Politics & Government

Final State House Redistricting Keeps Peters Whole

The final plan for the 40th Legislative District approved by the Legislative Reapportionment Commission keeps Peters with one state representative.

The Legislative Reapportionment Commission approved on Friday the final state House redistricting plan, which keeps whole.  

"Peters Township will be celebrating this good news," state Rep. John Maher said.

Earlier plans approved by the commission took the unprecedented step of dividing Peters Township between two legislative districts. The plan approved last fall, but subsequently remanded by the state Supreme Court, removed roughly a third of the town from the 40th District and placed the southern end of the town into the 39th District that is anchored by Elizabeth Township.  

Find out what's happening in Peterswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The following preliminary plan adopted in April again divided Peters roughly in half between the two districts. Township officials and Maher presented testimony to the commission objecting to the division of Peters in April.

As approved Friday, the 40th District will, as before, include all of Peters Township, all of Upper St. Clair and a substantial portion of Bethel Park, though the dividing line in Bethel Park has moved.

Find out what's happening in Peterswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"Special thanks is due to Rep. Rick Saccone, who serves the 39th District," Maher said. "Rep. Saccone heard what residents of Peters Township said and joined the effort for Peters Township even though, if he succeeded, he would not represent the community.  This kind of character is all too rare today."

Maher, a certified public accountant, has represented the 40th District since 1997 and is nominated as the Republican candidate for state auditor general this year.  Saccone was first elected to represent the 39th District in 2010.


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