The Committee of Seventy, Draw the Lines PA’s parent organization, has long advocated giving Pennsylvania voters a bigger role in election redistricting.
It was a supporter of the effort to pass a constitutional amendment to set up a citizens redistricting commission.
When that effort ran aground in the state General Assembly last July, Seventy issues this statement blaming lawmakers for their lack of action but making the case for continued hope and activism around this issue in Harrisburg.
Seventy’s president and chief executive officer, David Thornburgh, sees Draw the Lines PA as a logical next step in a long and stubborn fight to enact redistricting reform in Pennsylvania:
“One of the most damaging aspects of the practice of partisan gerrymandering in PA is that it’s been conducted in secret by a small band of political operatives,” Thornburgh said. “Seventy has always embraced the values of transparency and integrity in politics, and the belief that citizens can and must have the chance to make their voices heard. When thousands of Pennsylvanians literally take redistricting into their own hands, it can only help to accelerate the pursuit towards reform.”
