By a 3-2 voice vote this morning, the House P&E subcommittee on Elections killed SB38, the bipartisan redistricting bill that passed the Senate last week. An attempt by Del. Jim Scott to have the bill heard by the full P&E committee was shot down on a 10-8 vote, which I understand was also unrecorded.
Too bad Ivy Main’s op-ed that appeared in today’s Virginian Pilot wasn’t taken into account by the House.
UPDATE: A little more info on this. Del. Kenny Alexander seconded the motion to have the bill heard by the full committee. The chair, Del. Mark Cole, tried to close the meeting without even taking a vote on the motion. Protests by the members of the committee resulted in them voting by a show of hands, but Cole would not allow the vote to be recorded on the board. I understand three Republicans joined with most of the Democrats present to support the motion.
A similar attempt to have the bill brought back may be made at next Friday’s meeting. While the result may very well be the same, I would hope that the committee would record the vote so that we can know who supports this bill and who doesn’t. The voters deserve that, at least.
UPDATE2: Check out the video and audio on this on Assembly Access.
Technorati Tags: Redistricting
Up at Assembly Access:
http://assemblyaccess.wordpress.com/2008/02/15/strike-three-for-redistricting-reform/
Posted by assemblyaccess | Friday, February 15, 2008, 11:20 amThat’s so disgusting. I mean it’s one thing for my delegate, Terrie Suit, to herself harbor opposition to any bipartisan redistricting plan. And she does. She hasn’t been shy about her opposition. But who the *F* is she to be one of just 3 likewise arrogant legislators to kill in a frickin’ subcommittee a good and honest bill, that not only was thoroughly vetted and worked over by numerous outside advocacy groups but also passed twice (also in 2007) through the Senate. Who died and made her queen of Republican-above-all even-if-it-hurts-Virginians? There’s also a level of respect that must be awarded certain types of bills and this was definitely one that deserved to be at least heard in the frickin’ full House committee. So I guess now Terrie Suit can strumpet her Republican ass up and down the Halls as being the sandbox bully who killed that silly little Democrat bill. Grrrrr……. Damn this makes me made!
Posted by eileen | Friday, February 15, 2008, 11:41 am