Senate Republicans are obviously pleased that they have an ally in the executive mansion, and Senate Minority Leader Thomas K. "Tommy" Norment, R-James City, continued to blast the redistricting plan after Gov. Bob McDonnell vetoed it Friday.
Here's Norment:
“Governor McDonnell has wisely decided to reject the Senate Democrats’ redistricting plan,” Norment said. “Since its introduction, the Senate Democrat plan has been the focus of nearly universal derision, and for good reason.
“The plan disregards the people of Virginia, splitting more communities – by far – than the current map, or the alternative proposals offered by the Governor’s Commission, William and Mary’s winning entry in the student competition, and the plan offered by Senators Watkins and Vogel. Other than the 22 members of the Virginia Senate Democratic Caucus, it is impossible to find praise for Janet Howell’s hyper-partisan redistricting scheme.
“Senate Republicans are prepared to work with Senate Democrats on a reasonable plan.”
“The only thing he’s going to accept is absolute surrender on the part of the Democrats of the Senate of Virginia,” Saslaw said of McDonnell. “And he’s not going to get it.”
If McDonnell vetoes the plan a second time, Saslaw said the Senate will not adopt a third plan.
“That’s it — we’re not sending any more after that,” he said.
UPDATE: SENATE DEMOCRATS RESPOND:
The governor said a letter that the Senate maps were not compact and didn’t meet other legal requirements.
Senate Democrats said McDonnell’s allegations were unfounded.
“Governor McDonnell is clearly playing politics by vetoing this bill. We followed the same criteria that Republicans used to draw maps 10 years ago,” said Senate Majority Leader Dick Saslaw.
He said the Senate will override this veto and adopt the same plan again.
“The only thing Governor will accept is absolute surrender on the part of the Democrats of the Senate of Virginia and he’s not going to get it,” said Saslaw.
Senate Democratic Caucus Chair Mary Margaret Whipple said the redistricting plan passed last week by the Senate meets legal requirements.
“The redistricting plan we passed last week meets all federal and state legal requirements. It meets the criteria for redistricting as established by the 1965 Voting Rights Act, and the U.S. Constitution and Virginia Constitutions. These criteria include but are not limited to, making sure districts are near the same size, do not dilute racial or ethnic minority voting strength, are compact and contiguous, and maintain communities of interest,” said Whipple.
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