
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, April 9, 1991                   TAG: 9104090438
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                LENGTH: Short

REDISTRICTING PLAN FACING VETO THREAT

Gov. Douglas Wilder threatened to veto or substantially alter a plan to redraw the state's political districts that would create only one additional majority black district.

The plan was drafted by the state Senate in a special session last week.

It will be debated by the House of Delegates today.

"I have not heard anyone speak approvingly of the plan. In fact, I haven't heard anyone who considered it legal," Wilder said.

The Senate plan would increase majority black Senate districts from two to three.

But Wilder and a coalition of black and civil liberties groups have said the Senate must create four largely black districts to accurately reflect the state's population.

The Senate has 40 members.

In a prepared statement Monday, the governor also took a slap at the Democratic leadership in the Senate, accusing it of "turning back the clock" on black political progress in Virginia.

"The action speaks poorly of the leadership of the Senate," the Democratic governor said. "More importantly, the people of Virginia don't deserve a reputation for turning the clock back on the progress that has been painstakingly made."

Wilder has indicated he approves of the House plan, which increases black majority seats from nine to 11 in the 100-member chamber.

The legislature redraws political lines every 10 years, using census figures.

Each house meets today to review the other's plan. Wilder must sign off on both plans.

Keywords:
POLITICS GENERAL ASSEMBLY

by CNB