afternoon -- after a 50-minute delay during which panel members conferred one-on-one -- on a vote of 4-1, with Mr. Costa as the sole negative vote. He offered an alternative plan that was defeated.
It continues previous efforts to relocate the South Hills seat previously held by now-Allegheny County controller Chelsa Wagner to Allentown. Four other House seats also will be shifted to other parts of the state, which Republican leaders attributed to changes in population.
"We take into account what have been the population shifts within the state of Pennsylvania such that there is fair representation for each and every area," said House Majority Leader Mike Turzai, R-Bradford Woods.
The map-makers also tweaked their preliminary plan so that several candidates who reside outside of the districts that they are seeking could continue to serve if they are elected in November.
Those candidates include D. Raja, the Mt. Lebanon businessman who bested state Rep. Mark Mustio of Moon and Bethel Park activist Sue Means in the primary, and the Democratic candidate in the 37th District race, Greg Parks of Pleasant Hills.