Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi, R-Delaware, said he did not expect the Legislature to delay the April 24 primary, despite uncertainty about the district lines following last month’s Supreme Court ruling that threw out proposed General Assembly maps that were based on the 2010 census.
Neither Pileggi nor the other four members of the Legislative Reapportionment Commission had much to say about the status of negotiations on new maps for the 203 House and 50 Senate districts. The court ruled 4-3 that the maps approved in December split too many municipalities and included districts that were not sufficiently compact to meet constitutional standards.
The commission, which met briefly Wednesday without holding a vote, consists of the House and Senate floor leaders from both parties, and a fifth member appointed by the Supreme Court, Stephen J. McEwen Jr., a Republican who is a president judge emeritus of Superior Court and a former Delaware County district attorney.
“We feel we need to respect the judge’s request to keep working, and that’s what we’re going to do,” said Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa, D-Allegheny.
During brief remarks at the meeting, McEwen said the sides continued to try to develop new maps.
“It has come close,” he said. “We’re not there yet.”
McEwen scheduled the next meeting for Feb. 28.
The redistricting process is designed to redraw districts to take into account population shifts every decade.
Also up in the air is the status of special elections for six vacant House seats, districts without representation since the previous incumbents took new elective offices in January. A lawsuit filed by voters in the districts is asking the state Supreme Court to order House Speaker Sam Smith, R-Jefferson, to put them on the April 24 ballot.
