Virginia voters are one step closer to weighing in on whether to give the General Assembly the power to redraw congressional maps in the middle of the decade.
The House of Delegates Appropriations Committee voted 15–7 on Thursday to move forward a bill introduced by Chair Luke Torian (D–Prince William) that would set April 21 as the date for a ballot referendum on a proposed constitutional amendment that passed through the legislature on a partisan vote last week.
The proposed text of the amendment requires voters’ approval. It would give the General Assembly the authority to go around the state’s bipartisan independent commission — which typically redraws maps after a decennial census — if other states undergo middecade redistricting.
That condition has already been triggered, after a cascade of redistricting efforts started by President Donald Trump’s pressuring of Texas Republicans to draw maps giving the GOP five additional seats in the US House of Representatives.
Democratic lawmakers have said that the proposed new maps, which could shift the balance of the state's congressional seats to 10–1 in favor of Democrats, could be ready by Jan. 30. It’s not clear who is producing the maps; Haystaq, the data vendor for the Democrats on the redistricting commission, is not involved with the map-drawing effort, the company’s president told VPM News.
The National Democratic Redistricting Commission declined to share maps that it had presented to Virginia lawmakers in response to an inquiry from VPM News.
Putting the bill through the appropriations process allows for the referendum date to be set before July 1, when most bills take effect. Regular legislation must include an emergency clause and be supported by at least 80% of each chamber to be enacted immediately, but amendments to the current budget go into effect right away.
It also keeps Gov. Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat, out of a direct role in the process for a bit longer. Governors have power to call special elections, and legislation drawing the new maps will have to make it past Spanberger’s veto power.
The bill also appropriates more than $5 million for election-related expenses.
Thursday’s vote fell on a partisan basis, with all Republicans on the committee voting against.
“I can't go along with this appropriation because I understand the consequences associated and are fairly detrimental to the citizens of the commonwealth and fair representation,” said Del. Terry Austin (R–Botetourt).
Del. Cia Price (D–Newport News) said the process ensured fairness due to other states.
“If we were to not act — or at least give the voters the opportunity to choose to act — then we would be allowing for Texas, Florida and North Carolina to diminish the power of our Virginians’ vote,” said Price.
April 21, the proposed referendum date, falls as the Republican-controlled Florida legislature meets to redraw its maps.