Pa. speaker: District maps are not legal

Associated Press

HARRISBURG

The speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives on Monday asked a federal judge to rule that the state legislative district maps in place for the past decade are unconstitutional and may not be used for any future elections.

Revisions to the state’s legislative map that reflect population shifts from the 2010 census are in limbo for now after a new map was rejected by the state Supreme Court last week. A spokesman for Speaker Sam Smith said the federal lawsuit was filed to resolve the ensuing “chaos” the state court’s decision creates for candidates seeking to run in special elections to fill six House vacancies.

Smith, R-Jefferson, sued Secretary of State Carol Aichele in Philadelphia federal court, arguing that population changes since 2001 mean that the existing map violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution as well as terms of the state constitution.

As speaker, Smith must schedule the special House elections.

Department of State press secretary Ronald G. Ruman said officials had not seen the lawsuit, but added that Smith raised a fair question.

“Obviously, population shifts have occurred since 2001,” Ruman said. “Under the one-person, one-vote requirement, that would be an issue that we think is valid to look at.”