FDPA House and Senate People's Maps Comments
My comments are concerning the FDPA People's House and Senate maps submitted to the LRC on November 10. In general, I think the maps are a great improvement over the current maps in use and would be a template for the LRC when drawing the provisional maps. These maps are the product of countless rounds of review and revision, incorporating public testimony, input from feedback forms, and dozens of large and small community mapping conversations with Commonwealth citizens. Some highlights of the People’s Maps: • Far fewer divided counties and municipalities. • Far better metrics on compactness. • More districts inclusive of ethnic and minority voices per the Voting Rights Act • Attention to PA geography, including rivers, roads, and ridges. • Significant effort to keep school districts as intact as possible and avoid dividing college campuses. There is one suggested change to the People's House map in Dauphin County. In my testimony before the LRC and from testimony submitted by others, it would be desirable to keep East Hanover Township, Dauphin County (not to be confused with the East Hanover Township in Lebanon County) whole in one district instead of split between two House districts. The economic and cultural history it shares with Derry, South Hanover, Conewego and Londonderry Townships and Hummelstown Borough makes it a good fit to combine into one district kept in the southern half of Dauphin County. This would also only split Lower Dauphin School District among two House districts. I ask that you consider this when drawing the new maps.