Accused of unconstitutional gerrymandering, Virginia's General Assembly was told last week by a federal district court in Richmond that it must redraw its Congressional map next year because too many black voters are “packed” into one majority-minority district.
But state lawmakers could actually avoid a contentious debate and not address the issue at all during their next session.
Not long after the court ruling, Virginia’s Republican members of Congress held a conference call, and they may very well appeal this decision. It’s a strong possibility because it’s rare nationwide for incumbent congressmen not to appeal a decision such as this. An appeal would tie it up in the courts much longer and delay legislative action.
Governor McAuliffe has stated that ethics reform should include scrutiny of the state's redistricting process. If the GOP-controlled General Assembly were to redraw the boundaries and the Governor found them objectionable, he could veto the bill and create a political firestorm.