Gov. Bob McDonnell on Friday vetoed the redistricting plans approved by the Virginia General Assembly, citing issues with the plan passed by the Democratic-majority Senate.
Senate Majority Leader Dick Saslaw vowed that Senate Democrats will not back down.
“The only thing Governor will accept is absolute surrender on the part of the Democrats of the Senate of Virginia and he’s not going to get it,” said Saslaw, who promised in response to the governor’s veto that the Senate will pass for a second time the plan that it had already sent to the governor.
McDonnell detailed his objections to the Senate plan in a letter to the General Assembly. In the letter, McDonnell said it was “apparent” that districts proposed in the Senate plan are not compact as required in the Virginia Constitution and do not properly preserve locality lines and communities of interest.
Saslaw shot back saying that Senate Democrats used the same criteria Republicans used 10 years ago to redraw district lines. “Gov. McDonnell is clearly playing politics by vetoing this bill,” Saslaw said.
Senate Democratic Caucus Chair Mary Margaret Whipple said the redistricting plan passed last week by the Senate meets legal requirements.
“The redistricting plan we passed last week meets all federal and state legal requirements. It meets the criteria for redistricting as established by the 1965 Voting Rights Act, and the U.S. Constitution and Virginia Constitutions,” Whipple said. “These criteria include but are not limited to, making sure districts are near the same size, do not dilute racial or ethnic minority voting strength, are compact and contiguous, and maintain communities of interest.”
The disagreement could put the November legislative elections in jeopardy. If the General Assembly and governor can’t agree on new district lines, it would be left to courts to decide the new House and Senate districts.
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