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Leaders in the Pennsylvania Senate say the primary election will be held as scheduled, on April 24th, using the current legislative districts. The signal comes as the panel in charge of redistricting blew its first self-imposed deadline.
Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi said lawmakers won't try to push back the primary to accommodate the second round of map-making, nor will there be any fiddling with existing district boundary lines.
"Absent legislative or judicial action, they are the rules of the road for the upcoming primary," said Pileggi.
The GOP caucus still believes the 2001 district lines violate the constitutional principle of one person, one vote. The Legislative Reapportionment Commission had intended to use this week's meeting to vote on a new preliminary redistricting plan.
"There's nothing pending that's going to move the primary at this point in time, so we believe that we're going to operate under the 2001 lines for the April 24th primary," said Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa.
Caucus leaders are mum on what about negotiations are holding up a vote on maps.
"Everybody's working diligently, and we'll be back on February 28th at one o'clock," said House Majority Leader Mike Turzai.
Barry Kauffman, with Common Cause Pennsylvania, said the commission's signal it'll use the 2001 lines for the April primary makes sense, because at least then, voters know where their districts are.
