Redistrict Plan: Half of Wissahickon Area to Get New U.S. Reps

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Over half of the Wissahickon local municipal districts will have a new U.S. congressperson next year, should a state redistricting bill clear Pennsylvania's lower house this week and get the signature of Governor Corbett.

Maps of the proposed bill were first released to the public last Tuesday, just over a day before the state senate approved it on Wednesday by a 26-24 vote. As currently proposed, Montgomery County is divided among five representatives — Mike Fitzpatrick (R-8), Allyson Schwartz (D-13), Bob Brady (D-2), Jim Gerlach (R-6) and Pat Meehan (R-7).

Schwartz, who represents all of the residents in the Wissahickon School District would still represent her constituents in Ambler wards 1, 2, and 3; Lower Gwynedd wards 1-1, 1-4, and 2-2; and Whitpain wards 4, 9 and 10.

The newcomer to the area is representative Pat Meehan (R-7), who would now represent residents in Lower Gwynedd wards 1-2, 1-3 and 2-1 and Whitpain wards 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12.

Meehan's seventh district is one of the most widely criticized in the state, as the upside-down-octopus shaped district would snake into Lancaster and Berks, also cutting its way through Chester, Delaware and Montgomery Counties. The northeast tract of the district starbursts through central Montgomery County in the proposed plan.

As reported by PhillyBurbs.com, congressman Mike Fitzpatrick's 8th district would still maintain a presence in Montgomery County, with his representation moving north to the county's Indian Valley region, previously held by Charlie Dent (R-15).

Democrats have cried foul over the bill, claiming the districts have been blatantly gerrymandered and railing against a lack of transparency.

“The Republicans have proposed a map far more partisan and gerrymandered than anyone would have guessed, a map that they will now force into law without any public input,” Pennsylvania Democratic Chairman Jim Burn stated in a press release.

According to Phillyburbs.com, State Senator Chuck McIlhinney (R-Bucks) defended the map.

“There are 18 districts and the 17 other ones look pretty good. It’s a lot better than the current map, which had a lot of crazy districts," the article quoted McIlhinney as saying. "[The 7th district] looks crazy, but it’s all in the southeast. Weighing the pros and cons, the proposal makes most of the state happy. We tried to accommodate as best we could.”

The state redistricting came after the 2010 census, in which Pennsylvania lost a congressional seat, forcing the state to mold 19 districts into 18. Each district now represents roughly 700,000 Pennsylvanians.

It is expected that the state house will vote on the bill sometime Monday or Tuesday, and if passed, it could land on the governor's desk for signing by the end of the week.