Redistricting, an important issue to all Virginians, is now in the Virginia General Assembly. I have read the Virginia Senate bill, which passed unanimously and the House Bill which passed narrowly on a partisan vote. Both bills call for a constitutional amendment that sets forth a process for redistricting (required after the upcoming national census).
The Senate version is vastly superior to the House bill toward solving gerrymandering, the anti-democratic process used by whichever party is in power to draw district boundaries that favor their party, to disfavor the other party, or to work together to favor a legislator’s reelection.
A joint committee of the General Assembly is now rewriting these two bills into one for approval by the General Assembly. The final bill should include citizens being on the commission and checks and balances to prevent one party outnumbering the other.
Hopefully, the Senate version will prevail and even be improved by including clear rules banning gerrymandering and giving full transparency to the redistricting process. We need our representatives to put statesmanship above partisanship and abolish Gerrymandering.
Along with about one-hundred thousand Virginians, I support the nonpartisan organization OneVirginia2021. It suggests wording be included that no district shall be drawn with the intent to favor or disfavor any party or individual.
Respectfully, Ben (R. B. Crawford, 200 Cork Drive, Blacksburg, VA 24060 Phone 540 961-5733)
