HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) \u2014 Mid-cycle redistricting is all the rage as parties try to improve their number of congressional seats. Texas and Florida are doing it to benefit Republicans. California and Virginia did it to help Democrats.<\/p>\n
But voters of both parties call such naked partisanship wrong. State Sen. Dan Laughlin (R-Erie) said he\u2019s also troubled by the trend, but has a plan to fix a broken system.<\/p>\n
Close<\/a><\/p>\n Thanks for signing up!<\/p>\n Watch for us in your inbox.<\/p>\n Subscribe Now<\/p>\n \u201cIt is the fantasy football draft method,\u201d Laughlin said, and he wants every state to adopt it. There\u2019s no pigskin or helmets, but lots of political blocking and tackling.<\/p>\n His plan lets Republican and Democratic leaders draw the State House, State Senate and congressional maps. They flip a coin \u2014 if Republicans win, they draw a district. Democrats get to draw a second district, alternating until the map is done.<\/p>\n \u201cEmbrace the partisanship but make the game fairer,\u201d Laughlin said.<\/p>\n He stipulated the maps would need to be compact and contiguous, and lawmakers would have to follow racial fairness rules.<\/p>\n Carol Kuniholm with Fair Districts PA didn\u2019t like the idea. She said it entrenches the two-party system.<\/p>\n \u201cWe let two Senate leaders sit in a back room and draw their Senate map. We let two House leaders sit in a back room and draw their House map,\u201d Kuniholm said. \u201cSo we have the most partisan, most leader-driven redistricting process, I would argue in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n Kuniholm said she supports an independent commission to draw maps. She pointed to bills in the House and Senate right now that would create such a commission. But such bills are always out there, and such bills never pass.<\/p>\n