Senate Maps Lehigh Valley
I am the Secretary of the NAACP Allentown. I am a graduate of Cedar Crest College with a B.S. in Business with a minor in Economics and an MBA in Business Administration. I was elected South Whitehall precinct leader for the Democratic Party. The NAACP has been watching redistricting all over the country to make sure that maps are drawn relatively for black and brown people. But, unfortunately, the map released by the LRC for Senate in P.A. does not assure minorities that their voice is heard in Lehigh Valley. Instead, it improperly dilutes minority voices by separating West Bethlehem and Bethlehem. In addition, the new map removes 14 precincts in Allentown, and it has Allentown School District into separate districts. I hear that the Commission also wanted to try and pack all of Allentown and all of Bethlehem into one district. To consolidate these two areas together would also be egregious to both regions. This map violates the P.A. Constitution. Art. II, § 16 “Unless necessary no county, city, incorporated town, borough, township or ward shall be divided in forming either a senatorial or representative district.” This law was successfully used in: Holt v. 2011 Legislative Reapportionment Com’n, 614 Pa. 364 (2012) I expect you to make Allentown whole, make Bethlehem whole (separate from Allentown), and that the 14th district will be restructured to remain within the Lehigh County borders and include Allentown. Senate Maps Lehigh Valley Best Regards, Barbara Redmond