redistricting

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia Democrats are in the spotlight as they argue over how legislative and congressional boundaries should be drawn.

Redistricting reform has been a top priority for Democrats both in Virginia and around the country after a tea party wave a decade ago helped Republicans convert big electoral wins into favorable congressional and state legislative maps.

Democrats have said those maps were political gerrymanders that helped accelerate polarization and entrench minority rule.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia Democrats say they still favor redistricting reform but are split on how to do it.

At issue: whether to support a proposed constitutional amendment that passed the GOP-led General Assembly last year with broad bipartisan support or to support a different proposal that might be friendlier to the new Democratic majority.

Redistricting has long been a hot-button issue in Virginia, where federal judges have struck down both the legislative and congressional maps as racially discriminatory.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) - An advocacy group that wants to overhaul of how Virginia draws its legislative and congressional maps is holding a series of town halls to promote a compromise plan state lawmakers tentatively approved earlier this year.

OneVirginia2021 is set to host a town hall in Virginia Beach next week with similar events planned in the future.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Attorney General Mark Herring's office is disputing a $4.5 million bill that a private law firm wants taxpayers to pick up after it won a major redistricting case.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports that Herring's office has said in court that Perkins Coie should be paid $3.1 million instead.

The firm won a lawsuit that accused lawmakers of illegally packing black voters into certain legislative districts to make surrounding districts whiter and more Republican.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - Maryland's Republican Gov. Larry Hogan says he'll keep pushing for redistricting reform in the state, but Democrats say a national solution for reform is needed, not a piecemeal approach on a state-by-state basis.

The Supreme Court on Thursday reversed the outcome of federal court rulings in Maryland and North Carolina, where courts had ordered new congressional district maps to be drawn due to partisan gerrymandering. That's when political parties in control draw districts that favor them.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Voters will elect lawmakers to the Virginia House of Delegates using a map seen as favorable to Democrats, under a ruling from the Supreme Court.

The justices' 5-4 decision Monday was perhaps telegraphed by the fact they previously allowed election planning to go forward using the map. Virginia held its primary last week.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court is returning to arguments over whether the political task of redistricting can be overly partisan.

The cases at the high court Tuesday mark the second time in consecutive terms the justices will see if they can set limits on drawing districts for partisan gain. Or the court could rule that federal judges should not referee disputes over districts designed to benefit one political party.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - An emergency commission is proposing a new congressional map for western Maryland that restores the Republican tilt it had a decade ago.

The new map approved Friday by Gov. Larry Hogan's Commission on Sixth Congressional District Gerrymandering returns parts of conservative Frederick and Carroll counties to the 6th District. More liberal parts of Montgomery County, closer to the nation's capital are returned to the 8th District.

No other congressional districts are affected.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Virginia lawmakers have approved a sweeping overhaul of how legislative and congressional maps are drawn, despite strong objections from some black legislators.

The House and Senate on Saturday approved a proposed constitutional amendment that would create a new commission empowered to draw legislative and congressional maps during the next redistricting process, a change from the current practice of lawmakers drawing the maps themselves.

The measure must be approved again by the General Assembly next year, and then by voters, to take effect.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP)- A panel of judges has given final approval to a redrawn map for the Virginia House of Delegates in a protracted racial gerrymandering case.           

The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports that the panel's 2-1 ruling Thursday ordered the state to adopt a map created by a court-appointed special master.           

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - A panel of federal judges has chosen a redistricting map for Virginia's House of Delegates that could shift some districts toward Democrats and help the party regain control in this year's election.

The judges ordered a new map after ruling that lawmakers had racially gerrymandered 11 House districts by packing black voters into them.

On Tuesday, the judges chose a proposal submitted by a special master. They gave all sides until Feb. 1 to file objections.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - The U.S. Supreme Court has denied a request from Virginia Republicans to block a federal court from approving new legislative district boundaries.

The order was issued Tuesday, two days ahead of a scheduled lower court hearing in Richmond on proposed new state legislative maps.

A federal judicial panel has ordered a new map after ruling that lawmakers racially gerrymandered 11 state House districts by packing black voters into them.

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal of the case some time this year.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Virginia Republicans want to block a federal court from approving a new legislative map until the U.S. Supreme Court rules on whether it's even needed.

Speaker Kirk Cox asked the high court Thursday to delay a lower court's plans to approve a new map after a Jan. 10 hearing.

The Supreme Court agreed last month to hear an appeal from Republicans who are trying to preserve state legislative districts that have been struck down as racially discriminatory.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Virginia Republicans have asked a federal court to delay Virginia's 2019 primary schedule for three months to enable the U.S. Supreme Court to settle a redistricting lawsuit.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports that House of Delegates Speaker Kirk Cox also formally asked the court Wednesday to suspend efforts to redraw 11 House districts found to be racially gerrymandered. A court-appointed expert is scheduled to file a redrawn map by Dec. 7.

BALTIMORE (AP) - Maryland's governor says a "nonpartisan" emergency commission will be created to draw new boundaries for a congressional district.

Republican Gov. Larry Hogan says the commission will craft a redistricting plan for its sixth congressional district that isn't tarnished by gerrymandering. In Maryland, Democrats were in charge of the last controversial redistricting.

Monday's announcement comes weeks after a panel of federal judges ordered Maryland to submit a new map for its sixth district.

