HB 2857
Background and Procedural InformationH.B. 2857 was introduced on January 9, 2008 by delegates Overington, Lane, Sobonya, Sumner, Duke, Carmichael, and Blair. The proposed legislation provides for specific criteria that the State redistricting commission must follow when proposing district mappings.
Under the proposed legislation, are single-member districts a requirement or otherwise implied?
The legislation does not explicitly provide for single-member districts.
Does the proposed legislation provide for Voting Rights Act compliance (e.g. can the commission use voter history information)?
The legislation explicitly states that voter history data is excluded from the mapping process and that the districts must comply with the United States Voting Rights Act.
Under the proposed legislation, how is the commission formed?
The legislation is silent as to how the commission is to be formed, since it does not provide for a new method of commissioner selection.
Under the proposed legislation, are competitive districts favored?
The legislation impliedly favors competitive districts by stating that districts shall not be created to favor a particular political party, an incumbent legislator or member of Congress, or any other individual over another.
Under the proposed legislation, can members of the public submit plans?
Although the legislation does not provide for submission of plans by members of the public, it does require that the proposed redistricting maps be advertised and available for comment by the public for at least 30-days.
Does the proposed legislation allow for mid-decade redistricting?
No. The legislation provides that the redistricting committee shall collect the census data by December 31 of every year ending in zero, such that exclusive use of the decennial census is implied.