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provisions of the revised Voting Rights Act, which Congress amended in 1982 largely as a response to Virginia’s 1981 redistricting effort.
The revisions mandate creations of legislative districts with a majority of black voters whenever possible. Previously, only overt discrimination in drawing boundaries around minority voters could be cause for legal challenges.
“Basically, if we enact redistricting plans that do not have minority-safe districts, and we are sued by someone who has a plan that does, we will lose,” Sen. Gartlan said.
“It is possible for the 1991 redistricting process to be suit-free,” said Phil Cooper of the American Civil Liberties Union. The Virginia ACLU filed 20 suits (18 of them successful) against discriminatory redistricting following the 1981 effort.
The black-majority district issue is likely to be a controversial topic only in southern Virginia, since no Northern Virginia districts have close to a majority of black voters.
“The Republicans might be helped by the need to create majority-black districts, so they will probably be supportive,” said Prof. Morris. The diverse objectives of different groups in redistricting led Morris to quote U.Va. political analyst Larry Sabato: “If politics makes for strange bedfellows, then redistricting makes for orgies.”
Computer technology
Unlike previous efforts, the 1991 redistricting will benefit from sophisticated computer software purchased by Virginia to map out districts, down to the smallest census block of 70 people.
“It’s an incredibly sophisticated system, and since it cost the state more than $1 million to defend itself from (redistricting) suits in 1981, it will probably turn out to be a bargain,” said Mr. Cooper.
Once the committees have completed their work, each house will vote on its own redistricting plan (without the other house’s consent needed) and Send it to Gov. L. Douglas Wilder and the U.S. Justice Department for approval.
If, as Mr. Cooper believes, a suit-free 1991 plan can be devised, it will be the first time in nearly half a century that redistricting has occurred smoothly in Virginia. In 1961, the state redistricting plan was overturned by federal courts, and major changes were made to the 1971 plan following Justice Department objections.
" But it was the 1981 effort that may be remembered as the low point in the state.
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96.7%