Virginia Democrats appeal redistricting ruling

Virginia Democrats filed their appeal Wednesday of a judge’s ruling that blocked their plans to use a new map this year before November’s midterm elections.Tazewell County Circuit Judge Jack Hurley Jr. blocked the map on Tuesday on procedural grounds, ruling that the state legislature did not follow the right steps to approve the proposed constitutional amendment that would allow it to redraw state congressional lines. 
The filing comes after Democratic state lawmakers vowed to appeal the ruling.
“Today, we followed through on our commitment to appeal the Tazewell ruling,” top Virginia Democratic legislative leaders said in a joint statement, according to The Hill. “This decision was legally flawed, unprecedented, and the product of court-shopping designed to block Virginians from voting on their own Constitution. 
“We remain confident we will prevail, and we will continue moving forward to put this question directly to the voters — where it belongs,” the leaders added.
State law requires a constitutional amendment to be passed in the state legislature twice, with an election intervening in between the sessions, in order to go before voters. But Hurley ruled that the first passage of the amendment did not take place before the state’s 2025 elections because early voting had already begun.
Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.

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