Just hours after the Virginia House of Delegates were called to be back in Richmond on October 21 by Speaker of the House Kirk Cox (R-Colonial Heights) to vote on a GOP redistricting plan, Governor Ralph Northam (D) stated that he would veto the legislation, regardless of how it looks. If Northam vetoes the Republican redistricting package, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia is prepared to act on mandating a court-appointed specialist the redraw Virginia’s legislative map if it cannot be completed by October 30.
“At least the Governor is finally being honest,” Speaker Cox said via a press release.
“After weeks of feigning interest, the governor has admitted at last that he wants federal judges appointed by President Obama to draw a redistricting map to deliver a Democratic majority in the House of Delegates.” he added.
The Republican speaker also said that Northam’s “public omission stands in contrast to several private conversations I’ve shared with him.”
The redistricting plan, House Bill 7003, is a politically-neutral, race-blind remedial map, according to Republicans and a contingent of bipartisan supporters.
Just one week ago, during an appearance on WTOP’s “Ask The Governor” segment, Governor Northam said redistricting was a “legislative process.” However, when it appeared Republicans may garner bipartisan support for a fair and constitutional map, Governor Northam announced he no longer believes lawmakers should be involved. Instead, he wants federal judges appointed by former President Barack Obama to draw a redistricting map to deliver a Democratic majority in the House of Delegates, as stated in a news release.
“That is a legislative process, that I will let play out but at the end of the day, at the end of the day what we need in Virginia is a map that is fair and that is constitutional. So, if such a map hits my desk for signature I will certainly consider it…the sooner we can get the legislature to work on a map that is fair and constitutional, the better for Virginia,” Northam originally said on the show.
House Appropriations Committee Chairman Chris Jones, the patron of bill, also explained his feelings about Northam’s action.
“It is hard to overstate my disappointment in the Governor, someone I’ve known personally and professionally for over a decade,” he expressed.
“I said last week that House Bill 7003 was a work in progress, and that I was willing to work in collaboration with members of both parties as I have always done throughout my career because I believe it is the right thing to do. Unfortunately in this case, the right thing appears to taken a back seat to those who are determined to win political power no matter the cost, Delegate Jones said.
Cox said the Republican’s map “complies with the Court order, is politically-neutral, and adheres to traditional redistricting criteria,” and that “our offer still stands,” to work on a new plan for legislative districts in the Commonwealth.
House Minority Leader David Toscano (D-Charlottesville) says he supports the governor’s promise to veto the bill, claiming it “does not address the constitutional infirmities” found by a federal court panel in June and instead “serves only to protect the Republicans’ partisan advantage,” according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
Although Toscano fails to disclose who drew the Democrat’s new map, Republicans have been open about the process, remedying the districts deemed unconstitutional by the federal court. Moreover, as for going for a partisan advantage, the Republican plan actually shifts more districts to the left, politically, than the right. Not only does it not significantly alter the partisan makeup of any competitive House district, it does not make any unnecessary changes, like altering non-adjacent districts, and does not combine any currently-elected House members in new district, like the plan for Democrats did.
Legislative Black Caucus Chairman Lamont Bagby (D-Henrico), the patron of the Democrat’s plan, said that the General Assembly “must remain focused on the real issue, which is that 11 House districts were racially gerrymandered to reduce the voting power of black Virginians.”
The court did decide that that 11 districts in the Richmond and Hampton Roads metropolitan areas were racially gerrymandered. But, how come the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus signed off on the House of Delegates redistricting plan in 2011? Did they not see this seven years ago?
Nevertheless, it all comes back to the governor shutting the door on bipartisan collaboration to ensure that political power is gained by the minority party in the General Assembly no matter the cost to get them the majority.