Senate approves constitutional amendment to let legislature redraw U.S. House map after debate
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Summary
After an extended floor debate over partisan effect and costs, the Virginia Senate on Jan. 29 passed House Bill 13 84, a proposed constitutional amendment that would give the General Assembly authority to redraw congressional districts and place the question again before voters. The measure passed 21-19.
The Senate on Jan. 29 approved House Bill 13 84, a constitutional amendment that would allow the General Assembly to place a question before voters to change how congressional districts are drawn. The motion to pass the bill was made from the floor and, after more than an hour of debate, the clerk recorded Ayes 21, Noes 19 and the chair announced that HB 13 84 passed.
Supporters framed the measure as a defensive response to what they described as aggressive partisan redistricting in other states. The senator from Eastern Fairfax said Virginia needs tools to "make sure it’s properly represented in the federal system" and argued the amendment gives voters another chance to decide how Virginia’s congressional delegation is chosen.
Opponents said the amendment is a partisan power grab that undermines a recent voter mandate. The senator from Hanover called it "a constitutional amendment to allow the majority caucus in the General Assembly to gerrymander congressional districts," and warned it would cost taxpayers "$5,000,000 for the privilege for the governor to sign that first bill."
The debate included extended back-and-forth on economic context and federal policy, with senators citing tariffs, job loss in Northern Virginia and court decisions as part of their remarks. The senator from Rockingham noted that courts have already ruled against certain redistricting practices and urged colleagues to respect those decisions.
Clerk and procedural officials handled multiple parliamentary inquiries during the debate, and the formal roll call followed standard procedure. The Senate vote on passage was recorded after senators were given the opportunity to change their votes and the clerk closed the roll.
What’s next: HB 13 84 is a proposed amendment that, if enacted through the constitutional procedure, would go to the voters for final approval before taking effect; the transcript records the Senate passage but does not include any subsequent steps or an implementation schedule in this session.
