The 8 citizen members and 8 legislative members of the Virginia Redistricting Commission met for the first time last night, January 21st, for just over an hour and a half where they introduced themselves and expressed their excitement to be contributing to a fair, balanced and impartial redistricting process. For their first order of business, Senator McDougle (SD-4), moved to allow for two citizen co-chairs - one from each party. Senator Barker (SD-39) seconded the motion, and the Commission proceeded to unanimously elect Greta Harris, a Democrat from Richmond, and Mackenzie Babichenko, a Republican from Mechanicsville, after citizen commissioner James Abrenio confirmed the legality of such action with the Department of Legislative Services (DLS).
Meg Lamb, the senior attorney for DLS then spoke to the commission about the delay of census data delivery. She reported that the 2020 census data would likely not be delivered until late summer or early fall, making it unlikely that new districts will be drawn in time for the 2021 elections. In years where new districts are drawn, the primaries are typically moved to August. However, because new districts are unlikely to be ready in time, the 2021 primaries are currently scheduled for June. Senator Barker suggested that in the interim before the data is delivered, the commission can begin its work using preliminary data, noting that population shifts in Virginia haven’t been as large as in the recent past.
The majority of the other items discussed during the meeting revolved around logistics and support for the commission. Lamb mentioned that the General Assembly entered into a contract to use the software package Citygate GIS for the commission’s work due to their Virginia-specific expertise. She also noted that the commission can hire attorneys and consultants to assist with legal, technological, and other matters. A number of citizen commissioners requested guidance about the redistricting process, to which Lamb answered that all commissioners will be receiving a copy of the “Red Book” from the National Conference of State Legislatures. The laws surrounding confidentiality and public engagement also drew significant interest from both citizen and legislative commissioners. DLS will be providing much guidance for the commission until outside support can be brought in and many of these details are sure to be discussed in more detail at the next meeting.
While much is in the process of being ironed out, this historic meeting set a precedent for bipartisan cooperation and we appreciate all the support being offered by DLS. The Virginia Redistricting Commission belongs to all Virginians, and OneVirginia2021 is looking forward to learning how to best and effectively engage the public in the commission's work. Check out our events tab to learn more about future redistricting workshops and meetings!