Judge Delivers Blow To Democrats’ Redistricting Efforts In Virginia | EUROtoday

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A Virginia courtroom on Thursday successfully blocked Democrats’ deliberate April voter referendum to redraw the state’s congressional maps, one other doubtlessly devastating blow to the occasion’s effort to select up 4 extra U.S. House seats within the nationwide redistricting battle.

Virginia Democratic Attorney General Jay Jones has already vowed to enchantment the ruling by a Tazewell Circuit Court, which granted a brief restraining order requested by the Republican National Committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee. The plaintiffs argue that the poll referendum’s timing and phrasing are unlawful.

The courtroom’s resolution on Thursday, whereas non permanent, may kill the referendum for this yr if it withstands enchantment. The restraining order is in impact till March 18 and early voting is slated to start out March 6.

The Republican request for a restraining order — additionally signed by Republican U.S. Reps. Ben Cline and Morgan Griffith — argued that Democrats have been ramming redistricting-related payments by the legislature regardless of authorized hurdles that stop such a rushed course of.

In an announcement, the GOP nationwide committee stated the newest ruling was “a massive win in defending honest representation for every Virginian.”

It’s the second time Tazewell Circuit Court Judge Jack Hurley Jr. has dominated towards Democrats’ redistricting agenda. In January, he dominated {that a} decision for a constitutional modification was illegally handed in a particular legislative session and brought up too near an intervening election.

That case has been appealed to the state Supreme Court, and justices had stated they’d enable the referendum to proceed whereas they evaluate the enchantment.

President Donald Trump launched an uncommon mid-decade redistricting battle final yr by pushing Republican officers in Texas to redraw districts to assist his occasion win extra seats. The aim was for the GOP to carry on to a slender House majority within the face of political headwinds that sometimes favor the occasion out of energy in midterms.

Instead, it created a nationwide redistricting battle. So far, Republicans consider they will win 9 extra House seats in Texas, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio. Democrats assume they will win six extra seats in California and Utah, and are hoping to totally or partially make up the remaining three-seat margin in Virginia.

Before Thursday’s ruling, Democrats had been bullish in urgent forward with their effort, releasing a proposed map that would give their occasion 4 extra seats within the U.S. House. The redistricting plan has since been launched within the legislature.

Virginia House Speaker Don Scott, a Democrat, stated Thursday he was assured the newest courtroom order can be overturned.

“The Supreme Court of Virginia has already made clear that this matter will go to the voters, but Republicans unhappy with that ruling went back to their friendly judge,” Scott stated in an announcement that identified Hurley’s earlier resolution.

Democrats have additionally tried to restrict which courtroom venues can take up such circumstances. After Republicans filed their first swimsuit in Tazewell, a conservative space in Southwest Virginia, Democratic lawmakers handed laws saying authorized actions associated to constitutional amendments or their elections solely have one correct courtroom venue: the Circuit Court of the City of Richmond.

Virginia Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed the invoice into legislation and set the date for the redistricting referendum for April 21.

In their courtroom filings, Republicans have stated Tazewell continues to be the right venue regardless of the brand new legislation. Hurley agreed.

___ Diaz is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit nationwide service program that locations journalists in native newsrooms to report on undercovered points.