A Republican-crafted remake of Pennsylvania's U.S. House districts that shrinks the number from 19 to 18 and tries to ensure at least 12 are held by Republicans is now law.
Gov. Tom Corbett signed the bill Thursday without comment. Jan. 24 is the first day for candidates to circulate nomination petitions.
Currently, Pennsylvania has 12 Republicans and seven Democrats in the U.S. House.
Republicans say the map meets stringent legal and constitutional guidelines, and serves the will of voters by trying to protect incumbents they already picked. But opponents say the map allows politicians to pick their voters, instead of the other way around.
A new map is required every decade to reflect population shifts. Pennsylvania loses a seat because it grew more slowly than the rest of the nation.
