Bob McDonnell on the Senate Dems’ map: Hell no!
By D.J. McGuire | Friday, April 15th, 2011 | Policy
Governor tells the Senate to get the crayons back out.
McDonnell basically told the State Senate Democrats, from Janet Howell on down, that their plan is likely in violation of the U.S. and Virginia Constitutions (keep in mind, this from the fellow who as Attorney General thought HB3202 was constitutional – you practially have to set the document on fire to fail his test), discriminates against suburban voters (that had to hurt), and chops up counties and cities into julienne fries (which it does).
He also demanded they start redoing lines now.
I must confess; I never expected this. I figured the Governor would change some lines south of the James (like put the 8th back in Virginia Beach) or something. This basically brings everything to a full stop. McDonnell didn’t even present an alternative – which could mean status quo this year and a whole new set of legislative elections in 2012.
Then again, I could be wrong; after all, I missed this entirely.
Cross-posted to RWL (with different title)
Update: Tom White of Virginia Right has the letter the governor sent to the House of Delegates informing them of his decision and his press release. White also makes this keen observation:
The Virginia House of Delegates managed to come up with a bipartisan redistricting plan that saw a number of Democrats vote for the bill in the Republican controlled House. The Democrat controlled State Senate, on the other hand, managed to devise a plan so one sided and protectionist that it did not have a single Republican vote.
Republican Governor Bob McDonnell has issued a veto to stop this Senate foolishness.
As an example of the ridiculous nature of the Senate plan, Hanover County has just one Senate District, where the new Senate plan splits the county into 3 Senate Districts, clearly an ill advised plan drawn only to maximize the number of Democrats elected.
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Former candidate for Board of Supervisors in Spotsylvania, current blogger, economics teacher, and long-rumored windbag. There are two causes closest to the heart: steering the country away from the social democratic nonsense that is sinking Europe, and convincing the rest of the "rightosphere" that the NBA really is a joy to watch.
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13 Responses to "Bob McDonnell on the Senate Dems’ map: Hell no!"
Maybe the Governor will order a special for the 37th SSD because the current occupant doesn’t reside there.
Ok can this nightmare end soon so we get on with electing more Republicans to the State Senate……..Everyone is on hold because of this.
Bill Bolling released a statement about today’s redistricting. I think this is the money quote:
My guess is there are at least two Dem senators willing to go along with this, otherwise the governor would have amended not vetoed.
The State House and State Senate plans need to both go. Adopt those put forth by the Universities and set in motion a non-partisan redistricting commission backed by a constitutional amendment for 2021.
Well, if he didn’t say, “Hell no!”, they probably still got the message.
Even if he said, “Golly gee guys! We better give those Democrats the “Business”!”, they still got the message that he’s ready to take it to them.
Good for him!
Both of these plans leave a lot to be desired although (at least in Hampton Roads) the senate plan is worse. I’ll let you guys speak to Va Beach and Norfolk, but on the Peninsula, the gerrymandering of the 3rd (aND TO A lesser extent the 1st & 2nd districts) and the splitting of Hampton and York County both into three senate districts is ridiculous. YC should also not be split into three House districts.
Actually he said, “Hell No” to both the House and Senate plans. There are on the same bill.
I say: Send it to court and we’ll hold the elections sometime next year…
Should be “They are” vs. There
I am incredibly proud of OUR Governor for standing firmly against both plans. Enough with the gerrymandering on both sides. I will encourage everyone who will listen to accept the Bipartisan Commission’s version. That will send a strong message that it is not “politics as usual” in Virginia. Hopefully that is what we will read in the papers soon…
Ben Tribbett is going to be crushed that the Moran Democrats (or is that the moron Democrats) won’t be able to elect him to represent eastern Loudoun County.
The sincerity of this is evident by the governor’s praise for the House plan, which is just as big a partisan gerrymander as the Senate plan, apparently based on the fact that House Democrats were too dumb, or too powerless, to effectively object to it.
Steve,
If the House plan was just as gerrymandered as the Senate plan, then why did it pass in the House by a vote of 86-8? Most of the headlines I read about the House plan was that it largely maintained the status quo. In Fairfax County where I live, both Democrats Mark Keam and David Bulova voted for it.
HR- My previous comment explained that, House Democrats are either stupid or disspirited. The House plan is definitley NOT status quo, it will result in a minimum immeditate pickup of 4 House seats for the GOP, after a couple of retirements after the next cycle, that rises to about +6. The House Republicans drew a plan to give themselves a veto-proof majority. Given that non-partisan redistricting wasn’t happening this year, I don’t have any problem with that. Politics is politics. I do have a problem with people pretending that the House somehow followedsome fair, non-partisan process. The House plan is fair compared with their 2001 plan…but then they had a lot less targets this time.
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