Four anti-gerrymandering bills have been introduced in the 2012 General Assembly. Two are now on the docket of the Senate Privileges and Elections Committee and two others are before the House P&E Committee:
· S.B. 189 (Sen. John Miller, D-Newport News) would establish a 5-member commission, with one member each appointed by the majority leaders and minority leaders in the Senate and House, and the fifth member (and chairman) appointed by those four members, with deadlocks decided by the state Supreme Court. The bill would limit the use of political data to draw the districts and require opportunities for public comment. The commission would submit its proposal to the General Assembly, which would take it up in the normal legislative process.
· SB 446 (Sen. Jill Vogel, R-Winchester) would establish a 7-member commission, with one member each appointed by the majority leaders and minority leaders in the Senate and House and by the chairmen of the two political parties winning the most votes in the previous gubernatorial election. The seventh member (and chairman) would be appointed by those six members, with deadlocks decided by the state Supreme Court. The bill would limit the use of political data to draw the districts and require opportunities for public comment. The commission would submit its proposal to the General Assembly, which would take it up in the normal legislative process.
· HB 831 (Del. Betsy Carr, D-Richmond) would create a 7-member commission made up of retired judges selected by the Supreme Court of Virginia. The bill would limit the use of political data to draw the districts and require opportunities for public comment. The commission would submit its proposal to the General Assembly, which would take it up in the normal legislative process.
· HJ116 (Del. Kenneth Plum, D-Reston) would submit the proposal for an independent redistricting commission to the voters in the form of a Constitutional amendment. The amendment would establish a 13-member commission with authority to devise and certify new districts for the General Assembly and Congress. The commission’s decisions would not be subject to the approval of the General Assembly. The commission would be composed of two members each appointed by the President pro tem of the Senate, the Speaker of the House, the minority leaders in the House and Senate and the chairmen of the two political parties receiving the most votes in the previous gubernatorial election. Those 12 members would appoint the 13th member (and chairman), with deadlocks decided by the state Supreme Court. The amendment would prohibit drawing districts to favor incumbents and forbid the use of political data in drawing new districts.