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2008 SESSION

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SB 38 Bipartisan Redistricting Commission; created, report.

Introduced by: R. Creigh Deeds | all patrons    ...    notes | add to my profiles | history

SUMMARY AS PASSED SENATE:

Bipartisan Redistricting Commission created. Establishes a seven-member temporary commission to prepare redistricting plans in 2011 and each tenth year thereafter for the House of Delegates, state Senate, and congressional districts. Appointments to the commission shall be made one each by the four majority and minority party leaders of the House and Senate and by the state chairmen of the two major political parties. Those six appointees shall appoint the seventh member and chairman for the commission. If they cannot agree, they shall submit the names of the two persons receiving the most votes to the Supreme Court for the Court to select the chairman. The commission will prepare plans and submit them as bills to the General Assembly. The General Assembly shall then proceed to act on the bills in the usual manner. The bill provides for Commission comments on plans as they change in the legislative process. It also spells out the standards and process to be followed by the Commission in preparing plans, including limitations on the use of political data and opportunities for public comment on the plans. This bill incorporates SB 105, SB 243, and SB 625.

SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED:

Bipartisan Redistricting Commission created. Establishes a five-member temporary commission to prepare redistricting plans in 2011 and each tenth year thereafter for the House of Delegates, state Senate, and congressional districts. Appointments to the commission shall be made one each by the four majority and minority party leaders of the House and Senate from a pool of 24 retired judges appointed by the Supreme Court. Those four appointees shall appoint the fifth member and chairman for the commission from the pool. The commission will prepare plans and submit them to the General Assembly. The General Assembly may accept or reject the first two plans submitted by the commission and may amend the third plan submitted by the commission. The bill spells out the standards and process to be followed by the Commission in preparing plans, including opportunities for public comment on the plans.