By VABayNews Staff

Virginia lawmakers are facing renewed scrutiny after budget language surfaced that would temporarily suspend the state’s statutory ban on political gerrymandering—a law Democrats themselves enacted just five years ago.

The issue was highlighted this week by Tim Anderson, a former member of the Virginia House of Delegates, who pointed to language in the proposed 2026 state budget that would make key provisions of Virginia’s redistricting statute inapplicable for congressional maps drawn between 2025 and 2030.

The Law in Question

In 2020, when Democrats last held full control of state government, the General Assembly enacted § 24.2-304.04 of the Code of Virginia. The law established clear standards for drawing congressional and legislative districts, including a core prohibition:

“A map of districts shall not, when considered on a statewide basis, unduly favor or disfavor any political party.”

The statute was part of a broader effort to curb partisan gerrymandering and restore public confidence in the redistricting process.

What the Budget Language Does

The newly proposed budget includes language stating that the provisions of § 24.2-304.04 “shall not be applicable” to congressional districts established by the General Assembly between January 1, 2025, and October 31, 2030.

In practical terms, that means the very restrictions Democrats once championed—including the ban on drawing maps to benefit a political party—would be suspended for the next redistricting cycle.

The maneuver does not repeal the law outright. Instead, it sidelines it temporarily through budget language, a method critics say avoids public debate and standalone votes on redistricting policy.

Process and Transparency Concerns

Redistricting has long been one of the most contentious issues in Virginia politics. Voters approved constitutional changes in 2020 aimed at reducing partisan influence, and lawmakers repeatedly promised transparency and restraint in the map-drawing process.

Suspending a key anti-gerrymandering statute through a budget amendment raises questions about whether those commitments still hold—particularly when the change is embedded in a must-pass spending bill rather than debated openly as election law.

Good-government advocates across the political spectrum have historically warned against using budget language to alter election rules, arguing that such moves limit public scrutiny and weaken accountability.

Political Context

The proposal comes as control of Virginia’s congressional delegation remains closely contested, and as redistricting disputes nationwide continue to fuel litigation and voter distrust.

Democratic leaders have not yet offered a detailed public explanation for why the suspension is necessary, or why it could not be addressed through ordinary legislation.

Republicans, meanwhile, argue that if the law was sound policy in 2020, it should remain sound policy today—regardless of which party stands to benefit.

Why It Matters

Redistricting rules shape representation for a decade or more. Suspending an anti-gerrymandering law, even temporarily, risks reinforcing public cynicism about political self-interest and double standards in Richmond.

For voters who were told the 2020 reforms would prevent partisan map-drawing, the budget language raises a simple question: why undo the guardrails now?

As the budget process moves forward, lawmakers will have to decide whether this provision withstands public and political scrutiny—or whether it becomes another flashpoint in Virginia’s long redistricting battles.

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