Amendment 1 deserves support
To combat gerrymandering in the future, Virginia needs new protections
Aproposed amendment to the Virginia Constitution would dramatically change how the commonwealth draws lines to govern representation in Congress and the General Assembly.
It is not perfect, as the strong opposition of Black lawmakers attests, but it is also not a piecemeal solution to a problem once thought intractable. It would establish greater independence for those making the maps and greater oversight by the public — and is therefore deserving of voters’ support.
Redistricting reform has been a dream for so long in Virginia that it is hard to believe the commonwealth stands on the precipice of finally following through. For years, the public has heard that drawing district lines to maximize political advantage is just part of the landscape here.
That’s not the case anymore. Advocates organized to effect change with a commitment to adopt a workable reform plan before the next redistricting process begins in 2021. Through grassroots effort and plenty of lobbying, they built a movement that reached critical mass last year.
With Republicans holding narrow majorities in both legislative chambers in Richmond, lawmakers passed an amendment to the Virginia Constitution that would establish an independent commission to carry out that all-important process.
The body would have 16 members: eight lawmakers — four from each party and each chamber — and eight citizen members selected by a group of retired circuit court judges. The commission will draw the maps for the General Assembly to approve or reject. A deadlocked legislature would put redistricting in the hands of the Virginia Supreme Court.
Legislative leaders of the Republican and
Democratic parties will select the lawmakers who serve on the commission, the judges who will choose citizen members and a proposed list of citizens from which the judges will fill out the commission.
To land the measure on the ballot, the amendment needed approval from consecutive legislative sessions — a hurdle that seemed easy enough to clear even after voters handed control of the General Assembly to Democrats.
After all, many Democrats campaigned
on redistricting reform and overwhelmingly backed the proposal while in the minority. Surely they would follow through when given the chance.
Once in power, however, some Democrats began to voice their doubts about what the amendment would do, the make-up of the proposed commission and how that differed from true “independent” redistricting.
Opponents worried the reform would further ensconce the two major parties in power, since there’s no provision for independent or third-party members. And they fear that lawmakers chosen to serve on the committee would become “super legislators” with the power to determine the political fortunes of their peers in the General Assembly.
Members of the Black Legislative Caucus, many of whom had voted against the measure when it first passed, also argued that the amendment gave outsized power to the courts at the expense of citizens.
They feared a judiciary largely appointed by a Republican-led legislature would lead to less minority representation and unfair districts — essentially more of the same in Virginia.
Those concerns gained traction and are the driving force behind the campaign asking voters to reject the amendment in favor of something else, a commission that does not involve lawmakers and doesn’t invite the courts to serve as the final arbiter in case of an impasse.
That’s a tempting proposal, were one to set aside the considerable heavy lifting that would be needed to again twice win legislative approval of a redistricting amendment and ignore the blowback from voters who were promised reform and were then told to wait for something better.
Obviously Virginia cannot abide by reform that disenfranchises Black voters or suppresses minority representation.
Nor can it continue a process that ignores citizen concerns and is largely conducted outside the public view.
But the proposed amendment represents a substantial step forward that will make the process more transparent, more accountable and more independent than before. Amendment 1 can accomplish those goals and deserves voters’ support.