Voters cast ballots at Robious Elementary School in Chesterfield County on Nov. 5, 2019.
During last year’s General Assembly, most House Democrats voted for a proposed constitutional amendment that would create a bipartisan redistricting committee. Many campaigned on the issue of fair elections and ending divisive partisan gerrymandering. Democrats swept the November elections, regaining control of both the House of Delegates and state Senate for the first time in a quarter-century.
Earlier this month, the state Senate again easily cleared the amendment. But the House? Nothing. Democratic leaders effectively killed the House version by failing to act before Thursday’s deadline. The Senate version is still pending, and the House has until the end of this year’s session to take action. We hope lawmakers pass the amendment and keep their promise to Virginians to reform redistricting.
The proposed amendment calls for moving control of redistricting — historically a perk of power for the ruling party — from the General Assembly to a 16-member bipartisan committee. The panel would consist of eight lawmakers — two members of each party, from each chamber — and eight citizens, all of whom ultimately would be responsible for redrawing legislative and congressional districts. The amendment must again pass the legislature this year for it to go before voters in a referundum this November.
If the referundum passes, the commission would be in effect for the upcoming decennial redistricting, which takes place next year. If the assembly is serious about reform, the time for action is now — not next year or in time for the 2031 process.
The purpose of the amendment is to bring transparency and accountability to what’s long been a murky process mostly decided behind closed doors. The political party in control — and this applies to both Democrats and Republicans — has used the redrawing of districts to advance its own political agendas. Redistricting shouldn’t apply to one party; it should be in the best interest of Virginians.
The General Assembly works for the people, and when maps are manipulated by elected officials, the public’s influence is diluted. The inclusion of citizen voices who reflect Virginia’s diversity is an essential check on lawmakers’ power.
Some House Democrats instead favor a bill introduced by Del. Cia Price, D-Newport News, that calls for a bipartisan advisory commission. But the best way to ensure lasting reform is to amend the state Constitution to create a legally binding commission, not one lawmakers can opt to ignore.
As Del. Schuyler VanValkenburg, D-Henrico, the sponsor of the House bill, wrote in a Thursday op-ed in the RTD, the amendment “sets us on the path to a transparent process that creates maps that foster, rather than inhibit, democracy.”
Let’s stop having to turn to the courts and start creating a Virginia where voters head to the polls with confidence in our system.
