Fair representation in Centre County
Chair Nordenberg and the Legislative Reapportionment Commission, My name is Kate Barron-Avillion and I am resident of Centre County. I am writing today to ask that the preliminary PA House district lines for Centre County and the Commonwealth, shared with the public on Thursday December 16, 2021, remain as proposed. First, thank you for the thoughtful deliberation, fairness, and transparency in the process – these efforts are reflected in the lines of the proposed map. The creation of a new, more competitive district in Centre County (HD-82) better represents the region as a whole, and further recognizes the demographics of the residents currently being represented by Rep. Scott Conklin (HD-77) and House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff (HD-171). Second, these proposed lines address the severe gerrymandering Centre County has been subjected to over the past decade. They keep districts compact and contiguous, and only separates two of the most populous municipalities – State College Borough and Ferguson Township – which is a necessity for the fair distribution of the population and representation of the demographics in the region, but does not take advantage of it. Lastly, while Centre County has certainly skewed purple in past years, we are now seeing it lean more Democratic. However, Centre County is currently split into four different House districts, three of which are tied in with other counties and lean Republican. Our voices are not accurately represented across the Commonwealth. Keeping the population centers in a more compact and contiguous manner, and with three districts as opposed to four, makes it fairer, while also keeping it competitive. I hope you’ll take these remarks into account in approving the final map. Thank you for your commitment and efforts towards upholding Pennsylvania’s democracy. Sincerely, Kate Barron-Avillion