Advocacy group Fair Districts PA announced on Thursday that Clinton County is the first in the state to get all of its municipalities and county commissioners to pass resolutions in support of redistricting reform. The group believes momentum to end gerrymandering is growing.
The resolutions demand a fair way to draw legislative district lines and to end gerrymandering in Pennsylvania. Twenty-nine municipalities as well as the county commissioners supported reform.
Jamie Mogil, state coordinator for resolutions for Fair Districts PA, said the issue is bigger than party politics.
"It’s a symbol of good government and what happens when local leaders listen to their constituents," she said. "They recognize that they have a voice that maybe has been lost due to gerrymandering, and they can gain it back."
Rose Reeder is a coordinator also from Fair Districts PA. She said she visited every municipality in the county and spoke with local leaders about gerrymandering.
“They listened, they thought about it, and one by one they decided to sign the resolution,” Reeder said.
Jeff Snyder is a Clinton County Commissioner and a Republican. He said the resolution is a statement to other counties and the state.
“This is the right thing to do, regardless of who has the majority of power at the time. All elections should be set up so they’re fair,” Snyder said.
A lawsuit claiming Pennsylvania’s congressional districts as unconstitutionally gerrymandered has been on trial in federal court this week.
