The Virginia Supreme Court denied Attorney General Jay Jones’s request for an emergency stay on a lower court ruling blocking the state from redistricting after the referendum passed.Virginia Delegate Wren Williams wrote on X:
BREAKING: The Supreme Court of Virginia has denied the Attorney General’s Motion for Emergency Stay in RNC v. Koski – the one where he didn’t quote the ballot language.One sentence. No dissent. No partial relief.“Upon consideration whereof, the Court denies the motion.”What this means in plain terms:Jay Jones’ outside counsel from California asked the Court to allow the election process to proceed pending the rulings on the merits of the gerrymandering cases.The Court said “no.” This stops the election from being certified for now.The same Supreme Court that allowed the referendum to go forward in March, so voters could be heard, has now declined to override a final judgment finding the constitutional amendment process defective. Strong signal that process matters in Virginia.The Attorney General asked the Court of Virginia to set aside a final order that exposed a ballot question he would not quote, an Article XII timeline he had to redefine, and a 1912 case that did not say what he needed it to say.The Supreme Court said “no.”The merits appeal continues. I will keep you posted as this develops.
Virginia voters narrowly approved a new congressional map, which would give Democrats a 10-1 advantage in the House of Representatives.
Tazewell County Circuit Court Judge Jack Hurley blocked Virginia from certifying the results, finding that “the referendum violated several provisions of the state constitution,” as Elizabeth wrote last week.
Hurley had major problems with the wording of the question on the ballot:
He was especially critical of how the question was presented to voters, calling it “flagrantly misleading.” He took particular issue with its portrayal of the new map as restoring fairness in upcoming elections, stating that this phrasing “did not accurately describe the proposed amendment.”
Should the Constitution of Virginia be amended to allow the General Assembly to temporarily adopt new congressional districts to restore fairness in the upcoming elections, while ensuring Virginia’s standard redistricting process resumes for all future redistricting after the 2030 census?
Jones immediately filed an appeal.
Imagine if the GOP put in the effort to fight against the referendum. The map passed with 51.5% of the vote despite the Democratic Party outspending the GOP by $56 million to $25 million.
The map barely passed. Maybe the GOP should pay attention.
[Featured image via YouTube]
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