BALTIMORE (AP) - Maryland's attorney general is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review an order for state officials to draw up a new congressional redistricting plan that isn't tainted by partisan gerrymandering.

Attorney General Brian Frosh's office filed its notice of appeal on Thursday and asked for the redistricting case to remain on hold pending action by the Supreme Court.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court will hear an appeal by Virginia Republicans who are trying to preserve state legislative districts that have been struck down by a lower court as racially discriminatory.

The court's action Tuesday comes in a case involving 11 districts in the Virginia House of Delegates. Democratic voters accused majority Republicans of packing black voters into certain districts to make surrounding districts whiter and more Republican.

BALTIMORE (AP) - A panel of federal judges has ruled that Maryland officials must draw up a new congressional redistricting plan that isn't tainted by partisan gerrymandering.

The three-judge panel on Wednesday ordered the state to submit the new map by March 7. Otherwise, the court will appoint a commission to produce a redistricting plan for use in the 2020 congressional election.

Several Republican voters sued over the boundaries of one of Maryland's eight congressional districts, claiming state officials unfairly redrew it in 2011 to favor Democrats.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - Gov. Larry Hogan says a second term would look a lot like his first, if he is re-elected, but voters can expect changes to how the state's congressional map is drawn.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Hogan said Thursday he will push again to take redistricting out of the hands of politicians and have an independent commission draw Maryland's eight congressional districts.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Federal judges have appointed a special expert to help redraw Virginia's state legislative districts.

A three-judge panel appointed Bernard Grofman, an economics and political science professor at the University of California, Irvine, on Thursday. Judges also said indicated they want a new map to be in place by March 28, 2019.

A federal court ruled this summer that lawmakers illegally packed black voters into 11 districts and ordered lawmakers to draw a new map by the end of this month.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Virginia Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam says he's going to veto a GOP-drawn map aimed at fixing an unconstitutional racial gerrymander.

Northam said Tuesday the GOP-led General Assembly's redrawing effort is too partisan and a federal court is best situated to draw a new legislative map.

A House committee voted along party lines last week to advance a GOP-drawn map that supporters say does not unfairly advantage either major political party. Opponents said the map is unfair to African-American voters.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Virginia lawmakers are set to consider proposed new legislative maps ahead of a court-ordered deadline.

A House committee will meet Thursday to take up maps aimed at fixing districts a federal court found were unconstitutionally gerrymandered.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports House Republican leaders said Wednesday they've crafted a potential compromise map that has the support of at least four Democratic lawmakers. Democratic leaders say they are reviewing the latest proposal. 

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Virginia House Republicans have filed their own redistricting proposal they say will fix what a court found were unconstitutionally gerrymandered districts.

GOP Del. Rob Bell introduced a remedial map Tuesday that Republicans say alters 30 House districts, including the 11 that the court said must be redrawn.

Democrats previously introduced a plan Republicans who narrowly control the chamber called a partisan power grab. House Democrats issued a statement Tuesday criticizing Bell's plan.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Virginia's House speaker has scheduled a meeting later this month to continue work on a court-ordered legislative map.

GOP House Speaker Kirk Cox announced Wednesday that a House committee will meet Sept. 27.

Republicans also filed a motion Wednesday asking a federal court to reject Democrats' request that federal judges redraw 11 state House districts found to be unconstitutionally gerrymandered.

A federal court ruled in June that lawmakers illegally packed black voters into 11 districts and ordered lawmakers to draw a new map by Oct. 30.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Virginia's governor wants a federal court to begin the process of redrawing 11 House districts found to be unconstitutionally gerrymandered, saying he believes lawmakers tasked with the job are at an impasse.

Gov. Ralph Northam sent a letter Friday to Republican House Speaker Kirk Cox, urging Cox to ask the court to step in. The Democratic governor says "all signs indicate" the General Assembly won't enact a fixed map by an Oct. 30 deadline the court imposed.

(AP) A federal court has rejected a request from Virginia Republicans that an October deadline to complete a state-level redistricting process be put off until the U.S. Supreme Court weighs in on the case.

A three-judge panel of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia denied the request in an order issued Thursday.

The court ordered lawmakers in June to redraw the state's legislative map by Oct. 30 after it found that some districts were unconstitutionally gerrymandered. Republicans are appealing the ruling and had wanted the deadline put on hold.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Virginia lawmakers are set to meet in Richmond for a special session so they can comply with a court order to redraw the state's legislative map.

Members of the Virginia House and Senate will convene at noon Thursday. The special session comes after a federal court in June found that 11 House of Delegates districts were unconstitutionally gerrymandered. The court ordered lawmakers to redraw the state map by Oct. 30.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam has scheduled a special session of the General Assembly so lawmakers can comply with a court order to redraw the state's legislative map.

The governor announced Monday that he had signed a proclamation calling lawmakers back to Richmond on Aug. 30. The special session will come after a federal court in June found that 11 House of Delegates districts were unconstitutionally gerrymandered and ordered lawmakers to redraw the state map by Oct. 30.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Virginia Republican lawmakers have a two-week deadline to declare whether they plan to comply with a court order to redraw the state's legislative map.

A federal court issued an order Wednesday giving House Republican members until Aug. 24 to say what their plans are.

The court has previously ordered lawmakers to come up with a new map by October after ruling that lawmakers illegally packed black voters into certain districts to make surrounding districts whiter and more Republican.