The Pottstown, Pennsylvania newspaper, the Mercury, has this op-ed about the messy consequencees for Pennsylvania state legislative candidates, due to the invalidation of the state’s new legislative district boundaries. The petitioning period for candidates seeking a place on the primary ballot is only three weeks long, and has already started.
The op-ed even suggests that the true motive of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court for invalidating the redistricting plan is that the Court is miffed at the legislature for not raising judicial pay. Thanks to Bill Van Allen for the link.
The Speaker of the House has filed a complaint in federal district court.
http://www.senatorpileggi.com/PDF/redistricting/Smith-Civil-Complaint.pdf
Under the Pennsylvania constitution, the Speaker is responsible for issuing writs of election when there is a vacancy, and ordinarily must do so within 10 days. But during the period of reapportionment, this is suspended. So it is expected that reapportionment be effective prior to beginning of the next term.
The complaint includes a news article from a justice who was attending a conference in Puerto Rico, who said they were surprised at the fuss, and there ruling should have been interpreted that the 2012 election would be held on the old unconstitutional plan, rather than the new unlawful plan, or any even newer lawful constitutional plan.