from Chester County Democratic Committee, 11/25/11:
In order to cut down on political shenanigans, the PA state constitution specifies (Article II, Section 16):
“…Unless absolutely necessary no county, city, incorporated town, borough, township or ward shall be divided in forming either a
senatorial or representative district.”
The day before Thanksgiving, representatives of West Chester, East Bradford, and West Chester University presented the state’s Legislative Redistricting Commission with a proposal for redistricting districts 156, 158, 160, and 168 that adheres more closely to the constitutional mandate than the plan recently put forward by Harrisburg.
The Harrisburg plan, manifestly designed to split up municipalities that could threaten the majority party’s control, notably relegated 3/7 of the Chester County seat to a district situated mainly in Delaware County.
In the 156th, 158th, 160th, and 168th, the Harrisburg plan (see all the proposed districts courtesy of PoliticsPA) splits 7 municipalities in all: East Bradford, West Chester, Westtown, Upper Chichester, Aston, Newtown, and Upper Providence.
The “citizens’ plan”–while respecting as well or better the further desiderata of contiguity, compactness, and approximately equal populations–splits only 5 municipalities: East Bradford, Thornbury Delco, Aston, Newtown, and Upper Providence.
Therefore–and this will be significant if an appeal goes to the PA Supreme Court–it is evident that the politically-motivated splitting of 7 municipalities is not “absolutely necessary.”…
keep reading at Chester County Democratic Committee
