West Chester University: John J. Kennedy To Represent PA's Redistricting Advisory Council At Public Listening Se ...

Press release from West Chester University:

October 21, 2021

Once every 10 years, Pennsylvania draws new congressional district maps through the
legislative redistricting process following the release of U.S. Census data. The governor
created the advisory council to address the fact that Pennsylvania’s congressional
delegation has been reduced from 18 to 17 seats since census data showed that the
state’s population has decreased. As populations shift, voting district boundaries
are updated so that congressional lawmakers represent a fair portion of the state’s
population.

Gov. Wolf has invited voters to voice their opinions at a series of listening sessions.
Kennedy will represent the advisory council on Monday, October 25, at a listening
session for the public at WCU. The session will take place at 5 p.m. at the University’s
Ware Recital Hall in Swope Music Building at 817 South High Street, West Chester,
PA 19382. To attend, RSVP with your name and the event date to the Office of Intergovernmental
Affairs at OIARSVP@pa.gov.

Another opportunity for the public to provide feedback on redistricting is the redistricting website at which members of the public can submit proposed district
maps, outline communities of interest they believe should be considered in the redistricting process, and submit comments.
The public can also submit their opinions in writing to Office of the Governor, 508
Main Capitol Building, Harrisburg, PA 17120.

Kennedy has written three books on state politics: The Contemporary Pennsylvania Legislature (1999) and Pennsylvania Elections (2005, revised 2014), both published by The University Press of America; and Pennsylvania Government and Politics (2018, Cognella Academic Press). He serves on the Executive Board of the Pennsylvania
Political Science Association and is a charter member of the Pennsylvania Policy Forum.
In 2017, he served as an expert witness for the plaintiffs in the landmark case, League
of Women Voters v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, which successfully overturned the
congressional district maps across the state.

The Contemporary Pennsylvania Legislature Pennsylvania Elections Pennsylvania Government and Politics

Kennedy’s fellow council members have expertise in redistricting, political science
and mapmaking:

For more information, visit the Pennsylvania Redistricting Public Comment Portal.

This press release was produced by West Chester University. The views expressed here are the author’s own.