GOP Legislative Leaders On 'Dual Track' After Pa. Redistricting Ruling
HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) -- Republican legislative leaders are discussing how to proceed now that the state Supreme Court has torn up Pennsylvania's congressional map.
Hours after the state Supreme Court's ruling Monday, Republican leaders of the GOP-controlled state Senate released a statement saying they planned to seek a stay of the decision from the U.S. Supreme Court.
Ten of the 12 GOP state congressional delegation called the state court's decision "misguided" and accused the court of inserting itself into core functions of the legislative branch, noting the timing on the eve of midterm elections.
As they await word on the possible stay, Jenn Kocher, spokeswoman for Senate Republican leaders, says their plan is to move on a dual track as they begin the process of redrawing the congressional map.
Complicating matters, Kocher says, a majority opinion explaining the ruling will have to be analyzed, and that opinion had not been received from the state high court, as of late Tuesday morning.
"What the new criteria is for us, we don't have sufficient guidance on that, or we don't know what additional guidance we may be getting," said Kocher.
Pennsylvania Democratic party chairman Marcel Groen says he believes the result will be more competitive districts resulting in better representation and better government.
"What was not right was to do gerrymandered districts in the first place," he said. "We can get it straight, it will be a little more work for the politicos and that's fine."
The court's deadline for lawmakers to submit a new map is Feb. 9.
