HARRISBURG, April 12, 2012 –- Statement of Sen. Jay Costa (D-Allegheny), Senate Democratic Leader, on his vote against the Preliminary Reapportionment Plan that was approved by the Legislative Reapportionment Commission on a 4-1 vote:
“While the Preliminary Plan retains the Senate Democratic seats in Western Pennsylvania, the plan does not go far enough in addressing the requirements of the Supreme Court and, therefore, I could not support the plan. This plan serves only as a starting point. While I am not satisfied, I look forward to the public comment period and to working through the issues that we have raised.
[audio:https://senatorcosta.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/commission-vote-costa-webstory.mp3|titles=commission-vote-costa-webstory]“The plan must be fairly drawn and comply with the requirements of the Pennsylvania Constitution and the Voting Rights Act. Also, it must avoid unnecessary splits and not be contorted for partisan political purposes. We need a public process to review the Preliminary Plan and we have to undertake a comprehensive review in the context of the Supreme Court’s decision and the constitution.”