38th District
Dear Members of the Legislative Reapportionment Commission, I hope this message finds you well. As a resident of the PA 38th State Senate District, I was disappointed to see that the new maps presented seem to further divide both the City of Pittsburgh as well as the suburbs. This new district removes suburban municipalities such as Marshall, Franklin Park, and Bradford Woods and adds in more City of Pittsburgh Wards. I believe it is in the best interest of both the residents of the City of Pittsburgh and the suburbs to be in their own respective districts. The new maps go against the State Constitution which states that municipalities should be divided up the minimum amount of times necessary. The new maps divide up the City of Pittsburgh 3 times instead of the 2 times needed as the city population is roughly 302k and the size of a State Senate District is around 250k. Knowing this, I would suggest that a map such as the "Amanda Holt State Senate Map: Exception 2 City of Pittsburgh Division" should be implemented. Holt's map removes all 3 city wards from District 38 and replaces them with the Avonworth School District, Northgate School District, and Millvale. This makes sense knowing that school districts such as Avonworth, Northgate, and Shaler all play in the same sports leagues and there is a much bigger community interest in combining these with other northern suburbs instead of city wards. It also consolidates the Cornell School District, by moving Neville Island into the 37th District. Holt's map would also help the 42nd District be more compact, include more of the city, and stay mainly below the Allegheny Rivers with exception to the city. Lastly, Holt's map for the 38th District would also help the district become more competitive, being won by Trump in 2016 and then Biden in 2020, it would create a true swing district. This would give all voters, including independents a better voice.