Members of the House of Delegates have approved a constitutional amendment creating a bipartisan commission to draw legislative districts.
Members of the House of Delegates spent almost two hours debating one of the more heated issues of the General Assembly session this year. The debate Friday afternoon culminated with nine Democrats voting with Republicans in favor of the controversial plan to create a bipartisan commission to draw legislative districts.
One of those nine Democrats was Delegate Schuyler VanValkenburg of Henrico County. “I don’t think it’s perfect. L’Etat, chest moi. I am not the state. I am not the state. I do not get to dictate policy for the Commonwealth of Virginia. There are some things I would have chosen to be in there that are not in there and vice versa," VanValkenburg admitted. "But I do think it’s a good product. I do think it moves us forward.”
Most Democrats sided with members of the Legislative Black Caucus who opposed the amendment because it doesn’t require diversity on the mapmaking commission.
Delegate Don Scott of Portsmouth says it gives too much influence to the members of the General Assembly who get to serve on the commission. "I already got to be nice to the Speaker. I’ve got to be nice to Madam Senate Pro Temps. I’ve got to be nice to the chair of Appropriations. I’ve got to be nice to the majority leader. Now I’ve got y’all telling me I’ve got eight more folk I’ve got to not offend because they’ll draw me out of my district,” Scott complained.
Now that the General Assembly has approved the amendment twice, there’s one more step before it gets added to the Constitution —a referendum this November. Voters will have the final say when it appears on the general election ballot this fall.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
