Pennsylvania House Republicans support a legislation to amend the state Constitution to create a commission responsible for redrawing congressional district maps.

On Wednesday, the House State Government Committee passed HB 722 with 15-11 votes. The bill would establish an Independent Redistricting Commission composed of six members. The commission’s job is to produce new boundaries for congressional districts every ten years.

Under HB 722, the Republican and Democratic caucuses in the state House and Senate will choose one member to serve in the Redistricting Commission. The entire House and Senate will select the fifth and sixth members.

Redistricting Commission is bipartisan and transparent

In a statement, House State Government Committee Chairman Daryl Metcalfe (R-Butler) said the Commission is “bipartisan and transparent.” It is “truly representative of all Pennsylvania voters.”

In addition, Rep. Metcalfe said “With a citizen redistricting commission…the interests of all Pennsylvanians would be taken into account.” He explained that members of both majority and minority caucuses will need to vote on any plan approved by the Commission.

Furthermore, he said the HB 722 will prevent any activist Supreme Court from “tyrannically subverting” the redistricting criteria to its “preferred partisan agenda.”

Moreover, Rep. Metcalfe said,“Most importantly, House Bill 722 now reinforces existing constitutional provisions." The bill requires a court to return a redistricting plan for revision upon determining that it is  unconstitutional.

Both Pennsylvania House and Senate need to approve HB 722 in two-year sessions because it is a constitutional amendment.  After that, both chambers will bring the bill to voters in a statewide referendum.

The Committee vote on the bill comes after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the request of Pennsylvania Republicans to block the remedial congressional map prepared by the state’s Supreme Court.

In January, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that the state’s existing congressional map is unconstitutional. It ordered the Legislature and the Governor to produce a new map that is not a result of gerrymandering. They failed to comply with the order, which prompted that state’s high court to release a remedial congressional map.