House debates mid‑decade redistricting language in budget bill and approves HB 29

The Virginia House of Delegates debated an amendment to HB 29 that would allow mid‑decade congressional redistricting and then approved the bill on Feb. 10, 2026.

Delegate Kelly Tatum, speaking to the body, called the proposed constitutional change a calculated effort to "consolidate power" and argued it would disenfranchise nearly half of Virginia voters by enabling a majority party to redraw districts for partisan advantage. "Every voter deserves an equal voice in this government regardless of ZIP code," Tatum said, invoking historical warnings about unchecked authority.

Tatum noted that voters had approved a constitutional change less than five years earlier to vest redistricting authority in a bipartisan commission and asked why the General Assembly was now revisiting that structure. He framed the amendment as a response to a change in which party holds power rather than a change in public interest.

After floor debate the clerk closed the roll; the result announced was Ayes 63, Noes 35, and the bill passed. The transcript records the House's verbal tallies and the clerk's announcement of passage; it does not record individual votes by name in the public portion of the session.

Why it matters: HB 29 is tied to the Commonwealth's appropriation and amendments to the acts of assembly for 2025–26, so changes to redistricting rules inside that package carry both fiscal and institutional significance. The floor debate centered on constitutional process and voter representation rather than technical map drawing.

Next steps: The House recorded final passage on Feb. 10 and the measure will continue through the legislative process required for constitutional amendment language, including any further readings or companion steps required for amendments to the Acts of Assembly.