Dirty politics? The call for a special session is a calculated political move designed to take the Republican candidate for Governor, Lt. Governor Winsome Sears, off the campaign trail and change voting lines determined by a General Assembly bipartisan House and Senate committee.
Why? This action is to undo districts created with statewide bipartisan citizen input. Just five years ago, when Republicans were in control of the Virginia House, the Democrat leadership championed and won the formation of a bipartisan Redistricting Commission. The Redistricting Commission held public input sessions across the state that brought forward recommendations. Instead of the previous practice of districts being determined by the political party in power, the districts were created to provide voters easy access to their legislator by providing compact districts. The VA General Assembly could not come to a consensus on what maps to approve. The VA Supreme Court appointed two map makers to draw the lines. Today, partisan politicians want the district lines that were created by a bipartisan House and a bipartisan Senate committee to be changed.
I participated in the public input sessions conducted by VA House and VA Senate committees to realign voting districts. Many groups had representatives speak. I represented CONNECT NOW. The committees heard citizens say they wanted elected legislators to represent compact, not gerrymandered communities. A compact district allows legislators to be visible and accessible. I championed more compact districts because I want to be able to “meet up – to connect” with my elected officials at high school ball games, at the grocery store, at local festivals, and on the Greenway.
Virginia is not California, Texas, or North Carolina. The Virginia system was changed in 2000 to reflect bipartisan Virginia values. For Virginia politicians to state, “Trump made us do this,” is not a Virginia answer. The state’s current district lines were drawn by appointed map makers at the request of bipartisan committees and citizen input. Do not revert to partisan politics to draw voting districts. Except for population shifts that may cause lines to change, keep districts compact. Legislators need to be able to represent their constituents.
Barbara N. Duerk
Roanoke City
