Brian Moran's masterstroke: a bipartisan redistricting bill

MORAN INTRODUCES BI-PARTISAN REDISTRICTING

RICHMOND GÇô House Democratic Caucus Chairman Brian J. Moran today re-introduced a bipartisan constitutional amendment to ensure a fair redistricting process during the next redistricting in 2011. The legislation, originally co-sponsored by then delegate, now House Speaker, William J. Howell and then Senator, now Senate Majority Leader, Walter Stosch in 1992, will create a bi-partisan redistricting commission ensuring districts are fairly drawn based on population without regard to partisan advantage. The current system of legislative control allows districts to be drawn to serve partisan advantage and incumbent protection.

"Partisan redistricting deprives voters the right to choose their representatives. Instead, representatives get to choose their voters GÇô it's time for a change," said Chairman Moran. "Our legislative districts should reflect the sensible center of Virginia's voters and ensure lawmakers are making policy from the center rather then the extremes. We govern best when we govern in the middle."

The proposed amendment introduced today is identical to a 1992 proposed amendment (House Joint Resolution 141) patroned by Delegate Agee. The original legislation was co-patroned by leading Republicans including then Delegate, now Speaker of the House, William J. Howell and others including Appropriations Chairman Vince Callahan, Congressman Randy Forbes, Delegates Phil Hamilton, Frank Hargrove, Bob Purkey and Bob Tata as well as Senate Majority Leader Walter Stosch.

Former Richmond Republican Delegate, and co-patron of the 1992 legislation, Anne G. "Panny" Rhodes said, "I was proud to support this important reform in 1992 and am proud to support it yet again. Fair elections are decided by voters not by the drawing of maps. This bi-partisan redistricting commission will ensure competitive elections, higher voter turnout, and centrist governance."

The constitutional amendment introduced by Chairman Moran creates a Virginia Redistricting Commission which seeks to make compact districts having natural communities of interests and keeping intact political subdivisions. The commission shall be comprised of four members delegated by the Chief Justice of the Virginia Supreme Court based on recommendations of the Majority and Minority leaders in the House of Delegates and the Senate of Virginia. The four members will chose the fifth member who will serve as the chairman. No one member of the commission may hold public office or serve as an official of a political party during a 5 year period prior to selection.

"Voters deserve a choice when they get to the ballot box and that requires a district where both parties can be competitive. Nothing is more anti-democratic than having districts so clearly drawn for one party that the voters lose their chance for meaningful representation," Moran said.

The League of Women Voters recently completed a two part study of our redistricting process "Does Your Vote Really Count?" which analyzed the history of the federal and state process of redistricting and analysis of the prospects for reform. The report stated that "with little reason to fear voters, representatives increasingly cater to party insiders and donors rather than to the political center. . . ; bipartisan compromise around moderate policies takes a backseat to party loyalty, resulting in historic levels of polarization." LWV-VA looked at other states GÇô like Iowa GÇô where similar reforms measures have been enacted.

League of Women Voters, Virginia Chapter President, LuLu Meese said "The League of Women Voters of Virginia continues to be concerned about the low voter turnout in Virginia's elections. Our ongoing study of redistricting has led us to conclude that the present method of redistricting by our legislators is part of the problem. When legislators redistrict to protect incumbents, then challengers are reluctant to invest their time and money in an impossible challenge. We urge our lawmakers to change this method of redistricting our state and congressional districts."

The legislation will be considered by the 2007 session of the General Assembly and is likely to be referred to the House Privileges and Elections committee.

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