Senate Republicans Throw New Map on Our Desks

Posted on January 21, 2013 by Chap

Not content with their 20-20 “control” of the Senate, the Republican Caucus today introduced a bill which complete remakes the map that we passed in 2011.

Notably, the “new” 34th District fails to include the new precincts that were created by Fairfax County in 2011, after we redistricted.  That means that the new precinct for George Mason University, for example, has been effectively abolished.  Thanks, guys.

Still trying to figure out all the details from this map, which is quickly headed to a courthouse.  The majority caucus apparently waited until Inauguration Day, knowing that our caucus would be short members who would be attending the festivities in D.C.

As a result, we were caught a man short.

 

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  • Isophorone

    Democrat chickens come home to roost! Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah

  • Chap Petersen

    We’ll see if this holds up since our constitution calls for redistricting to be done in 2011 ONLY. If so, you won’t have me to kick around anymore. (smile)

    • Isophorone

      First of all, tell us where in the State Constitution it calls for redistricting to be done in 2011 ONLY. From what I understand, there is nothing preventing the new majority from re-redistricting, though the new lines won’t be effective until 2015. Remember, you all did a horrible, partisan gerrymander in 2011, but I don’t recall it bothering you SO MUCH that you had to vote against it.

      Just as well you don’t have us to kick around any more. As I recall, you told me that you LOVED your old district (that one that didn’t include me). It’s not personal, I’m sure . . . ;)

      • Chap Petersen

        Article II, Section 6: “The General Assembly shall reapportion the Commonwealth into electoral districts in accordance with this section in the year 2011 and every ten years thereafter.”

        Speaks for itself.

        • Isophorone

          But it doesn’t say that the General Assembly shall NOT reapportion the Commonwealth within the ten year period.

  • http://twitter.com/TheTysonsCorner TheTysonsCorner

    Just another reason why our legislature in Virginia is being hijacked by the regions of our state which depend on… wait for it… the very region they are trying to hijack and control.

    Do your darn jobs GOP of Virginia and serve your constituents. Stop trying to perform illegal board room take overs of our political system which has survived 300 years in the common wealth before the new era of GOP began.

  • DJRippert

    While I am definitely a Republican supporter at the national level I am totally disgusted by the Republicans in Virginia. Their ultrasound mis-adventures, their star chamber conventions and now their mid – decade gerrymandering ….

    Enough is enough. It’s to boot every Republican in Northern Virginia out of office.

  • Mattg

    So, you jerry-mandered the district in 2011, now cry when it was put back to the way it was? Hilarious. Maybe if all your Senators had bothered to show up for work today it wouldn’t have happened.

    • Mattg

      Today was lobby day too, a day set aside for constituents to visit their representatives and hold rallies for the causes they care about. Nice to know that the Democratic Senators I attempted to visit today were more worried about inaguration parties than meeting with their constituents and other Va residents.

  • Roy Baldwin

    Section 6 of the Virginia Constitution states: “The General Assembly shall reapportion the Commonwealth into electoral districts in accordance with this section in the year 2011 and every ten years thereafter.”

    Some apologists for the Senate Republicans might say “OK, but that’s just a maximum number, there’s nothing to stop them from reapportioning more often than every 10 years”, but this is simply false. The reason we know this is false is by looking at the rest of the section. Nearly every time this reapportionment action by the General Assembly is mentioned in the remainder of this section it is referred to as the “decennial reapportionment law”. “Decennial” has only one meaning: “every 10 years”. For example:

    “Any such decennial reapportionment law shall take effect immediately and not be subject to the limitations contained in Article IV, Section 13, of this Constitution.”

    “The districts delineated in the decennial reapportionment law shall be implemented for the November general election for the United States House of Representatives, Senate, or House of Delegates, respectively, that is held immediately prior to the expiration of the term being served in the year that the reapportionment law is required to be enacted.”

    “A member in office at the time that a decennial redistricting law is enacted shall complete his term of office and shall continue to represent the district from which he was elected for the duration of such term of office so long as he does not move his residence from the district from which he was elected.”

    The framers of the Virginia Constitution went out of their way to make it clear that they intended reapportionment to occur every 10 years, and not more frequently. All Virginians who describe themselves as “strict constructionists” when it comes to the U.S. Constitution should clamor for this action to be disavowed by the House of Delegates and by the governor.