Virginia House of Delegates Speaker Kirk Cox issued the following statement Monday in response to Governor Ralph Northam’s call for a Special Session [1] of the General Assembly to consider redistricting:
“The House of Delegates will convene as constitutionally-required at Noon on August 30th, though we fully intend to continue to pursue both our request for a stay from the Eastern District Court and our appeal to the United States Supreme Court.
“In July, we asked the Eastern District Court to stay its October 30th deadline pending an appeal to the United States Supreme Court this fall. The Eastern District Court has requested additional information from us by August 24th, and we intend to file a notice this week responding to that request and further supporting our request for a stay. We also plan to submit our full appeal to the Supreme Court by next month. The Special Session does not change our plans to pursue all the legal protections provided to us by Federal law and the Constitution.
“Drawing a map that can withstand legal scrutiny is neither a quick nor simple process. The General Assembly must establish criteria, hold committee meetings, and gather public input from across the Commonwealth. A bevy of federal redistricting cases has created a confusing set of conflicting standards and expectations, all of which must be met to satisfy the Courts. The Special Session called by the Governor gives him and Delegate Toscano the opportunity to present a redistricting plan and demonstrate a willingness to engage in a good-faith effort. We look forward to reviewing their proposal.”