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TYRONE -- Borough Council has approved a resolution recommending that the state General Assembly work toward establishment of a nonpartisan system of redistricting.
Council took the action at a recent meeting on the recommendation of Steve Elfelt, a volunteer representative of Fair Districts PA, "a nonpartisan, citizen-led group working to change the state constitution" to end gerrymandering in Pennsylvania, according to the group's website.
The council's resolution calls for the state Senate and House to pass current bills that would set reform in motion.
Council members at first seemed inclined to put off considering it, but Elfelt urged immediate action, because the General Assembly needs to pass the bills before its summer recess, which begins in July, he said.
If they don't do so, there won't be time to execute the necessary steps for installing a new system for the next redistricting, which will occur in 2021, following the 2020 census, Elfelt said.
And if a new system isn't in place for 2021, the next opportunity for reform won't occur until 2031, after the 2030 census, he said.
The bills need to pass before the summer recess because the constitutional amendment process is cumbersome, he said.
Constitutional amendments require both chambers to pass identical resolutions calling for the change in two successive legislative sessions.
Those amendments don't need the governor's signature, but they need to be open to public inspection for 90 days prior to final approval in each session, he said.
After those resolutions are approved by both chambers for the second time, an independent commission to consider the proposal needs to be created and the proposal submitted to a referendum vote of the people, according to a Fair Districts diagram.
The current two-year legislative session ends Nov. 30, and if the chambers don't approve preliminary resolutions before the summer session, there wouldn't be time for the 90-day public inspection period before the session ends, according to Elfelt.
Currently, a resolution satisfactory to Fair Districts PA is ready to be voted on in June by the full Senate, Elfelt said.
A resolution in the House that was identical to the original Senate bill has been "gutted" by the House State Government Committee, Elfelt said.
In its current form, it calls for a constitutional change that would actually make the gerrymandering problem worse, because it calls for a redistricting process that doesn't involve the governor's approval, Elfelt said.
The current system, bad as it is, at least allows for the governor's veto, which provides a bit of a check, he said.
Tyrone Councilman Dave Snyder said he supported the group's goal.
"It can only be a plus," said Mayor Bill Latchford.
Council members present at the meeting said they were comfortable with the resolution, except for Charlie Mills, who suggested that more research is needed.
Mirror Staff Writer William Kibler is at 949-7038.