Before the 2000 election, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives was evenly split with 100 members from the Republican and Democratic parties and 3 vacancies.
The version of Senate Bill 1200 that passed the House had a total population deviation of nineteen persons.
[1] In Vieth v. Jubelirer, a United States Supreme Court case challenging the constitutionality of the 2000 redistricting process, the Supreme Court was unable to agree upon a legal standard for judging when partisan gerrymandering violated the United States Constitution.
Following the 2010 census, Pennsylvania Republicans would have full state control of the redistricting process for the second decade in a row.
[12] On June 14, 2017, the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania filed a lawsuit, alleging that the existing congressional district lines were unconstitutionally gerrymandered to favor the Republican Party.
[13] In a short order on January 22, 2018, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court struck down the existing map, saying it "clearly, plainly and palpably" violated the state constitution.
After the deadline for the General Assembly to submit a new plan to the governor expired, the Court released a new congressional map to take effect for the May 15, 2018 primaries.
[14][15] On August 17, 2011, the Legislative Reapportionment Commission unanimously approved the census data and voted to go ahead with the redistricting process.
[17][18] Voting 3-2 along party lines, the panel passed a preliminary Republican proposal that moved seats from west to east.
House Minority Leader Frank Dermody lividly complained that Republicans didn't share their proposed plan until Monday.
"[21] Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi's office released a revised map of state senate districts on December 7, 2011.
No further action was required to implement the districts for 2012, but there was a 30-day period to file appeals with the state Supreme Court.
[25] Another major appeal was made by Michael Churchill, a lawyer at The Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia, on behalf of 13 citizens.
[26] After hearing arguments on January 23, 2012, the state Supreme Court threw out the maps two days later by a vote of 4–3.
Calling the redistricting approach "contrary to law," the court ruled current district lines would stay in place until the Legislative Reapportionment Commission could devise a plan that was legal.
With the signature filing deadline for state legislative candidates quickly approaching on February 14, the 2012 elections could have taken place in districts that were drawn in 2001.
[28] The court said Holt's map proved the Legislative Redistricting Commission failed to meet the criteria that municipalities and wards should only be split if absolutely necessary.
[34] On April 12, 2012, the Legislative Reapportionment Commission finally met, voting 4–1 in favor of a compromise proposal put forth by chairman Stephen McEwen.
[40] However, on September 21, the effort was scaled back slightly when the LRC voted 3–2 to carve out an exception for those prisoners serving sentences that will end after the 2030 census.
The commission also invited citizens to submit their own proposed maps for consideration through software like Dave's Redistricting and DistrictBuilder.
[44][45] Republican state officials objected to what they perceived to be gerrymandering favoring Democrats, particularly in and around the collar counties of Philadelphia.