Constitutional amendment; Virginia Redistricting Commission established (first reference). (SJ303)

Introduced By

Sen. Creigh Deeds (D-Charlottesville) with support from co-patrons Del. David Toscano (D-Charlottesville), and Sen. Ralph Northam (D-Norfolk)

Progress

Introduced
Passed Committee
Passed House
Passed Senate

Description

Constitutional amendment (first resolution); Virginia Redistricting Commission. Establishes the Virginia Redistricting Commission to redraw congressional and General Assembly district boundaries after each decennial census. Appointments to the 13-member Commission are to be made in the census year as follows: two each by the President pro tempore of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Delegates, the minority leader in each house, and the state chairman of each of the two political parties receiving the most votes in the prior gubernatorial election. The 12 partisan members then select the thirteenth member by a majority vote, or, if they cannot agree on a selection, they certify the two names receiving the most votes to the Supreme Court of Virginia, which will name the thirteenth member. The Commission is directed to certify district plans for the General Assembly within one month of receipt of the new census data or by March 1 of the year following the census, whichever is later, and for the House of Representatives within three months of receipt of the census data or by June 1 of the year following the census, whichever is later. The standards to govern redistricting plans include the current constitutional standards on population equality, compactness, and contiguity and additional standards to minimize splits of localities and to prohibit consideration of incumbency and political data. Read the Bill »

Outcome

Bill Has Failed

History

DateAction
01/08/2013Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/09/13
01/08/2013Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/09/13 13100182D
01/08/2013Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections
01/22/2013Reported from Privileges and Elections (13-Y 1-N) (see vote tally)
01/24/2013Reading waived (40-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
01/25/2013Read second time and engrossed
01/28/2013Read third time and agreed to by Senate (34-Y 6-N) (see vote tally)
02/02/2013Placed on Calendar
02/02/2013Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections
02/04/2013Assigned P & E sub: Constitutional Amendments Subcommittee
02/11/2013Subcommittee recommends laying on the table
02/23/2013Left in Privileges and Elections

Comments

ACLU-VA Voting Rights, tracking this bill in Photosynthesis, notes:

The ACLU of Virginia is monitoring this legislation.

rural virginia resident writes:

WE ARE RURAL RESIDENTS OF HONORABLE MR DEEDS' DISTRICT.

WE SUPPORT DISCUSSIONS THAT HELP OUR DISTRICTS BE MORE CONCISE IN GEOGRAPHY, TOPOGRAPHY, AND DISTANCE OF TRAVEL AND TIME OF TRAVEL WITHIN THE DISTRICT.

CURRENTLY, OUR DISTRICT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO TRAVEL IN A DAY. That is: we cannot go to a District meeting in a far part of our district and return home in a single day! That is a ridiculous and artificial impediment, apparently created by partisan interests only.

rural virginia resident writes:

Republican Senators' partisan vote to re-draw districts without constituents' discussion, community forums, town halls, conferences, and public research is shameful. Even more than shameful. Tyrannical. We implore our many TEA Party neighbors and friends to remember the pledge on the Commonwealth's flag: 'Thus to Tyrants'.

This tyrannical partisan action without meaningful sustained engagement with constituents and public research shows that redistricting must be advised by non-partisan process (a commission or other appointed body, a public-academic research partnership, etc).

Pam Lawrence writes:

What the Senate did yesterday was DISPICABLE and is exactly why this bill is needed.