Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf expressed his willingness to call a special session on redistricting reform if the state’s legislature reaches a compromise agreement.
On Thursday, Gov. Wolf reiterated that he’s been supportive of removing politics from redistricting even before he became governor. He supports a “true independent commission” to draw Pennsylvania’s congressional districts.
In April, the Pennsylvania House State Government Committee passed HB 722 to establish an Independent Redistricting Commission. Under the bill, the Republican and Democrat caucuses in the state House and Senate will will choose one member to serve in the Commission. The entire House and Senate will pick the fifth and sixth members. The members of the Commission is responsible for producing new boundaries for congressional districts every ten years.
Republicans attached amendments to kill redistricting reform bill
In June, the Pennsylvania Senate passed SB 22 to create an Independent Citizen’s Commission for Redistricting, with amendments. However, Democrats rejected the amendments by Republicans as a “poison pill.” Democrats also added their amendments to the bill.
