Federal judge: Lawmakers should keep at it

A federal court has rejected Attorney General Mark Herring's request to immediately appoint an independent person to redraw state legislative districts.

Instead, Senior U.S. District Judge Robert Payne on Friday ordered all parties involved in a lawsuit over redistricting to propose names of independent map drawers by Sept. 20. But the judge said he won't name one until at least Oct. 30.

Disagreement over how to redraw 11 House districts that were ruled to be racially gerryman- dered June 26 has led Herring and Gov. Ralph Northam to ask for the courts to redraw the map, saying the court-mandated Oct. 30 deadline would be too late and the 2019 elections would be affected if the court didn't intervene.

If lawmakers don't act by Oct. 30, the task of redrawing district lines would automatically return to the court anyway.

Six of the 11 unconstitutional districts are in Hampton Roads.

On Friday, Payne ordered House Speaker Kirk Cox, R- Colonial Heights, to give the court several progress reports on the General Assembly's redistricting effort between now and Nov. 2.

In a court filing Wednesday, Cox's lawyers said Republicans are in the “advanced stages” of creating a new map. Cox said lawmakers will return to Richmond for a subcommittee meeting Sept. 27 and likely a full House session to consider the proposal in October.