We’ve Gone Radical (Sort Of)

There is nothing we enjoy more at DCS than taking on “radical” issues or causes. If the idea is big, transformational, and benefits the common good, we’re on board (heck, it’s right there in our Vision Statement). But when we really think about it, while these causes may seem radical to some, to us, they’re simply good, commonsense policy.

So here is our newest radically commonsense issue: we think the people of Pennsylvania should be in charge of selecting their legislators, and not the other way around.

That’s why we’re so excited to be working with our client, the Committee of 70, and their Draw The Lines PA campaign. Draw The Lines (DTL) is all about putting citizens in charge of PA’s once-per-decade legislative reapportionment process and, in the process, ensuring that district mapping is fair, open, nonpartisan, and transparent. Yet as you might imagine, historically, Pennsylvania’s redistricting process has failed on all counts.

In Pennsylvania, legislative leaders have long prioritized districts that protect incumbency and party control as much as possible. Studies have shown that this kind of gerrymandering can lead to:

• Deeper polarization

• Lower voter participation

• Less diversity in elected leaders

Every ten years, based on the latest census data, new Congressional and state legislative districts are drawn. This process can impact your school’s funding, municipal representation, and (literally) whether you and your next door neighbor are represented by two different members of Congress.

If you want to join us and become a “common sense radical,” here is one thing you can do right now: check out the winning maps from Draw The Lines’ latest citizen mapping contest! All of these were drawn by everyday citizens using publicly available software, showing that drawing fair, open, and transparent maps is a power best left to the people, not politicians.

Stay tuned in the coming weeks for more ways you can take action!