Mare Kremser Explains Redistricting 

Newtown Township Board of Supervisors Meeting, May 9, 2018

At the May 9, 2018, Newtown Board of Supervisors (BOS) public meeting, Mare Kremser, who works for Fair Districts PA,  explains how the creation of a truly independent citizens redistricting commission devoid of political motivation or partisanship will ensure a fair, transparent, and accurate legislative and congressional redistricting process that respects political subdivisions. After her comments, by a 4 to 1 vote (Kyle Davis voting No), the BOS passed Resolution 2018-R-15 in support of redistricting (see below for the entire resolution).

RESOLUTION 2018-R-15

A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF NEWTOWN TOWNSHIP, BUCKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA, IN SUPPORT OF A CITIZENS COMMISSION FOR LEGISLATIVE AND CONGRESSIONAL REDISTRICTING  

WHEREAS, the citizens of the Township of Newtown and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania deserve a fair, fully transparent, impartial and depoliticized process of the decennial drawing of state legislature and congressional districts of near equal population; and  

WHEREAS, legislative and congressional redistricting has at times resulted in gerrymandered districts that favor one political party over others; and  

WHEREAS, such gerrymandering of legislative and congressional districts has worked at times to the detriment of our representative democracy; and  

WHEREAS, the creation of a truly independent citizens redistricting commission devoid of political motivation or partisanship will: ensure a fair, transparent, and accurate legislative and congressional redistricting process that respects political subdivisions; prohibit districts from being drawn to favor or discriminate against a political party or candidate; require the use of impartial and sound methodology when setting district boundaries; require public input; and fully comply with the constitutional requirement that "no county, city, incorporated town, borough, township or ward" be divided "unless absolutely necessary,"; and  

WHEREAS, legislation to amend the Pennsylvania Constitution to reform the decennial legislative and congressional redistricting process with the intent of using fairness and sound methodology in a non-partisan fashion is required to ensure these reforms.  

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Newtown Township Board of Supervisors does hereby support legislative efforts to amend the Pennsylvania Constitution to assign the decennial task of both legislative and congressional redistricting to an independent citizens redistricting commission; and  

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we call upon all those elected officials and party leaders in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania who represent the citizens of the Township of Newtown (see list below) to publicly announce their support of and commitment to work towards passage of such legislative efforts, and that a copy of this resolution be delivered to each of them.

• Governor Tom Wolf
• Lieutenant Governor Mike Stack
• Attorney General Josh Shapiro
• Acting Secretary of Commonwealth Robert Torres
• United States Senator Bob Casey
• United States Senator Pat Toomey
• United States Representative Brian Fitzpatrick
• Pennsylvania Senator Charles McIlhinney
• Pennsylvania Representative Perry Warren
• Robert G. Loughery, County Commissioner
• Charles H. Martin, County Commissioner
• Diane M. Ellis-Marseglia, LCSW, County Commissioner
• Jack Hanna, Interim Chairman, Democratic Party of Pennsylvania
• Val DiGiorgio, Chairman, Republican Party of Pennsylvania