The plan the court threw out was opposed by Senate Democrats.
View full sizeThe Pennsylvania House of Representatives can't move forward with the new districts just yet.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court today rejected the Pennsylvania Legislative Reapportionment Commission’s redistricting plan for the state House and Senate.
The challenge, which included voters from Salisbury and Whitehall townships, was supported by the Pennsylvania League of Women Voters and Pennsylvania Common Cause.
The commission's plan splits counties, municipalities and wards 837
times in its districting for the House, and it splits the same
communities 167 times for the Senate.
The appealing groups claims the splitting was "excessive" and would get in the way of effective representation for each community. The voters say the plan, which would remain in effect for 10 years, "violates [the state Constitution] on a pervasive, statewide scale," according to a news release.
The proposed plan would have affected northern Northampton County. Sens. Lisa Boscola, D; Pat Browne, R; Bob Mensch, R; and David Argall, R, represent parts of the county. The ruling does not impact a congressional redistricting plan passed last month by the state house and senate and signed by Gov. Tom Corbett.
Under the proposed plan, Monroe County would no longer be part of six districts, rather it'd be one district that would include northern Northampton County.
The new district, the 45th, would transfer over from Allegheny and Westmoreland counties in the western part of the state.
The new plan would take territory in the northwestern part of the county in Argall's district and put it in the 14th District, represented by John T. Yudichak.
A divided Supreme Court invalidated the plan today, calling the redistricting approach "contrary to law."
The justices voted 4-3 to send the plan back to the Legislative Reapportionment Commission, and the majority said their opinion in the case would be released later.
The high court's ruling throws into disarray plans by candidates and parties for this year's General Assembly races.
The two-page order says current district lines remain in force until the commission comes up with a new plan that passes legal muster.
The commission consists of the Republican and Democratic floor leaders from the House and Senate, along with a fifth member, an appointed judge.
The plan the court threw out was opposed by Senate Democrats.