Gerrymandering Sinks Democracy, But You Can Keep It Afloat
Do you feel like politics has gotten more contentious over time? Do you feel like your interests are not represented in government? You’re not alone, and you’re not imagining it. Corporations wield their political power at the expense of regular people, and politicians rarely listen to their constituents, let alone each other.
Harrisburg is no better than Washington. Pennsylvanians want to protect our environment by wide margins. Polls show that most Pennsylvanians oppose fracking. Most Pennsylvanians want the state to do more to combat climate change. Almost nine out of ten Pennsylvania voters say that open space is important to them. Yet the Pennsylvania General Assembly has not passed any major pro-environment legislation in many years. That’s because our politicians by and large don’t represent the interests of the people.
One big reason that our system is so undemocratic is that our elections are designed to disempower the public. And it’s the public that protects our air, our land, and our water—corporate interests won’t do it for us.
Gerrymandering refers to the practice of drawing the lines of voting districts to benefit some interests at the expense of others. Because the State House and State Senate district lines in Pennsylvania are gerrymandered, competitive races among politicians with different values are rare, so voters often sit them out. And because the districts often stretch out over long, twisting expanses of geography, it can be hard for voters within a district to band together to protect their interests.
In 2018, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court undid the gerrymandered Pennsylvania Congressional district lines, declaring, “[a]n election corrupted by extensive, sophisticated gerrymandering and partisan dilution of votes is not ‘free and equal.’” Unfortunately, the gerrymandered House and Senate district lines remain, and partisan interests will again seek to redraw the Congressional district lines.
We don’t have to stand for unfair districts in Pennsylvania. Every decade, the U.S. Census compiles new demographic data that the states use to draw new voting districts. Right now, Pennsylvania is working on gathering information to draw those districts, and it’s asking for the public to weigh in on the process. There are hearings going on now at which you can testify about your desire for fair and impartial districts. You can find out more about how to do that here: https://www.fairdistrictspa.com/updates/happening-now-testimony-opportunities-for-fair-maps. You can also call or write to your State Representative and State Senator. If you’re not sure who they are or how to reach them, you can find out here: https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/findyourlegislator/. Don’t wait—get involved now!
It may seem counterintuitive to lament that politicians don’t listen to us and then suggest that you talk to your politicians. But while our voices should have more power, that doesn’t mean that they have none now. Clean Air Council members time and again win hard-earned victories against corporate interests by organizing, speaking up, and fighting hard. Our model is built on the power of the people. We can win fair districts in Pennsylvania. When we do, our voices demanding clean air, pure water, and a healthy environment will have to be heard.
By Alex Bomstein, Senior Litigation Attorney, abomstein@cleanair.org
