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.
