Democrats are weighing their response to a dangerous Virginia Supreme Court ruling last week that struck down the new voter-approved election districts—a measure that would allow them to counter nationwide GOP gerrymandering. Democratic lawmakers have reportedly decided not to adopt a proposal to radically lower the mandatory judicial retirement age and choose new justices. Instead, they’ve filed a quixotic appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, which is responsible for the torrent of GOP gerrymandering that’s sweeping the nation. Some argue that Democrats should take a much harder line, with New York Times columnist (and Virginia resident) Jamelle Bouie arguing for defying the state supreme court.
It wouldn’t be the first time that legislators have played hardball to work around restrictions on gerrymandering. Across the country, Republican lawmakers have done everything they could to defy these constitutional bans, spitting in the face of voters and packing any courts that get in the way. The GOP has already established the precedent of going to war with a state judiciary that attempts to rein in partisan redistricting; if Virginia Democrats try to revive their own map, they’ll merely be borrowing from the Republican playbook.
