Following two federal courts’ refusal to block a new Congressional map from taking effect, some state lawmakers — including one from Butler County — are moving forward with efforts to impeach four members of Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court who approved the revised map earlier this year.

On Tuesday, Rep. Cris Dush, R-Jefferson County, introduced resolutions to impeach the Democratic members of the state Supreme Court: Justices Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty, Debra Todd and David Wecht.

They, along with Democrat Max Baer, voted to get rid of the old map — though Baer dissented on the issue of implementing the map in time for the May primary. He joined Republicans Sallie Updyke Mundie and Thomas Saylor in his dissension.

Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, R-12, is a co-sponsor of the bills, which are nearly identical. He said the move is aimed at showing members of the Supreme Court that there are consequences for their “misbehavior.”

“The only legislative reaction available to curtail misbehavior ... by the Democrat judges on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court is for us to investigate and advance impeachment resolutions,” he said Wednesday.

Metcalfe noted that state law requires the maps be reviewed every 10 years, and the current review after only six years appears to coincide with similar lawsuits and challenges across the country. He said the Supreme Court’s actions have caused upheaval and confusion within Pennsylvania’s congressional districts.

“When I’m out talking with constituents, I’m surprised at the number of people who have questioned me about the status of the congressional districts,” Metcalfe said. “That’s not something people normally pay a lot of attention to.”

Metcalfe said the move is intended to show that actions have consequences, as he and other elected officials are fearful of what could come next.

“If they are willing to execute a blatantly partisan decision striking at the ... majority ... in an attempt to create chaos ... what will they do next?” he said. “Many of us fear they’ll continue this partisan misbehavior. ... If the (U.S.) Supreme Court is unwilling to step in, it is incumbent upon the General Assembly ... to be a balance of power.”

The matter first comes before the 203-member state House. If members of that chamber vote to impeach the justices, the matter would move to the state Senate. A two-thirds vote of senators is needed to remove the justices from office. Republicans have a 34-16 majority in the chamber.

The move Wednesday attracted swift and sharp criticism from Democrats.

Gov. Tom Wolfe called the move an “unprecedented and undemocratic” move of retaliation against the justices on an issue that has been settled by the courts.

“The legislature should be helping people, not settling personal grudges,” Wolf said. “This is nonsense and a waste of precious time and resources. ... This abuse of power should be stopped and House Republicans should start doing the real work the people elected them to do.”

Pennsylvania Democratic Party Chairman Jack Hanna said the move is a misuse of impeachment proceedings.

“This extreme reaction shows nothing more than Republicans running scared,” he said. “They know that Democrats have strong, well-qualified candidates who are ready to take on Republicans in each and every congressional district across the commonwealth and that when there is a fair playing field, Democrats win. Republicans previously held onto power not based on their ideas or policies, but instead by rigging congressional districts in their favor.”

The push to impeach the state justices comes after more than a month of political posturing and wrangling, after the state Supreme Court on Jan. 22 threw out the state’s 2011 Congressional maps, ruling that they were unconstitutionally gerrymandered.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected a Republican challenge to the redrawn maps, which the state court drafted after ruling that the preexisting map violated the state constitution’s guarantee of free and equal elections.

The rulings make it highly likely that this year’s congressional elections in Pennsylvania will be conducted under district lines widely viewed as more favorable to Democrats than the 2011 map, and came with just one day left for the state’s congressional candidates to circulate petitions to get on the May 15 primary ballot.

The move only covers congressional voting districts, and would not impact races for the state House or Senate.

Also Monday, a three-member panel of federal judges rejected a separate GOP appeal against the new map. The panel ruled they had no authority to act in the matter except to dismiss the case.