Pa. nears vote on new congressional map

    The next stop for a proposed map of Pennsylvania’s congressional districts is a vote in the full State House.

    Meandering district boundary lines snake through the Pennsylvania countryside in the Senate-approved map. The new map will be in effect for 10 years.

    Congressional District 10 would encompass Monroe County in the Northeast and Perry County in the middle of the state. The cities of Allentown and Bethlehem in the Lehigh Valley would be in a different district than the neighboring city of Easton.

    Congressional District 7 in the southeastern part of the state was called “splatter art” by one Democratic House member.

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    But Daryl Metcalfe, Republican chair of the state government committee, says he wouldn’t change a thing.

    “I believe it’s the best possible map,” Metcalfe said. “I believe it’s an excellent map. I think the product that we’ve produced meets all of our requirements of being constitutional, of being legal, of being fair and I’m really pleased with the final product that we’ve produced.”

    House Democrats on the state government committee tried to postpone a full House vote on the proposed map saying the public should have more time to review the plan.

    They were voted down.

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