Constitutional amendment; Virginia Citizens Redistricting Commission, established. (HJ143)

Introduced By

Del. Mark Levine (D-Alexandria)

Progress

Introduced
Passed Committee
Passed House
Passed Senate

Description

Constitutional amendment (first resolution); apportionment; criteria for legislative and congressional districts; Virginia Citizens Redistricting Commission. Provides for the establishment of the Virginia Citizens Redistricting Commission (the Commission), a 10-member commission responsible for establishing legislative and congressional districts following a decennial census. A selection committee consisting of five retired judges of a circuit court in Virginia, selected by the Speaker of the House of Delegates, the minority leader in the House of Delegates, and the majority and minority leaders in the Senate from a list compiled by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia, is tasked with adopting a process by which registered Virginia voters may apply to serve on the Commission and selecting from the applicants a list of 22 candidates. The amendment requires five of the candidates to be voters who affiliate with the political party receiving the highest number of votes for Governor at the immediately preceding gubernatorial election, five candidates to be voters who affiliate with the political party receiving the next highest number of votes for Governor at the immediately preceding gubernatorial election, and 12 candidates to be voters who do not affiliate with either of those political parties. The Speaker of the House of Delegates, the minority leader in the House of Delegates, and the majority and minority leaders in the Senate then strike names from the list until a final list of 10 Commission members is reached consisting of three members who affiliate with the political party receiving the highest number of votes for Governor at the immediately preceding gubernatorial election, three members who affiliate with the political party receiving the next highest number of votes for Governor at the immediately preceding gubernatorial election, and four members who do not affiliate with either of those political parties. Final approval or adoption of a redistricting plan requires an affirmative vote of seven of the 10 Commission members, including at least one vote from each of the political parties represented. The amendment also contains criteria to which the Commission is required to adhere when drawing the legislative and congressional districts, including a criterion of fairness, and imposes certain requirements on the Commission's activities to ensure accessibility by the public. Read the Bill »

Status

12/04/2020: Failed to Pass in Committee

History

DateAction
01/16/2020Presented and ordered printed 20105633D
01/16/2020Referred to Committee on Rules
01/31/2020Continued to 2021 in Rules
12/04/2020Left in Rules