Bipartisan Redistricting Commission; created, report. (SB38)

Introduced By

Sen. Creigh Deeds (D-Charlottesville) with support from 8 copatrons, whose average partisan position is:

Those copatrons are Del. Shannon Valentine (D-Lynchburg), Sen. Ken Cuccinelli (R-Fairfax), Sen. John Edwards (D-Roanoke), Sen. Janet Howell (D-Reston), Sen. John Miller (D-Newport News), Sen. Ralph Northam (D-Norfolk), Sen. Chap Petersen (D-Fairfax), Sen. Ken Stolle (R-Virginia Beach)

Progress

Introduced
Passed Committee
Passed House
Passed Senate
Signed by Governor
Became Law

Description

Bipartisan Redistricting Commission created. Establishes a five-member temporary commission to prepare redistricting plans in 2011 and each tenth year thereafter for the House of Delegates, state Senate, and congressional districts. Appointments to the commission shall be made one each by the four majority and minority party leaders of the House and Senate from a pool of 24 retired judges appointed by the Supreme Court. Those four appointees shall appoint the fifth member and chairman for the commission from the pool. The commission will prepare plans and submit them to the General Assembly. The General Assembly may accept or reject the first two plans submitted by the commission and may amend the third plan submitted by the commission. The bill spells out the standards and process to be followed by the Commission in preparing plans, including opportunities for public comment on the plans. Read the Bill »

Outcome

Bill Has Failed

History

DateAction
12/19/2007Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/09/08 087632220
12/19/2007Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections
01/16/2008Impact statement from DPB (SB38)
01/29/2008Reported from Privileges and Elections with substitute (11-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
01/30/2008Committee substitute printed 087674220-S1
01/31/2008Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
02/01/2008Read second time
02/01/2008Reading of substitute waived
02/01/2008Committee substitute agreed to 087674220-S1
02/01/2008Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute SB38S1
02/04/2008Read third time and passed Senate (33-Y 5-N) (see vote tally)
02/04/2008Communicated to House
02/05/2008Impact statement from DPB (SB38S1)
02/12/2008Placed on Calendar
02/12/2008Read first time
02/12/2008Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections
02/12/2008Assigned P & E sub: Elections
02/13/2008Impact statement from DPB (SB38S1)
03/10/2008Left in Privileges and Elections

Comments

Jeremy Beales writes:

It's nice to see that Sen. Deeds hasn't forgotten about this issue now that he's in the majority. More than a few of the other Democrats certainly seem to have.

joseph prater writes:

i think its nice to see del. armstrong has forgotten about the people in the 10th district about everything.the poor people anyways

Waldo Jaquith writes:

Well, that was quite a non sequitur.

robert legge writes:

Looks like there are 8 redistricting bills. How's a person supposed to know which one(s) to support?

Va. Conservation Network, tracking this bill in Photosynthesis, notes:

Citizens - Support

David Solimini writes:

This is the only redistricting reform legislation up in the Senate - it will go to third read on Monday, Feb 4th. It is the supported legislation of the Virginia Redistricting Coalition and has been endorsed by Tim Kaine, Mark Warner, George Allen, and Bill Bolling.

David Solimini writes:

waldo -- this bill is akin in many ways to the Iowa redistricting plan. Read the committee substitute that contains pieces from Deeds, Stolle, Cuccinelli, and Howell.

Waldo Jaquith writes:

The impact statement reports that this bill would run the state a whopping $2,440.

Dave Solimini writes:

The bill's cost is in FY2011, and thus need not be appropriated until the next biennial budget is considered.

Waldo Jaquith writes:

I'll bet we can swing it. Heck, I'll take up a collection myself, if need be. :)

David Solimini writes:

hah! I've already offered ;-)

Frederick A. Costello writes:

Gerrymandering can be thwarted if the districts must conform to a geometric formula. The north-south extent can be limited to 0.5 to 2.0 times the east-west extent. As an alternative, the ratio of the perimeter to the square root of the area can be limited to less than 4.5.