Pa. state Senate leader refuses court order on redrawing district maps

[PoliticAverse]

The Pennsylvania state Senate president pro tempore said Wednesday he will not cooperate with the state Supreme Court's request to turn over data after it found that the state's congressional map was unconstitutionally gerrymandered.

Joe Scarnati (R) said he wouldn't turn over the data requested by the court.

"In light of the unconstitutionality of the Court’s Orders and the Court’s plain intent to usurp the General Assembly’s constitutionally delegated role of drafting Pennsylvania’s congressional districting plan, Sen. Scarnati will not be turning over any data identified in the Court’s Orders," his lawyers wrote in a letter to the court.

The state's Supreme Court ruled earlier this month that the congressional map was gerrymandered to the point that it was unconstitutional. As a result, the state must draw a new map ahead of this year's elections.

Read the rest at: http://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/371684-pa-state-senate-leader-refuses-court-order-on-redrawing-district-maps

[trc]

1. The party that claims to be "PRO CONSTITUTION"

at all levels certainly is undermining, ignoring and destroying those very same constitutions without shame or remorse.

[asiliveandbreathe]

2. Perhaps contempt of court papers might help Mr. Scarnati.....eom

[Freedomofspeech]

3. Wow...

This is why PA stinks.

[bronxiteforever]

4. The Pa GOP doesnt want a fair fight

Cheaters gonna cheat

[femmocrat]

5. Bums. I think everyone expected they would go crying to the USSC.

They will probably drag this out with the USSC until after the Nov. election. I hope Gov. Wolf goes ahead with redrawing the districts while this is battled out in court.

[ehrnst]

6. Blatant "the laws don't apply to us" attitude.(nt)

[FakeNoose]

7. There's going to be a new map drawn by Feb. 9th

... with or without the help of the GOP.

Supreme Court will ask the governor to review info and complete by February 15th. This is going to happen guys, WITH or WITHOUT Scarnati. I'm reading it in the original Supreme Court ruling of January 22nd.

[DeminPennswoods]

8. I was wondering if the Post-Gazette would run an

editorial about this. They did, but it was so wishy-washy. Yes, Scarnati is bad for disobeying a court order, but boo on the court for giving so little time and not issuing an opinion with the order (echoing the GOP talking point). How will state legislature ever know what to do? It missed the fact that the state constitution clearly spells out the districts must be compact and not split cities, towns or municipalities - ALL of which the current map does in just about each of the 18 CDs.