skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Wednesday, February 12, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

As Elon Musk looks on, Trump says he's giving DOGE even more power; Officials monitor latest AR bird flu outbreak; NV lawmaker proposes new date for Indigenous Peoples Day; NM lawmaker says journalists of all stripes need protection; Closure of EPA branch would harm VA environment.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A court weighs the right of New York City noncitizens to vote in local elections, Vice President Vance suggests courts can't overrule a president, and states increasingly challenge the validity of student IDs at the ballot box.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Medical debt, which tops $90 billion has an outsized impact on rural communities, a new photography book shares the story of 5,000 schools built for Black students between 1912 and 1937, and anti-hunger advocates champion SNAP.

Teaming Up to Tackle Redistricting Reform in PA

play audio
Play

Friday, June 9, 2023   

The U.S. Supreme Court ruling yesterday about making voting maps more fair in Alabama gives new hope to groups in Pennsylvania that have teamed up to get redistricting reform bills passed in the Commonwealth to stop what they see as gerrymandering.

The new Pennsylvania Redistricting Table is a partnership of organizations concerned about redistricting, saying they want the process to focus on voters instead of legislators and political parties.

Carol Kuniholm, chair of the group Fair Districts PA, said more than 200 people attended a virtual forum - showing there is considerable interest in redistricting reform.

"The panelists," said Kuniholm, "they discussed what we've learned about redistricting reform, what we've learned about how to make sure voters' votes are not diluted in the redistricting process."

She said her organization has been trying to get reform legislation passed since 2016.

The League of Women Voters and other groups involved in the partnership have been working on this since the 1980s. But so far, legislative leadership has blocked the bills.

Kuniholm said they believe the redistricting process needs to be completely changed so that citizens' voices are stronger - and that legislators have much less clout in the outcome.

"So, communities that feel like they don't have a choice often stop voting," said Kuniholm. "People who feel like, you know, we've had the same legislator forever - there's no way to change that, because the district is drawn to keep that person in power."

She added that it's important for Pennsylvanians to stay informed about the next census in 2030 and the subsequent redistricting process which will happen the year after.

The Pennsylvania Redistricting Table plans to let people know as early as possible about why the census and redistricting processes matter, to ensure that everyone is counted.



Disclosure: Fair Districts PA contributes to our fund for reporting on Budget Policy & Priorities, Civic Engagement, Community Issues and Volunteering. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
With the inclusion of workforce certificates and certifications, Ohio's overall rate of educational attainment has increased by 18.1% since 2009. (Adobe Stock)

play sound

According to research from Lumina Foundation, the rate of U.S. high school seniors seeking higher education is on the upswing. Although Ohio student …


play sound

Lawmakers in Michigan have introduced a package of bills designed to lower costs and expand health care access. Senate Bill 3 would create a …

Health and Wellness

play sound

As winter drags on with a recent rare burst of snow across North Florida, many Floridians struggle with seasonal affective disorder. It is a form of …


Southern sea otters only inhabit about 13% of their former range and remain absent from the Oregon coast. (Dhayes/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

The push to reintroduce southern sea otters to greater sections of the California and Oregon coast is getting a big boost from a $1.56 million grant f…

Social Issues

play sound

By Nina B. Elkadi for Sentient.Broadcast version by Judith Ruiz-Branch for Illinois News Connection reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service …

The Environmental Protection Agency said excess nitrogen and phosphorus cause an overgrowth of algae in lakes and if algal blooms occur, the toxins they produce can be harmful to human health and aquatic life. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Minnesota is giving its water quality standards a fresh look. With public input in their hands, officials are under pressure to add language about …

Social Issues

play sound

Nevada's only sitting Indigenous legislator has introduced a bill to recognize Indigenous Peoples' Day on what she calls the "correct day," the second…

Environment

play sound

The Trump administration has started dismantling the Environmental Protection Agency's office dealing with reducing environmental harms to minority an…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021