Day: July 14, 2020

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Don’t undermine judicial independence in haste

  By Judicial Gerrymandering, Published Op-Eds

Originally published in the Pittsburgh Trib Live on July 14, 2020 The most important decision any political leader can make is about the constitutional structure of our government. Those decisions are best made calmly, deliberately and with a focus on the long-term good of our political community. Poor ones are most likely to be made in a rush, in anger and in response to short-term difficulties. Unfortunately, a Republican proposal to change how we elect justices of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and judges of the commonwealth and Superior courts is going before the Senate this week in anger and resentment at recent Supreme Court rulings. Republicans are upset that the Supreme Court rebuffed its attempt to deny Gov. Tom Wolf an opportunity to veto their concurrent resolution ending the covid-19 state of emergency, even though the Pennsylvania Constitution plainly requires it. A critical feature of the Constitution of the United States —… Continue reading

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Pa. Senate GOP’s judicial gerrymandering plan is a threat to our democracy

  By Judicial Gerrymandering, PA Budget and Policy Center, PBPC Blog posts

Originally appeared in the Pennsylvania Capital-Star on July 14, 2020 Democracy is threatened from many sides. The dangers include voter ID laws; closures of polling places; gerrymandered legislative districts; and problematic voting rules, especially with regard to vote by mail—not to mention attempts by both the executive branch in Washington and the legislative branch in Harrisburg to overstep their bounds. Time and again, the independence of our court has protected our political rights and our civil rights and liberties. Now, however, legislators in Harrisburg are taking a more indirect approach to weaken the independence of our courts. Senate Republicans appear determined to advance an amendment to the Pennsylvania Constitution next week that would change how we elect judges to our state’s highest courts—the Supreme Court, Commonwealth Court, and Superior Court. Instead of electing all judges statewide as we do now, they propose that we elect judges in regional election districts created by the… Continue reading