Latino groups to appeal judge's denial of Pa. special election
Old redistricting lines at issue.
PENNSYLVANIA Latinos are drawing the line on state redistricting processes.
The organizations LatinoLines and LatinoJustice say they'll appeal a decision last month by a U.S. district judge denying a special statewide election that had been requested after last November's election used decades-old district lines.
"Pennsylvania is still operating under 2001 redistricting lines," said Nancy Trasande, senior legal counsel for LatinoJustice. "The 2012 election occurred under old lines [which is] in violation of the one person, one vote principle."
A lawsuit filed in 2012 claims that 2001 district lines are unfair to Pennsylvania's Hispanic community, which has grown dramatically in the last 10 years, especially in Reading, Philadelphia and Allentown.
Along with other resolutions, the suit requests a special statewide election to balance out the allegedly unfair 2012 results, and to shorten the four-year terms of freshman state senators so they would have to seek re-election in 2014.