Senator Yaw’s Senate District Confirmed
HARRISBURG – The State Supreme Court today affirmed Pennsylvania’s Legislative Reapportionment Commission’s (LRC) 2012 Revised Final Plan that redraws legislative boundaries based on the 2010 U.S. Census, according to State Senator Gene Yaw (R-23).
In a 6-0 decision, Supreme Court Chief Justice Ron Castille, and his fellow Justices, affirmed that the LRC’s 2012 Final Plan does not contradict current law and dismissed all appeals.
While much of Yaw’s District remains unaffected, the plan adds Hartleton Borough, Hartley Township, Lewis Township, Limestone Township and New Berlin Borough in Union County to the 23rd Senatorial District, giving Yaw representation for all of Union County. These municipalities were previously in the 34th Senatorial District, represented by State Senator Jake Corman (R-34).
Additionally, Auburn Township, Brooklyn Township, Great Bend Borough, Great Bend Township, Hallstead Borough, New Milford Borough and New Milford Township in Susquehanna County have been moved into the 20th Senatorial District, represented by State Senator Lisa Baker (R-20).
“I am humbled to be able to continue to represent the citizens of this district who have become my friends and look forward to meeting many new faces,” Yaw said. “We are fortunate in our area of the state. We have economic activity of historic proportions. I consider it an honor to represent five key counties in central Pennsylvania.”
Current district boundaries are designed so that each Senate District would have approximately 254,000 people. Changes in size and concentration of populations are taken into account when reviewing legislative boundaries.
According to 2010 Census data, counties in Yaw’s Senate District, including Lycoming, Bradford and Sullivan saw a slight decrease in population growth, while Susquehanna and Union counties saw a small increase. “This is a plan that meets both constitutional and statutory mandates,” Yaw added.
The LRC is a five-member panel responsible for redrawing the boundaries for state Senate and state House districts to reflect population changes over the past decade as measured by the federal census. Article II, Section 17, of the state Constitution names the four caucus floor leaders as members of the Commission. They, in turn, chose a fifth member, President Judge Emeritus Stephen J McEwen, Jr., of Pennsylvania’s Superior Court, who chairs the LRC.
The new legislative districts become effective in 2014.
Contact: Rita Zielonis
(717) 787-3280