Richmond Times Dispatch
Feb 16, 2008
Nonpartisan redistricting plan defeated
House panel Republicans' vote draws scorn of Kaine, businesspeople and activists

By TYLER WHITLEY
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Despite the pleas of the business community, a House of Delegates subcommittee yesterday killed a proposal to establish a nonpartisan commission to try to take politics out of redistricting.
Critics said Virginia's current partisan process of drawing boundaries for legislative and congressional districts subverts the will of the people by making incumbency protection the main goal.
But Republican legislators said there is no proof that the current process has harmed governance in Virginia.
The 3-2 party-line vote in the subcommittee of the House Privileges and Elections Committee effectively killed the proposed reform in this session.
The defeat of Senate Bill 38 marks another setback for Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, who endorsed the plan, as did Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, a Republican.
"If on a nonpartisan bill like redistricting the will of the [House GOP] leadership is 'we're going to kill this and we're going to kill it in a nonrecorded vote,' well, that sends a message about a philosophy of government and the citizens will decide if that is the right message or not," Kaine said.
"I think that nonpartisan redistricting is widely supported by the electorate because it promotes competition rather than just . . . party-boss incumbent protection," he said.
As if to prove the points of critics -- who said redistricting has taken the competition out of politics -- all five members of the subcommittee were unopposed for re-election last fall. In none of the five districts did more than 22 percent of the voters cast ballots.
Every 10 years, after the census, the General Assembly draws up new district lines for the House of Delegates, the state Senate and for Congress.
While the populations must be roughly equal for districts, the U.S. Supreme Court allows political considerations. That means the party in power controls redistricting. After more than 150 years of Democrat-controlled redistricting, the Republicans had their first shot at it in 2001.
"I feel for democracy," said Richmond grocery store magnate James E. Ukrop. "Fewer and fewer people are going to the polls."
Ukrop is a member of a Virginia Redistricting Coalition, an organization of business groups, the League of Women Voters and other groups seeking a change in the process.
"How would Virginia be better off?" asked Del. S. Chris Jones, R-Suffolk, chairman of the subcommittee and author of the House of Delegates redistricting plan in 2001 that resulted in a GOP gain of 14 seats. "What has hurt your business?"
"I don't care about my business," replied Ukrop.
With so little competition for seats, well-heeled corporations can set public policy, Ukrop said. He referred to the army of lobbyists the payday-lending industry has sent to the General Assembly to fight new regulations.
"It is a cynical, miserable process," said Roy Scherer, a community activist from Richmond.
Jones pointed out that since the 2001 redistricting by the GOP House, Republicans have lost 11 seats, from a peak of 64 in 2002 to 53 today.
Del. Robert H. Brink, D-Arlington, one of two Democrats who voted for the plan, said the General Assembly has deadlocked twice over budget policies since the polarizing effects of redistricting, so the current process is not working.
"The Democrats have been pushed to the left and the Republicans to the right," he said.
The bill would have set up a seven-member commission to draw the boundaries. Three members would be Democrats and three Republicans. Those six then would appoint an independent member, not associated with either party, to serve as chairman. The General Assembly still would have had the final say on redistricting.
Del. John M. O'Bannon III, R-Henrico, proposed killing the bill. Jones and Del. Terrie L. Suit, R-Virginia Beach, voted with him to defeat it. Del. Rosalyn R. Dance, D-Petersburg, joined Brink in voting for it.
Democrats tried to revive the bill in the full Privileges and Elections Committee but lost on a voice vote in a procedural wrangle. The chairman, Del. Mark L. Cole, R-Spotsylvania, said he would allow a recorded vote next week on whether to bring the bill back up but doesn't think that will happen.
"It's a do-nothing bill," he said. "It doesn't do anything, because it still leaves the final decision up to the General Assembly."