PA Supreme Court Appoints Chair of Legislative Reapportionment Commission – Without Any Public Process or Input

May 3, 2021 (Harrisburg, PA) Today, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court named former Chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh Mark Nordenberg as the fifth member and chair of the Legislative Reapportionment Commission.  

Statement of Khalif Ali, Executive Director, Common Cause Pennsylvania 

Last Friday, Common Cause PA called for a transparent and inclusive process for selecting the fifth member of the Legislative Reapportionment Commission by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. While we appreciate the quick work of the Court and congratulate Mr. Nordenberg on his appointment, we are disappointed that the process was conducted exclusively behind closed doors and that the LRC once again does not reflect the broad diversity that makes Pennsylvania special.    

As we move forward with the 2021 redistricting process, we hope and expect that the LRC will commit to a robust and accessible public engagement process. This should include holding in person and virtual hearings across the Commonwealth, at a variety of times during the day, and providing translation services so that Pennsylvanians who do not speak English can participate. It should also include providing public access to the data used to draft maps as well as multiple avenues for Pennsylvanians to weigh in throughout the process.  For too long, our legislative maps have been drawn behind closed doors – prioritizing partisan considerations over Pennsylvania communities. This year, we must flip the script and put communities – particularly Black and Brown communities who are traditionally left out of the process – at the center of Pennsylvania’s redistricting.