Virginia governor calls special session to redraw legislative districts

On Monday, Governor Ralph Northam signed a proclamation calling legislators into a special session that will begin on Aug. 30.

According to a release, the purpose of this special session will be to redraw districts for the House of Delegates.

Earlier this summer, a federal court ordered Virginia lawmakers to redraw the state's electoral map after finding that lawmakers had illegally packed black voters into certain districts to make surrounding districts whiter and more Republican. GOP lawmakers are currently appealing that decision and plan to continue the process.

"It is in the public interest for the General Assembly to finalize constitutional maps as soon as possible," said Northam. "Virginians deserve that clarity. I am calling a special session so we can focus our collective attention on doing what's right: working together to draw lines that represent Virginians fairly."

Redrawing the district maps has been an ongoing issue, with lawsuits reaching the U.S. Supreme Court, since they were initially redrawn following the last U.S. Census in 2010.

Democrats successfully sued in a similar case that led new congressional districts in 2016.

The state Supreme Court earlier this year rejected a challenge alleging several state legislative districts were unconstitutional because they were not compact enough.

The Virginia lawsuits are part of a broader legal effort by a Democratic political group to challenge the constitutionality of Republican-drawn maps in more than a dozen states.

The lawsuits are backed by the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, which is chaired by former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder. Former Gov. Terry McAuliffe and former President Barack Obama have helped raise money for the group.


http://www.whsv.com/content/news/Virginia-governor-calls-special-session-to-redraw-legislative-districts-491267901.html