From Pennsylvania Common Cause: (https://www.commoncause.org/pennsylvania/):
Pennsylvania Legislature passed House Bill 196 (HB 196) yesterday, attempting to clear the way for the legislature to engage in judicial gerrymandering.
HB 196 is a constitutional amendment that undermines the impartiality of our court system by giving the General Assembly the power to meddle in our courtrooms by dividing the Commonwealth up into judicial districts, undermining the principles of law and fairness.
Instead of being able to vote for every judge on the Supreme, Commonwealth, and Superior Courts, voters would only be able to vote for judges that lived in their region.
The General Assembly’s decision to pass HB 196 was an unjust partisan power grab — but we still have the chance to stop it. In PA, a constitutional amendment has to pass in two legislative cycles before going up for a vote in a ballot referendum.
We need your help to stop judicial gerrymandering in Pennsylvania — will you write a Letter to the Editor to your local paper? Go to https://www.commoncause.org/actions/letter-to-the-editor-oppose-judicial-gerrymandering-in-pennsylvania/ for help in writing your letter.
Your voice can have a direct impact on the political conversation; Letters to the Editor are an important tool. They raise awareness about the issues you care about to your community, your elected officials, and the press.
Our Letter to the Editor tool makes it as easy as 1, 2, 3:
- Provides talking points
- Allows you to draft your own letter, and then
- Automatically submits it to your 5 most local newspapers based on your zip code
We are greatly disappointed that House Bill 196 passed the Senate yesterday, but while the vote may be over, our fight to maintain the integrity and impartiality of courts is not.
We need your help now more than ever, as we put pressure on our representatives to reject this partisan, political maneuver to take control of our court system.
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