CHARLESTON — A House bill to create 100 single-member House districts is on hold in Senate Judiciary as senators ponder taking the politics out of drawing the new lines.
HB 4002, a one-sentence bill, dictates that after the 2020 census, during the reapportionment and redistricting of the Legislature, the House of Delegates will be permanently composed of 100 single-member districts, according to Constitutional standards.
The intent of the bill, as discussed on the House floor, is to give residents more equal representation and to bring delegates closer to their constituents.
It passed the House, 72-25, on Jan. 22 and was taken up by Senate Judiciary on Thursday, more than a month later.
While most members favored the idea, some pointed out possible hazards.
Sen. Mike Romano, D-Harrison, raised a concern also raised on the House floor. Single-member districts can favor incumbents. “We’re really making it easier for the delegates to run. We’re almost creating an incumbent statute.”
Several senators raised the question of who would draw the new districts. Under current law, it’s done by redistricting committees from each chamber, dominated by the majority party at the time.
Sen. Mike Woelfel, D-Cabell, was one who suggested an independent redistricting commission. “I think it would serve us well if we took it out of the hands of politicians.” He added later, “This state has been gerrymandered to death.”
Sen. Stephen Baldwin, D-Greenbrier, proposed am-ending into this bill SB 54, which creates an independent commission. The idea was met favorably, but required a long recess and a conversation with the Senate parliamentarian to determine if it was germane. It was determined that it wasn’t because SB 54 also deals with Senate and Congressional districts.
So Baldwin downgraded his amendment to just apply to a House commission, based on SB 54. Neither members nor staff were aware that the House considered, essentially gutted, then killed a bill to create an independent commission, HB 2383. It died Monday.
Some members said that SB 54 is so big and complex that they’d prefer to see the amendment in writing. So committee vice-chair Ryan Weld, R-Brooke, filling in for the chair, decided to lay the bill over so committee counsel could prepare an amendment for members to review.
It will be up to chairman Charles Trump, R-Morgan, when and if to bring the bill back before the members.
