Comey firing raises the stakes for 2018 elections

By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times Just when the healthcare mess seemed ready to drown our local Congressvictims in a Jonestown Flood like deluge, President Trump’s firing of FBI Director James B. Comey, Tuesday, swooped in and saved them by changing the subject. And by saving them, I mean sparing them from a looming electoral firing squad by hitting them with a flaming asteroid. While Pennsylvania’s...

A Q&A with Kate Young on Fair Districts PA and the fight against gerrymandering

By Nathaniel Smith, Columnist, The Times Recently I spoke with Kate Young about Fair Districts PA https://www.fairdistrictspa.com/ and its campaign to do away with gerrymandering in Pennsylvania. Several Fair Districts presentations this spring have generated great interest. West Chester Public Library didn’t have materials on gerrymandering in its collection, so Fair Districts PA donated three books...

Fair DistrictsPA forum takes on Gerrymandering

Carol Kuniholm, Chair of Fair Districts PA, addressing the audience, Wednesday night at West Chester Henderson High School. By Eliza Mohler, Staff Writer, The Times WEST CHESTER – Political strategist Karl Rove once said, “He who can control redistricting can control Congress.” At her presentation Wednesday at Henderson High School, Fair Districts PA Chair Carol Kuniholm used this quote to illustrate...

Coatesville area new state house district upheld by courts

New state house, state Senate districts for many — new district, the 74th in Coatesville area The new State House districts for Chester County, including the new 74th District, centered around Coatesville. By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times The Pennsylvania State Supreme Court has upheld a new legislative redistricting plan, Wednesday, meaning the proposed district changes — including...

Coatesville area to get state house seat, again

Version two of redistricting plan would send the 74th District to Rt. 30 corridor By Mike McGann, Editor, CoatesvilleTimes.com The new 74th State House district would include much of the Coatesville area. HARRISBURG — Maybe the second time is the charm. And once again, it appears that the Coatesville area is going to get a new state house district — but a different one than originally planned. The...

Hope for simplified legislative districts on hold

Federal court rules state must use 2001 legislative districts, ending short-term hope of reducing wide array of districts in Coatesville area By Mike McGann, Editor, CoatesvilleTimes.com Any hopes that the greater Coatesville area had to see its legislative representatives simplified have been put on hold, after a federal judge ruled this week that the state should use the previous legislative districts,...

Pileggi plan taken out by a piano teacher

State Senate Majority Leader and ChesCo power player taken to task for poor lines, poor time management on redistricting By Mike McGann, Editor, CoatesvilleTimes.com Pity poor state Sen. Dominic Pileggi. It’s been a tough week for a beloved Chester County state senator, who also happens to be Senate Majority Leader. Friday, he essentially got pretty badly slapped around by Pennsylvania Supreme Court...

Chaos! High court tosses legislative districts

Legislative leaders unsure of path forward, old districts an option for 2012 elections; new 45th District in limbo By Mike McGann, Editor, CoatesvilleTimes.com In a stunning move, just as local legislative candidates were beginning to collect signatures to get on the April primary ballot, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court threw out the new legislative districts by a split 4-3 vote Wednesday, kicking...

It appears the joke is on us

New Congressional districts slice and dice area, make 2012 elections kind of pointless By Mike McGann, Editor, CoatesvilleTimes.com In case you missed it, the final phase of the 2012 Congressional elections are going to be held next week. And the results, it appears, are already in. Turn out, considering it was such a key election in Pennsylvania, was surprisingly light. Less than 300 votes, as it...