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Wolf Says He'll Send The PA Supreme Court A Fair Congressional Map, Even If He Has To Draw His Own

Pennsylvania Department of General Services
Governor Wolf at his budget address on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2018.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf is promising he'll send a politically impartial congressional district map to the state Supreme Court by its Thursday deadline if the Republican-controlled legislature cannot draw one themselves.

"What happens next, in any case, is that I take a look at this map and have a panel of objective experts look at it," Wolf said Monday.

His statement was in response to the redistricted map the GOP submitted last week, which House and Senate Democrats said was still too partisan. Last month, the state's 18 congressional boundaries were struck down by the state Supreme Court, who said the map had an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander that favored Republicans.

According to the court order, Wolf does not have to accept the GOP map. If he rejects it, he can submit his own by the same deadline.

Since the Supreme Court dismissed the state's congressional map three weeks ago, Wolf has sought public input on how to create fair districts. He went on a series of "listening tours" at universities across the commonwealth, stopping at Point Park University on Feb. 1.