FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 22, 2008

Senate Bill 38 is Latest Effort to End Partisan Process for Drawing Legislative Districts

RICHMOND-Senator R. Creigh Deeds, chairman of the Senate Privileges and Elections Subcommittee on Constitutional Amendments, Reapportionment and Referenda, today merged the work of Senators from both political parties to create a bi-partisan redistricting process. Senate Bill 38 is expected to be heard by the full committee next week.

"Today's important work in subcommittee was the first step this year towards passing a bi-partisan redistricting process that will end the divisive and bitter politics that have infected state government," said Deeds. "With the next round of redistricting nearly upon us, now is the time to make this important change so that voters are picking their elected representatives-not the other way around."

This is the sixth year that Senator Deeds has carried a proposal to reform the partisan process where legislative districts are drawn to protect incumbents and maximize the strength of the ruling party. SB 38 would create a commission with an equal number of members appointed by leaders in both political parties. A seventh independent member would be chosen by a majority vote of the six appointees. The commission would be bound by criteria for drawing legislative districts that excludes the use of previous voting results, demographic data, or the addresses of incumbents.

In today's subcommittee hearing, Deeds sought to pass out one bill to create a bi-partisan redistricting process by combining the work of both Democratic and Republican members. Senate Bills 105 (Cuccinelli), 243 (Howell) and 625 (Stolle) were incorporated into SB 38.

For the last six years, Deeds has proposed the creation of a redistricting commission-chaired by a non-partisan member-that would remove partisanship and incumbent protection from the drawing of legislative and congressional districts. Last year's proposal, Senate Joint Resolution 352, made history when for the first time a bi-partisan redistricting proposal passed a chamber of the General Assembly. SJR 352 passed the Senate with the support of seven Republicans but was defeated on an unrecorded vote in a House of Delegates subcommittee. [See: SJR 352, 2007 [1]]