The Carbon County Commissioners want legislative districts divvied up fairly.

On Thursday, commissioners put that in writing by adopting a resolution calling for a "fair, fully transparent, impartial, depoliticized process" of drawing state and congressional districts.The resolution, signed by Commissioners Thomas J. Gerhard, William J. O'Gurek, and Chairman Wayne E. Nothstein, supports a constitutional amendment that would assign the decennial task of drawing districts to a commission of independent citizens.Copies of the resolution will be sent to the state Legislature, Gov. Tom Wolf, the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania, and Fair Districts PA, an organization pushing for districting reform.The districts are determined every 10 years. The last one was completed in 2013; the next one is to be done after the 2020 U.S. Census.Congressional district boundaries are drawn by the state Legislature.State legislative district boundaries are drawn by a five-member politician commission.The majority and minority leaders of the Senate and the House each appoint a commission member. The fifth is appointed by the four appointees as chairman.Under federal law, districts must have nearly equal populations, and must not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity.The state constitution requires they be contiguous.However, "legislative and congressional redistricting has often resulted in the gerrymandering of districts to favor one political party or the other," the resolution states.Bring back Summit HillThe resolution cites the last redistricting that carved largely democratic Summit Hill from its long-held inclusion in the 122nd Legislative District. The excision left Summit Hill the only municipality in Carbon County excluded from the 122nd District.An independent citizens redistricting commission "devoid of political motivation or partisanship will help to ensure a fair and accurate legislative and congressional redistricting process that respects political subdivisions and communities of interest, will prohibit districts from being drawn to favor or discriminate against a political party or candidate, will promote transparency, the use of impartial and sound methodology when setting district boundaries, and allow for public input, and will fully comply with the constitutional requirement that 'no county, city, incorporated town, borough, township, forward' be divided 'unless absolutely necessary.' "The resolution supports two bills now wending their way through the state Legislature.The proposals have bipartisan support.Senate Bill 22, co-sponsored by state Sens. Lisa Boscola, D-Lehigh, and Mario Scavello, R-Monroe County, calls for an 11-member commission whose randomly chosen members do not hold public office, and who do not work for or have relatives who hold public office.House Bill 722, co-sponsored by Steve Samuelson, D-Northampton, and Eric Roe, R-Chester, is the same.Towamensing Township resident Roy Christman attended Thursday's public meeting to support the proposed legislation.He brought with him maps to illustrate the often bizarre boundaries.One, of the convoluted 7th Congressional District, Philadelphia, resembles two cartoon characters."It's called 'Goofy kicking Donald Duck,'" he said.Christman said the road to redistricting changes will be a long one, and urged commissioners to act quickly."The House and Senate have to pass a bill this year. Then they have to pass it again next year. Then it goes on the ballot, and if the people approve it, it's a constitutional amendment," he said.He said seven other states have adopted the nonpartisan commissions to redistrict."In democracies, we think the voters pick the legislators," Christman said. "In Pennsylvania, it works the other way: The legislators pick the voters they want, and then draw the districts to match that."