Bipartisan Redistricting Commission; created. (HB638)

Introduced By

Del. Ward Armstrong (D-Martinsville) with support from co-patrons Del. Robin Abbott (D-Newport News), and Del. Kaye Kory (D-Falls Church)

Description

Bipartisan Redistricting Commission created.  Establishes a seven-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 and by the state chairmen of the two major political parties. Those six appointees shall appoint the seventh member and chairman for the Commission. If they cannot agree, they shall submit the names of the two persons receiving the most votes to the Supreme Court for the Court to select the chairman. The Commission will prepare plans and submit them as bills to the General Assembly. The General Assembly shall then proceed to act on the bills in the usual manner. The bill provides for Commission comments on plans as they change in the legislative process. It also spells out the standards and process to be followed by the Commission in preparing plans, including limitations on the use of political data and opportunities for public comment on the plans. Read the Bill »

Outcome

History