Following the Republican-controlled state legislature's approval of plans for redistricting, Democratic officials are concerned that Penn State students will have less influence on the outcome of elections for the state assembly.

Penn State's campus as well as downtown areas populated predominantly by students are represented by Kerry Benninghoff, R-Bellefonte, of the 171st Legislative District. Lynn Herman, R-Philipsburg, of the 77th Legislative District will continue to represent the remainder of the State College Borough.

State College Mayor Bill Welch said the new districts "rip the heart out of the borough." The new districts are a result of gerrymandering by the Republican Party, he added.

Welch expressed his disagreement in a letter to Frank Montemuro, chairman of the 2001 Legislative Reapportionment Commission.

"Were I one of Penn State's 40,000 students at the University Park campus, I would be wondering if the proposal of redistricting is an effort to limit any possible impact on elections by young voters," Welch said in the letter.

At 47.86 percent before the redistricting, the borough had a higher proportion of Democratic voters than surrounding areas, Scott Casper, director of demographics for the House Democrats said. Republicans wanted to lower this percentage to make Herman's 77th District non-competitive for Democratic challengers, he added.

"The borough is cut three ways into two different districts. This has never happened in the history of the Commonwealth," Casper said. "Reapportionment may have been necessary but it could have been done in a fashion that would have allowed the heart of the borough to remain in the 77th District."

In the former 77th District, the borough consisted of about two-thirds of Herman's constituents, Casper said. In the new districts it accounts for about one-fourth of the constituents in the 171st District and one-third in the 77th, he added.

"The purpose of dividing any entity is to reduce its impact," Casper said.

Welch said that if students should ever register and vote in numbers proportional to their presence in the community the redistricting will prevent them from having considerable political influence.

"This is a deliberate attempt to dilute the student vote in a town that wouldn't exist if it weren't for the student population," Jared Cram, president of the Penn State College Democrats, said.

Mike Gallo, chairman of the Penn State College Republicans, said he sees student influence on representation as a concern.

"At this point, I believe a more important concern should be getting students to be aware of the issues so they care enough to vote," Gallo said.

The 2000 census found that the 77th District was overpopulated, Herman said. The districts had to be reapportioned to give each representative a more equal number of constituents, he said. Prior to reapportionment, Benninghoff represented East Halls and Herman represented the rest of campus.

"University Park is now all in one legislative district," Herman said. "The reapportionment brings an added state representative to solve problems for the borough and the municipality. I still represent a large number of students and will provide service to students and faculty through my State College office."