Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, March 29, 1991 TAG: 9103290275
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B3 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
The plan, offered by Del. Vincent Callahan, R-Fairfax County, at a meeting of the House Privileges and Elections Committee, also calls for putting a number of Democratic incumbents in the same districts.
The Callahan plan would place House Majority Leader Thomas Moss of Norfolk in a proposed black-majority district with Del. Jerrauld Jones, who is black.
A redistricting plan offered last week to the committee by Democratic Del. Glenn Croshaw of Virginia Beach calls for creating 11 black-majority districts.
In addition to putting 18 of the House's 39 Republicans in nine districts, the Democratic plan would place a Republican incumbent in the same district as a Republican-leaning independent.
Meantime, the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia made public a proposal Thursday for redrawing the state's 40 senatorial districts.
ACLU Director Kent Willis said the plan would do more to enhance black voting strength than either the Republican or Democratic plans.
Most redistricting experts believe the Justice Department will reject any plan that does not enhance black voting power when it is possible to do so.
The ACLU proposal would establish five black-majority senatorial districts. Currently, two senatorial districts have black majorities.
The ACLU proposal would result in five black-majority senatorial districts. Currently, two senatorial districts have black majorities.
Democrat Benjamin Lambert of Richmond represents one, and Democrat Yvonne Miller of Norfolk represents the other.
The ACLU plan would turn the district now represented by Sen. Robert Scott, D-Newport News, into a black-majority district. Scott is black, but his district has a white majority.
In addition, the ACLU would create two new black-majority districts.
One would include part of Richmond, predominantly black sections of Henrico and Chesterfield counties, Charles City County, Petersburg, the predominantly black portion of Hopewell and a small part of Prince George County.
The other district would include Portsmouth, Chesapeake, the southern half of Suffolk and Southampton, Greensville and Brunswick counties.
Meanwhile, Sen. Kevin Miller, R-Rockingham, presented a Senate redistricting proposal Thursday at a Senate Privileges and Elections Committee public hearing.
Miller's plan also would pair Democratic Sens. William Fears of Accomac with Clarence Holland of Virginia Beach and Johnny S. Joannou of Portsmouth with Richard J. Holland of Isle of Wight.
Democratic Sens. Dudley Emick of Fincastle and Granger Macfarlane of Roanoke would wind up in the same district under Miller's plan.
Keywords:
GENERAL ASSEMBLY POLITICS
by CNB