The Virginia House of Delegates managed to come up with a bipartisan redistricting plan that saw a number of Democrats vote for the bill in the Republican controlled House. The Democrat controlled State Senate, on the other hand, managed to devise a plan so one sided and protectionist that it did not have a single Republican vote.
Republican Governor Bob McDonnell has issued a veto to stop this Senate foolishness.
As an example of the ridiculous nature of the Senate plan, Hanover County has just one Senate District, where the new Senate plan splits the county into 3 Senate Districts, clearly an ill advised plan drawn only to maximize the number of Democrats elected.
This is the press release from the Governor’s office.
Governor McDonnell Acts on Redistricting Legislation
RICHMOND — Citing significant concerns about the Senate redistricting plan, which failed to receive any bipartisan support, Governor McDonnell has vetoed HB 5001, the redistricting bill passed by the General Assembly. This is the first Senate plan over the last 40 years that did not receive at least minimum bipartisan support. This plan has also been criticized broadly for its failure to preserve communities of interest, ensure compact districts and maintain generally equivalent populations in each district. The governor will not sign a bill that he believes does not comply with state and federal law, and does not have a reasonable chance of receiving preclearance under the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which could subject Virginia to costly and lengthy litigation.
Below is the letter sent to notify the Virginia House of Delegates:
2 Responses to “BREAKING: Virginia Governor McDonnell VETOES Redistricting Plan!”
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